Weekly Update 4/27/2026

Weekly Update 4/27/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

Department of Justice targets hundreds of naturalized citizens in new denaturalization push: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has identified 384 foreign-born Americans whose citizenship it wants to revoke, assigning cases to civil litigators in 39 regional U.S. attorneys' offices across the country. Senior officials described the 384 individuals as "the first wave of cases" the government intends to pursue, with the effort framed as a White House initiative to increase the pace of denaturalizations, though it is unclear what led DOJ to targeting these specific individuals. The move represents a significant escalation: between 1990 and 2017…

Congress:

Johnson unveils revised plan to extend contested surveillance law: House GOP leaders last week unveiled a revised three-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows warrantless surveillance of foreign targets, ahead of the April 30 expiration deadline. The proposal includes additional oversight mechanisms and penalties for abuses of the surveillance authority but stops short of warrant requirements sought by some conservatives who worry about U.S. citizens being swept up in…

California: 

President hosts Los Angeles leaders on wildfire relief as state scales back federal aid request: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with the president at the White House last week to advocate for federal wildfire recovery aid, discussing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance, rebuilding funds, insurance and mortgage relief. Gov. Gavin Newsom was notably absent from the meeting. In February, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s…

California lawmakers advance bill to increase legislative oversight of Newsom's school governance plan: The Assembly Education Committee unanimously advanced a bill last week that would give lawmakers more oversight over Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal to restructure how California oversees public schools. The bill, AB 2117, introduced by Assemblymember David Alvarez, would require the governor's appointed education commissioner to be confirmed by the Legislature, add four legislative appointments to the State Board of Educations…

Appeals court blocks California law requiring federal officers to wear identification: In California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of a state law requiring federal law enforcement officers to wear identification, citing the Supremacy Clause, which mandates that state judges must follow federal law when conflicts…

No Alameda County victims have come forward in Swalwell case as prosecutors clash over the hotline: No reports of sexual misconduct involving former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has been filed with law enforcement in Alameda County, even as a disputehas broken out between the county's current and former district attorneys over how potential victims should come forward. Recalled former District Attorney Pamela Price, who is running to reclaim her old seat in the June election, announced a hotline for potential…

Education:

27 states indicate interest in new federal school choice tax credit program: More than half of states, 27 in total (including states such as Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) have notified the IRS of their desire to participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, the first nationally available federal private school choice program, set to launch Jan. 1, 2027. The program, included in last year's reconciliation law, allows taxpayers to donate up to $1,700 annuallys…

Education Department opens civil rights investigation into LAUSD program for Black students: The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation last week into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) over its Black Student Achievement Plan, which has received at least $120 million in district funding since the school board approved it in 2021. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the nonprofit Defending Education alleging the program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race…

Federal appeals court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms: A federal appeals court ruled last week in a 9-8 decision to uphold a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the law, rejecting arguments that the displays amount to government endorsement of religion, writing that no student "is made to recite the Commandmentss…

Federal formula grant funds for K-12 schools will continue flowing through Education Department this summer: Despite ongoing efforts to shift federal education programs to the Labor Department, the Education Department confirmed last week that formula grant funds due July 1 will be distributed through its own grant systems…

State-supported pre-K enrollment hits record high but quality lags in most states: State-supported preschool enrollment and funding hit record highs in the 2024-25 school year, with 37% of four-year-olds and 9% of three-year-olds enrolled nationally and states spending nearly $14.4 billion, according to The State of Preschool 2025 report by the National Institute for Earlys…

Survey finds general education teachers need more support to serve English learners: A new EdWeek Research Center survey of more than 1,100 educators found that 55% said staff in their school or district are not appropriately trained to serve English learners is insufficient, even as most English learners spend the majority of their school days…

California phone ban debate expands as legislature scales back high school restrictions: California's effort to expand its 2024 school smartphone law is running into resistance in the Legislature, with Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi agreeing to exempt high schools from a proposed bell-to-bell ban after pushback from school administrators…

Weekly Update 4/20/2026

Weekly Update 4/20/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns: Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from her position, becoming the third Cabinet member to leave during the current President’s second term. Her departure was confirmed by White House…

Several Senate Republicans are publicly pressing the President to articulate an exit strategy for the Iran conflict: Now in its seventh week, as rising oil, gas, and fertilizer prices weigh on voters ahead of the November midterms, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters that the administration's forthcoming Iran war spending request "will be an important inflection point." Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) warned that "the clock is ticking," and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said she and other senators are drafting an authorization…

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons announced resignation: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced last week that he will resign at the end of May, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. His departure comes less than a month after Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as Homeland Security secretary…

Congress:

