U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Roundtable

Why it matters:

At a House Education & Workforce Committee roundtable in Utah, Chair Tim Walberg and Higher Education Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens framed Utah’s collaboration culture as a national model for aligning tax policy, school choice, and workforce development.

The big picture:

• Working Families Tax Cut touted as the largest in U.S. history, with no tax on tips or overtime, bigger child credits, and small business protections.
• Education reform centered on accountability, Pell expansion for short-term and workforce programs, and caps on grad lending to rein in tuition inflation.
• School choice momentum spotlighted Utah’s universal ESA program, with private and faith-based leaders underscoring parent-led education.

What they’re saying:

• Business voices called the tax changes a boost for small employers and frontline workers.
• Higher ed leaders stressed accountability, completion, and linking credentials to market value.
• K–12 and private school advocates framed parent choice as essential to student success.
• Workforce groups emphasized employer-aligned training and short-term credentials.

The bottom line:

Owens and Walberg cast Utah as proof-of-concept for marrying tax relief, school choice, and workforce-driven higher ed – a blueprint they want to scale nationally.