Weekly Update- 11/24/2025
Weekly Update 11/24/2025 Capitol Advocacy Partners
President and Administration:
Acting FEMA chief out after short, troubled tenure: Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson resigned last Monday (11/17), just hours after telling POLITICO that he had “no idea” about reports of his departure. Richardson is also leaving his role leading the Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. His departure had been rumored for two weeks, with former FEMA officials predicting he would leave by the end of the hurricane season. Richardson has served as FEMA’s senior official…
Comey, James cases dismissed as judge disqualifies interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan: Today (11/24), a federal judge threw out the criminal cases against former Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that Trump’s…
Congress:
House: Is out of session and will return for legislative business on December 1.
Senate: Is out of session and will return for legislative business on December 1.
Appropriations- Little sign of spending progress as top appropriators meet: Top appropriators from the House and Senate met for the first time since the partial government shutdown but made no progress toward a fiscal 2026 spending deal. Participants included Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Collins supports…
Nydia Velázquez is stepping down: Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) announced she will retire at the end of her current term in January of 2027, when the new Congress is sworn in, concluding more than three decades in Congress and opening a rare vacancy in a strongly progressive New York City…
Greene’s exit deals a blow to G.O.P., putting rifts on display: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) abrupt decision to resign has created immediate uncertainty for House Republicans, narrowing an already tight majority and exposing deeper divisions within the conference. Her departure, which is anticipated to be on January 5, 2026, follows public criticism of what she described as Congress’s failure to advance key legislative priorities, reflecting broader frustration among some conservative…
Education:
Administration launches plan to dismantle Education Department: The administration has begun executing its plan to dismantle the Education Department by shifting major functions to other federal agencies. Six offices will move, including K–12 and higher education programs to the Labor Department, Indian Education to Interior, international education to State, and child care and medical…
What state education chiefs think as Trump moves programs out of the Ed. Dept.: State education chiefs are reacting to the administration’s plan to shift major Education Department programs to other federal agencies. While some Republican-led states say they were expecting the change and believe funding will continue smoothly, many Democratic-led states warn it will create confusion, delays, and reduced…
New audit exposes accountability faults in Florida's massive school choice program: Florida lawmakers are under pressure to fix the state’s expanding school choice program after an audit found major accountability problems. Enrollment has surged past 500,000 students, but the state can’t accurately track who is in public or private schools, leading to funding errors, including a $47 million…
Another religious school to apply for public charter status in Oklahoma: A Jewish school is now seeking approval to operate as a virtual public charter in Oklahoma, reigniting a debate that escalated earlier this year when the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked on a similar bid from a Catholic virtual…