Senate, House Republicans work to align on immigration enforcement funding: Senate and House Republicans are working to finalize a party-line budget reconciliation package of up to $75 billion for ICE and Border Patrol, with Senate Majority Leader Thune saying he hopes the Senate will adopt a budget framework this week. Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is expected to release the budget resolution text shortly, with Senate Republicans also consulting the chamber's parliamentarian on…

White House OMB director Russell Vought: DHS ‘disintegrating’: OMB Director Vought appeared before the House Budget Committee last week and warned that the DHS funding lapse is becoming "dire" and could soon…

IRS ramps up crackdown on misuse of federal funds: The IRS last week announced a new whistleblower alert program aimed at identifying misuse of federal funds by tax-exempt organizations, individuals, and businesses, offering rewards of up to 30% of money collected based on tipster-provided information. The announcement comes as the agency faces scrutiny over its enforcement…

House Ethics panel makes rare sexual misconduct request: Today the House Ethics Committee issued a rare public call for victims and witnesses of sexual misconduct involving members of Congress to come forward, signaling increased scrutiny of how the House handles such allegations. The request followed recent high-profile resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX)…

Swalwell’s case shows that #MeToo is alive and well: An opinion piece in The Hill argues that the #MeToo movement remains influential, pointing to recent sexual misconduct allegations against former Congressman Swalwell as evidence that public accountability for powerful figures persists. The authors contend that while some claim the movement has faded, continued willingness of survivors…

California: 

Last-minute deal averts Los Angeles schools strike: LAUSD reached a tentative agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99 last week, averting a strike that would have closed schools for approximately 390,000 students. The deal gives SEIU members, who represent 30,000 support staff, including janitors, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers, a 24% pay raise over…

Newsom expected to propose spending cuts in May budget despite soaring revenues: Gov. Gavin Newsom told POLITICO last week that, despite higher-than-expected revenues, he plans to propose spending cuts in his May revised budget to ensure the state's finances are stable for his successor. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) has projected the state could face structural deficits of around $35 billion annually through 2030. While revenues have surged in recent months, driven by growth…

California Senate Democrats propose corporate fee, school funding protections: State Senate Democrats released a budget framework last week that would scrap Governor Newsom's proposed public school funding freeze and suggested a new fee on the state's largest corporations to help cover Medi-Cal costs for low-wage workers. The framework…

Education:

Education Department dissolves federal office serving English learners: The Education Department plans to dissolve the Office of English Language Acquisition, which oversees funding and programs for the country’s five million English learners. Distribution of federal Title III money will be folded into the office that handles other large programs, such as Title I, while teacher training programs will move to a separate office. Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I provides funding to…

Education Department releases new priorities for key programs: The Education Department last week released new grant priorities spanning career and workforce readiness, educator training, literacy, and artificial intelligence (AI). The agency finalized priorities for career and technical education that emphasize apprenticeships, skilled trades, and work-based learning, including…

Layoffs and hiring freezes pick up in districts amid declining enrollment: School districts nationwide are proposing widespread staff reductions this spring as enrollment declines and pandemic-era federal relief funds run out. Boston Public Schools proposed cutting 678 full-time roles in its fiscal year 2027 budget, while Richmond Public Schools and the School District of…

States change custody laws to keep children of detained immigrants out of foster care: Several states are passing laws to prevent children from entering foster care when their parents are detained by ICE and have no family available to take temporary custody. As of mid-February, nearly 70,000 people were being held by ICE, and according to ProPublica, parents of 11,000 U.S. citizen children were detained from the beginning of the administration's term through August. California's Family Preparedness Plan…

This teaching method, backed by conservatives, is on the rise: “Classical education” models are on the rise in K–12 schools, emphasizing Western literature, history, and traditional methods like Latin and the Socratic method. About one-third…

Debate rages over the cost of educating immigrant students: The administration’s immigration crackdown is affecting schools and higher education, with reports of rising student absences and GOP-led efforts to roll back benefits like in-state tuition…Supreme Court takes up another clash between religious and LGBTQ+ rights: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on whether Colorado can exclude Catholic preschools from its universal pre-K program for refusing to accept children with same-sex parents. The state requires participating preschools to follow anti-discrimination laws, and lower courts ruled…

Weekly Update 4/13/2026

Weekly Update 4/13/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

Vance and Iran fail to reach deal after marathon negotiations: President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy would begin blockading Iranian maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, with enforcement beginning today (April 13) after negotiations broke down between Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian officials over Iran refusal to commit…

Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request Infographics: Politico Pro has analyzed the implications of the President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS). In his budget request, the president is again calling for the creation of an Administration for a Healthy America, which would absorb functions from five other HHS agencies or offices, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Service…

Congress:

Tax Day is the GOP's focus as Congress returns to war, shutdown and other challenges: Republicans return to Washington this week seeking to highlight the pocketbook benefits of last year's tax and spending package ahead of Tax Day on Wednesday, even as rising energy prices and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East threaten that message. The House is also contending with a series of unresolved internal disputes, including an ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown…

California: 

Swalwell suspends California governor campaign, resigns from Congress amid misconduct allegations: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) suspended his campaign for California governor yesterday (4/12) after multiple women, including a former staffer, accused of sexual assault and misconduct in reports published by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. Swalwell denied the allegations but acknowledged lapses in judgment. The same day, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed it is investigating one of the alleged….

