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…