Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) was selected by his House Republican colleagues to serve as the Senior Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee in the 111th Congress, a post he's held since 2007.

McKeon has served on the panel since 1993, leading the higher-education subcommittee for a decade and serving as the committee's chairman in 2006.

"The Education and Labor Committee deals with issues that impact Americans in all phases of life, from education and health care to jobs and retirement," McKeon said in a statement. "And now, with America at an economic and competitive crossroads, this panel is poised to deal with some of the most important issues facing our nation.

"We have a duty to ensure all Americans have access to high-quality education and lifelong learning opportunities, as well as freedom and security in health care, on the job, and in retirement," McKeon said.

"Republicans stand ready to work on principled reforms to our nation's laws that will benefit American families, workers and small businesses - and we are equally ready to lead the fight against a radical agenda of government intrusion and special-interest givebacks."