Education:

Education Department finalizes definitions for AI and workforce readiness in grant competitions: The Education Department released final priorities and definitions on artificial intelligence and workforce readiness for federal discretionary grant competitions, building on Education Secretary Linda McMahon's stated priorities. The finalized rules prioritize AI literacy…

Administration rescinds agreements to protect transgender students: The U.S. Department of Education terminated civil rights agreements with five school districts and one college, ending protections for transgender students negotiated under previous administrations. The affected institutions include La Mesa-Spring Valley School District…

Draft anti-DEI rule draws strong pushback from education leaders: The General Services Administration proposed a rule in January that would require all federal funding recipients, including schools and colleges, to certify they do not operate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs. The public comment period closed March 30…

Gaps in early childhood investment drive up K-12 costs: A study published in the journal Nature Communications found that total investments in children over the course of childhood are roughly $86,000 more for higher-income children and up to $75,000 more for White children compared to Black and Hispanic children, based on an analysis of 10 nationally representative surveys. Gaps in investment by income and race exceed 50% before kindergarten, driven largely by disparities in housing an…

COVID remote learning put drain on college enrollment: A working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the shift to fully virtual K-12 instruction during the 2020-21 school year reduced FAFSA submission rates by 4.2 percentage points, first-year college enrollment by 2.5 percentage points, and ACT test-taking rates by 4.8 percentage points. While FAFSA….

LGBTQ+ students report that schools feel more hostile: An annual survey by Glisten, a research and advocacy organization focused on LGBTQ+ issues in K-12, found that two-thirds of LGBTQ+ students reported feeling unsafe because of their identity during the 2024-25 school year, with over half saying they faced related discrimination. Some 41% of transgender and gender-expansive students…

Education and Labor departments launch first K-12 grant competitions under interagency agreement: The Education and Labor departments launched their first K-12 grant competitions under an interagency agreement, continuing the administration's effort to disperse Education Department programs across the federal government. The Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program will now be awarded through the Labor Department's…

Walberg bill would move adult education to Labor Department: House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which would formally transfer adult education programs from the Education Department to the Labor Department. The bill, A Stronger Workforce for America…

Judge sides with NYC after administration pulls federal funding for magnet schools: A federal judge ruled that the administration improperly revoked millions of dollars in federal grant funding for New York City magnet schools, finding the Education Department failed to follow procedures required under Title IX—a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the administration to decide…

Weekly Update 4/6/2026

Weekly Update 4/6/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

White House releases FY 2027 budget request: The White House on Friday released the president’s fiscal year 2027 “skinny” budget request. This document is merely a proposed budget outline, with details to be released in the coming weeks. Key priorities include:

• Department of Justice (DOJ) – $40.8 billion, a $4.7 billion or 13% increase from FY26 enacted level

  • The budget request emphasizes a “tough on crime” agenda, with investments in law enforcement capacity, immigration enforcement, and violent crime reduction. Funding increases support expanded immigration courts, enhanced FBI operations, and targeted enforcement initiatives….

Understanding the new Executive Order on DEI and its impact on federal contractors: The President signed an Executive Order on March 26, requiring federal agencies by April 25 to insert clauses into contracts that prohibit contractors from engaging in what the administration defines as racially discriminatory DEI activities, including race-based hiring, promotions, and program participation decisions. The order extends to subcontractors and lower-tier partners…Strong showing for the job market in the latest report: The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, exceeding economists' expectations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care led gains with 76,000 new positions, partly reflecting the return of roughly 32,000 nurses ending a California strike, while manufacturing added 15,000 jobs and construction grew by 26,000. The federal government…

Maine is about to become the first state to ban new data centers: Maine is set to become the first state to freeze large data center construction, following a bill passed by the Democratic-controlled Maine House of Representatives that would pause projects of at least 20 megawatts until November 2027. Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) has expressed support for the moratorium with an exception for a project already planned in the town of Jay. Supporters…

Congress:

House leadership agrees to consider Senate-passed DHS spending bill: Republicans last week struck a deal for the House to pass the previously unanimously approved Senate bill to fully fund DHS minus Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol (ICE). The legislation will likely be considered when Congress returns next week, although House Democratic Leader…

GOP’s ICE funding gambit squeezes Republican agenda: Republicans will reportedly pursue funding immigration enforcement through the budget reconciliation process, aiming to bypass Democrats and quickly restore funding for immigration enforcement. The President set a June 1 deadline for a narrow reconciliation bill focused….

