WASHINGTON UPDATES
Capitol Advocacy Partners provides weekly newsletter updates featuring curated news from the executive and legislative branches, along with timely information on federal funding opportunities—tailored to keep you informed and ahead.
Education Update: 5/20/19
President and Administration
With only four days in session before the Memorial Day recess, questions continue to surround whether the Senate will pass a disaster relief package before the week concludes. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week that he would…Democrats made an offer late Thursday, 5/16, that included…
On Friday, 5/17, a split federal appeals court ruled that President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful because…
On Sunday, 5/19, President Trump issued a new threat to Tehran, tweeting that…
Department of Education
On Monday, 5/20 the Department of Education released a solicitation for a work-study pilot called the “Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI)- Federal Work-Study Experiment”. The pilot will allow…including…
Congress
On Monday, 5/20 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation to raise the age for buying tobacco to 21, including for e-cigarettes. McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday that he will…
On Friday, 5/17, The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies approved its fiscal year 2020 bill by a voice vote. The legislation contains…The bill funds the Departments of…
On Friday, 5/17, the House for the first time approved legislation banning anti-LGBT discrimination in a 236-173 vote. Every Democrat voted for the measure, as did eight Republicans. The Equality Act would expand…
On Wednesday, 5/22, the House Education and Labor Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee will hold a hearing on “Engines of Economic Mobility: The Critical Role of Community Colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions in Preparing Students for Success.”
Funding/Support Opportunities
There is a new Department of Education program…
Education Update: 5/13/19
President and Administration
The Department of Housing and Urban Development acknowledged that a Trump administration plan to purge undocumented immigrants from public housing could displace…The proposed rule, published Friday, 5/10, in the Federal Register, would tighten regulations against…
The Defense Department is reprogramming $1.5 billion from what officials are calling lower-priority programs to fund securing at the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The latest shift, combined with other Defense funds already slated for the wall, brings the total to…
News outlets are reporting that OMB Acting Director Vought and Chief of Staff Mulvaney have told Republicans that Trump is not interested in a budget deal for FY’20 and that he wants…
Congress
On Wednesday, 5/8, the House Appropriations Committee approved legislation that would provide significant increases for grants aimed at…
On Thursday, 5/9, the House Education and Labor Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee held a hearing on "The Cost of Non-Completion: Improving Student Outcomes in Higher Education." Chairwoman Davis (D-CA) described many of the…The committee discussed…
DC Update: 5/6/19
President and Administration
To deal with a surge of migrants crossing into the United States, the White House is asking Congress for billions of dollars in emergency funds. The White House is insisting that Congress approve its $4.5 billion...
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education will meet on…The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on educational issues affecting Veterans. The Committee's area of focus includes…
On Thursday, 5/2, the Trump administration unveiled protections to further shield health workers who have religious or moral objections to care…
Congress
The Dream Act is currently on hold…The bill is stalled because of an intraparty fight over providing citizenship to undocumented immigrants with…
As Congress faces a number of spending bills before August recess, that also leads to the future of the infrastructure bill. The outcome of the budget talks also will have implications for…Ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump last week on infrastructure, the top two Democrats in Congress made sure schools...
On 4/30 the House Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies held an oversight hearing on the 2020 census preparation. There were comments about reaching...
H.R. 8, the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act,” was introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and cosponsored by…
House Democrats want a $4.4 billion spending increase for the U.S. Department of Education in the coming fiscal year, including notable increases for…The spending legislation unveiled Monday, 4/29, would provide…
Education Update: 4/29/19
President and Administration
On Tuesday, 4/24, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments on whether a question about citizenship can be added to the U.S. census. A citizenship question would…
The Trump administration appears ready to roll back health care protections for transgender people, and advocates are gearing up for a fight. A proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would…
President Trump is on a collision course with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over whether to work with Democrats on a spending bill. Trump has…
Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education officials and representatives across higher education came to an agreement the first week in April regarding proposals that clarify and update existing rules around digital learning and innovation. Highlights include…
Congress
This week, the House will take up H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, to affirm the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement in spite of President Trump’s pledge to withdraw the United States…
On Tuesday, 4/30, the House Appropriations Committee will hold its first subcommittee markup of the year at 4pm on a bill to fund the departments of…
On Tuesday, 4/30, the House Appropriations Commerce Justice Science Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10am on the 2020 census. U.S. Census Bureau…
Other Articles of Interest
The recent reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act expressly aims to…An article co-authored by Pepperdine University associate professor Cameron Sublett and Fordham Institute senior research and policy associate David Griffith, entitled How Aligned is Career and Technical Education to Local Labor Markets? examines…
An investigation in to the admissions process as New College of Florida revealed that applicants with mental illness were given a red flag on the application and received another view. Notably, this happens even if…
Funding/Support Opportunities
There are new funding opportunities from NEH, DOJ, and NSF…
DC Update: 4/29/19
President and Administration
On Tuesday, 4/24, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments on whether a question about citizenship can be added to the U.S. census. A citizenship question would…
The Trump administration appears ready to roll back health care protections for transgender people, and advocates are gearing up for a fight. A proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would…
President Trump is on a collision course with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over whether to work with Democrats on a spending bill. Trump has…
Congress
Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to introduce legislation to raise the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21 to discourage vaping and teenage nicotine addiction…The moves come after the surgeon general called for…
This week, the House will take up H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, to affirm the principles of the Paris Climate Agreement in spite of President Trump’s pledge to withdraw the United States…
On Tuesday, 4/30, the House Appropriations Committee will hold its first subcommittee markup of the year at 4pm on a bill to fund the departments of…
On Tuesday, 4/30, the House Appropriations Commerce Justice Science Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10am on the 2020 census. U.S. Census Bureau…
Other Articles of Interest
The recent reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act expressly aims to…An article co-authored by Pepperdine University associate professor Cameron Sublett and Fordham Institute senior research and policy associate David Griffith, entitled How Aligned is Career and Technical Education to Local Labor Markets? examines…
An investigation in to the admissions process as New College of Florida revealed that applicants with mental illness were given a red flag on the application and received another view. Notably, this happens even if…
Funding/Support Opportunities
New funding opportunities from the DOJ and tMHFA…