Capitol Advocacy Partners Weekly Update 9/29/2025
Appropriations
Democrats: Democrats are not retreating from their opposition to the GOP-led stopgap funding patch as the White House threatens to fire federal workers if Congress allows a government shutdown. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said the threats were tantamount to “mafia-style blackmail,"…
Republicans: On Thursday (9/25), Trump stated that responsibility for any difficulties arising from his administration’s actions should rest with Democrats, arguing that their refusal to pass a clean funding bill is what risks a government shutdown.
President and Administration:
Trump’s shutdown plans: Mass layoffs, deregulation, military deployments: The administration is preparing for a government shutdown at midnight on Tuesday (September 30) threatening mass layoffs, sweeping deregulation, and a sharp narrowing of federal responsibilities. Under the plan led by White House budget director Russell Vought, many agencies such as Labor and Housing would see massive…
The man behind Trump’s push for an all-powerful presidency: Russell T. Vought, the President’s budget director, is driving an aggressive push to expand presidential authority and weaken federal agencies, reviving ideas he developed during Trump’s first term. After clashing with Elon Musk’s short-lived Department of Government Efficiency, Vought has reasserted control, using budget…
States send out the ‘bat signal’ for help responding to cyber threats amid federal cuts: State cybersecurity leaders are stepping up collaboration as federal cyber support shrinks under administration cuts. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), once a cornerstone for state-level cyber defense, has lost significant staff and halted key programs…
Supreme Court OKs Trump to withhold $4B in foreign aid: The Supreme Court ruled that Trump can withhold $4 billion in foreign aid appropriated by Congress, strengthening his position in an ongoing dispute over executive spending power. The unsigned order, opposed by Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, endorsed Trump’s “pocket rescission”…
Public Safety
At least four dead in attack on Michigan church: At least four people were killed and eight others injured after a gunman attacked a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, on Sunday (9/28). Authorities said the suspect, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, crashed his vehicle into the church before opening fire…
Trump calls for troops in Portland, escalating use of military inside U.S.: Trump announced plans to send U.S. troops to Portland, Oregon, and to immigration detention facilities nationwide, authorizing the use of “Full Force, if necessary.” The move follows an executive order mobilizing counterterrorism powers against domestic opponents, despite longstanding precedent limiting…
Education:
Districts lose millions as Trump ends desegregation grants: The U.S. Department of Education has ended the Biden-era Fostering Diverse Schools grant program, leaving six districts and charter networks—including one in Los Angeles—without millions they had budgeted for the 2025–26 school year. The program, launched in 2023 to boost racial and socioeconomic diversity…
FCC to vote Sept. 30 on removing school bus Wi-Fi, hotspots from E-rate: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote tomorrow (Sept. 30) on whether to roll back a Biden-era expansion of the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Program (E-rate)…
Administration cuts some teacher-training grants for English learners: The U.S. Department of Education has halted some National Professional Development (NPD) grants, the only federal program dedicated to training teachers to better serve English learners. At least 10 programs received non-continuation letters on Sept. 23, giving them just seven days to appeal. Officials say the cuts target...
Educators worry about how Trump’s autism rhetoric will affect students, parents: Trump and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that acetaminophen use during pregnancy and vaccines contribute to autism—statements refuted by major medical…
As CTE transfers to Labor Department, here’s what schools need to know: The U.S. Department of Education is transferring daily management of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs under the Carl D. Perkins Act to the U.S. Department of Labor through an interagency agreement. The administration says this will streamline services, but critics warn it could cause confusion…
Math and career education are now top grant priorities for Ed. Dept.: The U.S. Department of Education has proposed two new competitive grant priorities: strengthening math instruction and advancing career and technical education (CTE). The math priority emphasizes explicit, systematic teaching, teacher training, and statewide plans to raise achievement, echoing the “science of reading”…
Administration set to propose ‘patriotic education’ grant initiative: The administration is preparing a “patriotic education” grant initiative that would direct federal funds toward programs promoting a conservative interpretation of U.S. history, emphasizing Judeo-Christian values, Western civilization, and national symbols. The proposal, to be published by the U.S. Department…
Des Moines schools chief is detained and accused of living in U.S. illegally: Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was detained Friday (9/25) by federal immigration agents, who said he had been living and working in the U.S. illegally. ICE officials stated Roberts entered the country on a student visa in 1999, had a deportation order issued in May 2024, and was carrying a loaded handgun, cash, and a knife when arrested after fleeing agents. His sudden detention shocked the community…