Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg delivered remarks on May 21 during a markup session for five bills addressing employment for individuals with disabilities, civics education, health care transparency, prescription drug costs, and retirement security.
The proposed legislation aims to address key issues facing American families by removing barriers to employment, ensuring accurate civics education in schools, streamlining benefit reporting requirements, increasing transparency in health care billing practices, and reducing prescription drug costs. The House Education and Workforce Committee manages federal programs concerning education, labor, health and workforce development; it also influences policy on student loans and worker protections and serves in the legislative sector with jurisdiction over these matters,according to the official website.
“Good morning, and welcome to the Committee on Education and Workforce. Today the Committee will mark up H.R. 8736… H.R. 8705… H.R. 7362… H.R. 7895… and H.R. 8684,” Walberg said as he opened his statement outlining each bill under consideration.
Walberg said that nearly eighty percent of people with disabilities were unemployed in 2025 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data: “At a time when we should be removing the barriers to work … outdated federal policy too often stands in the way.” He described how H.R. 8736 seeks to reverse this trend by increasing access to employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Addressing civics education reform through H.R. 8705 introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, Walberg said: “Today’s bill sends a clear message that it was wrong—children should be educated in civics, not indoctrinated.” He also highlighted efforts aimed at simplifying employee benefit plan reporting requirements (H.R. 7362), prohibiting pharmacy benefit manager kickbacks (H.R. 7895), and promoting honest billing practices through greater transparency (H.R. 8684).
Walberg concluded: “Taken together these bills are focused on real concerns facing American families—from finding meaningful work to accessing affordable health care … They reflect practical common-sense reforms that will expand opportunity … I thank the Members who have worked diligently on these reforms … I look forward to the Committee’s consideration of these measures today.”
