Weekly Update- 12/15/2025
Weekly Update 12/15/2025 Capitol Advocacy Partners
President and Administration:
National Trust sues to stop Trump’s ballroom construction: The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt work on Trump’s 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, arguing the administration illegally demolished the East Wing annex and began construction without required federal…
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) temporarily pauses homelessness funding overhaul just ahead of court hearing: Last Monday (12/8), HUD temporarily withdrew a proposed funding notice that would have sharply reduced permanent housing support for people experiencing homelessness, pulling the policy shortly before a court hearing on lawsuits challenging the change. The withdrawn policy would have capped permanent housing at 30%…
Trump seeks to cut restrictions on marijuana through planned order: Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order that would direct federal agencies to pursue reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, significantly loosening federal restrictions while stopping short of legalization. The proposal would reduce regulatory barriers for research and provide financial relief for legal marijuana businesses. The President discussed the plan with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)…
Trump defies GOP critics by signing controversial order threatening states over AI laws: Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to challenge state-level artificial intelligence regulations that the administration views as conflicting with its goal of maintaining U.S. leadership in AI development. The order authorizes the Justice Department to sue states over laws deemed overly restrictive, encourages federal agencies to consider withholding funds, and calls for drafting federal…
The EPA is wiping mention of human-caused climate change from its website: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has removed or altered numerous website pages that previously described climate change as driven by human activity, shifting language to emphasize natural processes or deleting content altogether. Pages citing scientific…
Congress:
Senate rejects dueling health care bills as Affordable Care Act (ACA) deadline looms: On Thursday, 12/11, the Senate voted 51-48 on advancing a GOP health care plan that would have expanded health savings accounts (HSA) as an alternative to the expiring ACA tax credits. Democrats’ plan to extend the Covid-era enhanced subsidies for three years…
Appropriations: House and Senate appropriators are still working to resolve top-line numbers for the Labor-HHS, Defense, and Energy and Water bills. On the Democrat side, top appropriators are ready to dive into the details once the majority sets the overall allocations. But until those final allocations are resolved, bipartisan negotiations on the remaining bills can’t begin their conferences. Some of the Senate Republicans who have been objecting to bringing up the FY26 minibus may be ready…
Senators’ Pay During Shutdowns: The Senate Rules and Administration Committee approved a resolution that would withhold senators’ pay for the duration of a government shutdown. The resolution (S. Res. 526), authored by Senator Kennedy (R-LA), would require the Secretary of the Senate to withhold…
Hearings:
On Tuesday, 12/16, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is anticipated to hold a hearing on legislative improvements to public safety communications in the United States.
On Wednesday, 12/17, the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation is scheduled to hold a hearing: “The Future of Constituent Engagement with Congress.”
California:
How Gavin Newsom became the Democrats’ 2028 front-runner: Ezra Klein of The New York Times conducted an interview with Governor Newsom to discuss his recent political strategies and how Newsom…
Education:
Education negotiators reach deal on Workforce Pell Grants: Education Department negotiators reached consensus in just five days on implementing new Workforce Pell Grants, expanding Pell eligibility to short-term training programs as brief as eight weeks. The proposal closely follows the law passed by Congress this summer and reflects a faster approach than prior negotiations…
California schools inch closer to rescuing mental health funds slashed by Trump: California schools may temporarily recover mental health grant funds the administration attempted to cancel, thanks to a Dec. 4 court ruling requiring the U.S. Department of Education to release remaining money. The reversal affects districts that documented harm, restoring…
To ease civil rights backlog, McMahon orders back staff she tried to fire: Education Secretary Linda McMahon has ordered over 250 Office for Civil Rights (OCR) employees—previously targeted for layoffs—to return by Dec. 15 to address a backlog of roughly 25,000 civil rights complaints. The move comes after months of legal battles…
Do federal privacy laws require schools to protect — or reveal — students’ LGBTQ+ identity?: Federal lawmakers are sharply divided over whether the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) should shield students’ LGBTQ+ identities from parents or require schools to disclose them. During a Dec. 3 hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee’s Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education…
DOJ joins Loudoun County transgender student inclusion lawsuit: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has moved to join a lawsuit against the Loudoun County School Board (Va.), arguing the district violated the religious rights of two Christian high school boys suspended after objecting to a transgender student using the boys’ locker…
House subcommittee advances 18 bills to protect minors online: The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade advanced 18 bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening online protections for children and teens, including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0. The measures now move to the full House Energy…
Supreme Court turns down book ban case: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Little v. Llano County, leaving in place a lower court ruling that allows states and local governments to decide which books public libraries may remove. The case — which challenged removals tied to topics like racism and transgender identities — could have been the first major book-ban ruling since…
NACSA/CLE: Indianapolis tries to shape a ‘grand bargain’ for charters, district: Indianapolis is weighing a “grand bargain” that would let charter schools share district buses and unused buildings in exchange for giving up some autonomy. A state-ordered panel is drafting recommendations, likely creating a new governing body to oversee shared…