Education:

Black Caucus scholarships discriminate based on race, lawsuit alleges: The American Alliance for Equal Rights filed a lawsuit April 2 in D.C. federal court alleging that the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's CBC Spouses Education Scholarship discriminates by limiting eligibility to Black students in districts represented by caucus members. The scholarship provides between $2,500 and $20,000 in assistance, with approximately 300 of 3,000 annual applicants receiving awards…

Tracker: Education Department programs are moving to new agencies: The Education Department has reached 10 interagency agreements with five Cabinet-level agencies to transfer at least 119 K-12 and higher education programs, according to an Education Week analysis. Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the agreements as…

Oklahoma charter board faces second suit over Jewish school’s rejection: A religious organization filed a lawsuit claiming the denial of its application to open a public charter school is unconstitutional. The suit follows the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board's unanimous rejection in February 2026 of the Ben Gamla…

Weekly Update 3/30/2026

Weekly Update 3/30/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

What we know about the T.S.A. and ICE presence at airports: A partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has significantly disrupted airport operations nationwide, with TSA officers working without pay since mid-February. The lack of pay has led to widespread absenteeism and resignations, with over 500 officers quitting and thousands calling out, causing long security lines at major airports. In response, the administration deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)…

Congress:

FCC launches effort to onshore call centers: The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 last week to open a rulemaking to examine how to bring customer service call centers back to the United States and to establish English-language proficiency requirements for call center workers. The rulemaking will explore restrictions on the volume of calls handled by overseas centers, location disclosure requirements for foreign-based workers, and potential bonding requirements…

Markwayne Mullin confirmed as Homeland Security secretary: The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security on March 23 in a 54-to-45 vote, with nearly all Republicans and two Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), voting in support. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) broke from his party and voted against the nomination. Mullin, a Cherokee Nation member and former Oklahoma senator, takes charge of a department partially shut down since February 14…

Another senior House Republican will retire as midterm exodus grows: Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), the 13-term chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced last week that he will retire at the end of his current term, becoming the latest senior House Republican to exit ahead of midterm elections. Graves, 62, has chaired the panel through several high-profile oversight efforts, including investigations into Boeing's 737 Max crashes in 2019 and 2020 and a recent…

Postal Service plans to impose 8% surcharge on packages to offset rising transportation costs: The U.S. Postal Service announced on March 25 a temporary 8% surcharge on packages set to take effect April 26 and run through January 17, 2027, citing rising fuel and transportation costs tied to the ongoing war in Iran. The surcharge will not apply to mail and must first be reviewed…

California:

Here are 10 to 15 stations that could close under BART doomsday scenarios: Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officials are warning that significant service reductions and potential station closures could occur if voters do not approve new transit funding measures on the November ballot. Under an initial “doomsday” scenario designed to address a projected $400 million annual deficit, BART could close up to 10 stations as early as January 2027 and reduce overall train service hours by roughly 63…

Education:

Education Department interagency agreements now total 10 across five federal agencies: The U.S. Department of Education has signed 10 interagency agreements with five federal agencies since May 2025, transferring management of programs covering school safety, Title I schools, career and technical education, family engagement, and the $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio to agencies including the Treasury Department. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has framed the restructuring as reducing federal bureaucracy and returning fiscal authority to the states, though the department retains statutory responsibility for the transferred…

Education Department to leave headquarters and transfer building to Energy Department: The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it will vacate its Lyndon B. Johnson headquarters in Washington, D.C., transferring the space to the Department of Energy, in the latest step toward downsizing the agency under the President. The building, located near the National Mall, sits 70% vacant following staff reductions of roughly half through layoffs and early retirement incentives…

Trump axes student mental health grants and one California charter suffers: The administration canceled Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grants in April 2025, originally established during the President's first term following the 2018 Parkland school shooting, blocking schools from accessing remaining funds. The Multicultural Learning Center, a dual-language charter school in Los Angeles County, lost access to $1.9 million of a nearly $4.6 million five-year grant that had expanded…

Science of reading gets nod from House panel in literacy grants bill: The House Education and Workforce Committee unanimously approved the Science of Reading Act (H.R. 7890) earlier this month. The bipartisan bill aligns federal literacy grant programs with science of reading instruction and formally discredits the three-cueing reading model. Separately, a group of House Republicans sought to overturn Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing public education access to undocumented students…