U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, is staying on the House Education and Workforce Committee, but gave up his seat on Judiciary because of his appointment to the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Rulli was selected in December to start serving this month on Energy and Commerce, on which he wanted a seat, specifically mentioning it June 11, the night he won a special election for the then-vacant 6th Congressional District seat.

Shortly after Rulli was sworn in June 25 to the House, he was appointed to the Education and Workforce, and Judiciary committees. Because of the time commitment needed for committee assignments, Rulli left the Judiciary shortly after obtaining the Energy and Commerce appointment.

Rulli received three subcommittee assignments for Energy and Commerce and two for Education and Workforce.

“I am honored to serve on these vital subcommittees, which I will advocate for the needs of our families and communities,” Rulli said. “From enhancing our education system to advancing healthcare and energy policies that benefit all Americans, I am committed to driving meaningful progress and ensuring the government works for the people.”

Rulli’s Energy and Commerce subcommittee assignments are Energy, Health and Oversight and Investigations.

Energy handles national energy policy, energy security, infrastructure and cyber security, as well as oversight of agencies such as the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Health oversees public and private health insurance programs, biomedical research, mental health, substance-abuse prevention and agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Oversight and Investigations is responsible for conducting investigations into and maintaining oversight over matters within the full committee’s jurisdiction, including energy, health and environmental policies.

Rulli’s Education and Workforce subcommittee assignments are Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education; and Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.

The first focuses on education from early learning to high school, including areas such as special education, school safety, teacher professional development, and programs such as Head Start.

The other includes oversight of employer-employee relations, workplace safety, and employee retirement and health benefits.

Rulli represents the 11-county 6th Congressional District with Mahoning as its most-populous county.

He won a special June 11 election for the unexpired term of Republican Bill Johnson. Rulli was elected to his first full two-year term in November. The term began this month.

Before joining the U.S. House, Rulli spent more than five years in the Ohio Senate.