5 0 ▁members ▁in ▁this ▁committee . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁Att empt s ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁con gression al ▁committee ▁on ▁education ▁and ▁labor ▁starting ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁con gress es ▁but ▁issues ▁over ▁Congress ' s ▁constitution al ▁ability ▁to ▁over see ▁such ▁issues ▁delayed ▁the ▁committee ' s ▁formation . ▁Finally , ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Education ▁and ▁Labor ▁was ▁founded ▁following ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁rapid ▁industrial ization ▁of ▁America . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁the ▁committee ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁two , ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Education ▁and ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Labor . ▁ ▁The ▁comm itte es ▁again ▁merged ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁after ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Re organ ization ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁becoming ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Education ▁and ▁Labor ▁again . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁when ▁the ▁Republic ans ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁House , ▁the ▁Committee ▁was ▁renamed ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Econom ic ▁and ▁Edu c ational ▁O pport un ities . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁renamed ▁again ▁as ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Education ▁and ▁the ▁Work force ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁on ▁January ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁On ▁January ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁with ▁the ▁Democr ats ▁once ▁again ▁in