Weekly Update-9/08/2026
Weekly Update 9/08/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners
Grant Management:
Upcoming Federal Fiscal Year-End: With September 30 approaching, if you have a grant or No-Cost Extension (NCE) ending on September 30, all program activities must be completed, and all allowable expenditures and obligations must be incurred by the end of the month. For mid-stream grants with a budget year…
President and Administration:
USPS ballot verification portal could delay mail voting, whistleblower warns: A federal whistleblower disclosure submitted to Congress last week warns that a new United States Postal Service verification portal could delay mail ballot delivery ahead of the midterm elections. The system, tied to an executive order affecting mail voting procedures, would reject an entire batch of ballots, potentially tens of thousands, if a single barcode could not be matched to a state's voter list. Election officials have raised concerns that voter rolls change too frequently for the portal to keep pace, since new registrations and address…
Congress:
House Republicans eye massive water & environment earmarks: House lawmakers are seeking more than $7.4 billion across roughly 6,200 community project earmarks in the proposed FY2027 spending bills, with Republicans capturing the overwhelming majority of the largest awards. All but one of the 60 largest proposed earmarks would benefit Republican-led districts, continuing a pattern seen over the past four years. Major funding requests are concentrated in water infrastructure, environmental projects…
Senators press Education Department on student loan spending: Four senators are pressing the Department of Education to account for how it has spent $1 billion in student loan administration funding provided under last year's tax and spending law. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter asking Secretary Linda McMahon to detail spending after the department reported using roughly $215.5 million of the fund…
Lawmakers weigh payroll tax changes to address Social Security shortfall: The Social Security trust fund is projected to run dry in 2032, at which point benefits would shrink by an average of $440 per month unless Congress acts, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Closing the shortfall would require $459 billion in cuts or new revenue in 2033 alone, a figure that grows each year the fix is delayed. Several lawmakers, including Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Elizabeth Warren…
California:
California reaches deal on school abuse liability: California lawmakers reached a compromise on legislation addressing childhood sexual assault liability for public schools, cities, and counties. The deal drops survivor damages proposed caps but requires survivors over age 40, or those with pre-2024 cases lacking records, to present stronger…
Education:
Federal agencies press Kansas districts on gender policy compliance: The Departments of Justice and Education announced enforcement action against two Kansas school districts, Olathe and Shawnee Mission, over gender-inclusive policies the agencies say violate federal student privacy law. Reasons for enforcement action include allowing students to change their name or pronouns used at school without clear communication to parents, and allowing transgender…
IRS proposes ending tax-exempt status for discriminatory private schools: The Treasury Department and IRS last week proposed regulations to end federal tax-exempt status for private schools that discriminate based on race, color, or national or ethnic origin. The rule could affect up to 18,000 private primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions…