Weekly Update 3/2/2026

Weekly Update 3/2/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

Trump won't rule out ground troops in Iran as U.S. military confirms four troops killed in war: The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has entered its third day, with continued Iranian missile and drone attacks hitting Israel and several Gulf states, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. At least four U.S. service members have been confirmed killed, and the U.S. military says more casualties are possible as operations continue. The President has stated that the campaign will proceed until its…

FEMA sends out billions for disasters, warning Democrats of 'dire’ shutdown impact: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent out more than $5 billion in disaster relief in a single week, cutting by more than half the $9.6 billion balance in the nation’s disaster relief fund and warning of “dire consequences” as a funding lapse at the DHS…

Congress:

House GOP leaders poised to force vote to end DHS shutdown: Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to force a vote Thursday (3/5) on legislation to fund DHS, aiming to pressure Democrats to reopen the agency amid heightened domestic threats following U.S. strikes on Iran. The measure is nearly identical…

Hearings:

• On Tuesday, 3/3, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary is anticipated to hold oversight hearings to examine the Department of Homeland Security.

Education:

ED’s DEI guidance is dead, but Trump's crackdown isn't: A federal court blocked the U.S. Department of Education’s Dear Colleague letter declaring race-based programming illegal, and the department dropped its appeal. Advocates call the rulings a victory and say colleges can restore paused diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Legal experts say the…

School counselors see rising trauma linked to immigration enforcement: School counselors across the country report increases in student trauma tied to heightened immigration enforcement, including more post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses, young children clinging to teachers, and rising absenteeism that in some cases leads to families withdrawing from school or leaving their communities. In Minnesota and other states with large immigrant populations, counselors say students fear family separation and…

The Education Department's 9 interagency agreements: what is going where: The U.S. Department of Education signed nine interagency agreements with four federal agencies between May 2025 and Feb. 23, 2026, shifting billions of dollars in responsibilities for grant management, technical assistance, and other administrative duties as part of the President's effort to shrink…

Special education enrollment rises to more than 8.2M students: The number of students ages 3 to 21 qualifying for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) increased 3.8%, or nearly 302,000 students, from 2023 to 2024, reaching about 8.2 million, according to federal data analyzed by The Advocacy Institute. Enrollment under IDEA…

Education groups push $2.5 billion plan to rebuild teacher preparation: Groups led by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education are urging Congress to invest $2.5 billion to overhaul federal support for teacher preparation, citing enrollment declines, program cuts, and growing classroom demands. In a new report, they propose reviving and expanding teacher workforce grants and scholarships within the U.S. Department of Education, creating a national educator workforce data system, and…

Weekly Update 2/23/2026

Weekly Update 2/23/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

After court ruling, Trump says US global tariff rate will rise from 10% to 15%: Following a Supreme Court decision striking down a set of the White House’s global tariffs, the President announced he will raise a temporary universal tariff on U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under Section 122 of federal trade law, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier tariff program. The Court ruled that the administration exceeded its authority…

Congress:

Senate GOP faces pressure to force "talking filibuster" for voter ID bill: Senate Republicans are coming under intense pressure from the President and right-wing colleagues to embark on an old-fashioned filibuster fight in an effort to ram through a voter identification bill that their party regards as crucial to salvaging their dimming chances of winning the midterm elections (2/21). The move, which Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has been reluctant to undertake, involves using tactics that have not been employed for decades and could…

Hearings:

• On Tuesday, 2/24, the Senate Committee on the Budget is anticipated to hold hearings to examine sanctuary cities, focusing on law and order.

Education:

Administration to shift more programs out of the Education Department: The administration announced on February 23, 2026 that it will shift additional responsibilities out of the U.S. Department of Education as part of its broader effort to dismantle the agency and return authority to states. The latest announcement states that oversight of school safety grants…

Bad news for Pell: The Pell Grant program is expected to be short $5.4 billion by Sept. 30, when fiscal year 2026 ends, and in fiscal year 2027, the shortfall could grow by another $11.5 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Congress has expanded the Pell Grant program twice and increased the maximum award several times, but aside from a $10.5 billion one-time infusion over the summer, lawmakers have not increased the program's budget, leaving a cumulative shortfall of $16.9…

Education Department reaches deals with 31 colleges to cut ties to PhD group working to increase advanced degrees for traditionally underrepresented groups: The Department of Education announced it has secured agreements with 31 universities to end their partnerships with The PhD Project, a nonprofit organization that supports students pursuing PhDs, following agency investigations alleging the organization unlawfully limited eligibility based on race this past Thursday, February 19. The agency began investigating 45 schools last March for allegedly violating civil rights laws after the Office for Civil Rights sent a letter to colleges…

Weekly Update 2/17/2026

Weekly Update 2/17/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

Gallup will no longer track presidential approval ratings: The Gallup Organization will no longer track presidential approval ratings after nearly 90 years, ending a monthly poll that has been used to measure presidential performance since Franklin D. Roosevelt. The polling firm said the decision was based on a shift in corporate strategy intended…

Trump says all Democratic governors except Wes Moore and Jared Polis are invited to White House gathering: The President announced that invitations were sent to nearly all governors for a traditionally bipartisan White House gathering scheduled for February 20, amid confusion surrounding the annual meeting with the National Governors Association (NGA). The President stated that all governors were invited except Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) of Maryland and Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) of Colorado, though NGA…

Congress:

House votes to rein in Trump's Canada tariffs: The House of Representatives voted 219 to 211 to revoke tariffs that Trump imposed on Canada last year, with six Republicans crossing party lines to join Democrats, though the symbolic rebuke faces near-certain veto and override failure. The vote was made possible by a quirk in the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which Trump  invoked last year to declare a national emergency over fentanyl flows and impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian…

House passes strict voter ID bill, amplifying Trump’s claims of fraud: The House recently passed legislation requiring proof of American citizenship to vote and allowing the Department of Homeland Security to seize voter rolls in any state, as Republicans advanced a measure that amplifies the Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud despite no path…

California:

Judge blocks Trump administration from cutting $600 million in public health funds: A federal judge in Chicago has temporarily blocked the administration from proceeding with $600 million in public health funding cuts affecting four Democratic-led states, including California. The ruling pauses the reductions for 14 days while litigation moves forward, with…

Education:

ICE taps into school security cameras to aid immigration crackdown: Police departments across the United States are using school district security cameras to assist federal immigration enforcement by searching a national database of automated license plate reader data, an investigation by The 74 reveals. Hundreds of thousands of audit logs from Texas school districts that contract with Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company manufacturing artificial intelligence-powered license plate readers..

Weekly Update- 2/9/2026

Weekly Update- 2/9/2026

President and Administration:

Local officials push back on Trump's calls to “nationalize” elections in targeted cities: Election officials in Atlanta, Detroit, and Philadelphia are pushing back after Trump suggested Republicans should “nationalize” elections and have the federal government take over voting in as many as 15 places. Under Article I…

Congress:

Education Funding in Approved FY26 Appropriations Bill: On Tuesday, February 3, a bipartisan spending package funding the Department of Education at $79 billion cleared Congress, ending a brief partial government shutdown that began after appropriations lapsed early Saturday (1/31). The House approved the measure 217 to 214, and Trump signed it on Tuesday afternoon (2/3), keeping the department funded through September. Most major programs would remain at roughly the same level of funding, including $1.3 billion for Trio and a maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395. Language in the accompanying explanatory statement says the department…

California:

Log-on limits: California lawmakers are moving to set age limits on social media and create a new state enforcement body. This bipartisan effort would significantly expand the state's role in regulating major tech platforms. The push is being led by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-CA), who said he and six other lawmakers are introducing two bills this week: Assembly Bill 1709, which would establish the Legislature's intent to age-gate social media platforms, and Assembly Bill 1700, which would create a California…

Apartment rents fall to lowest level in four years: Apartment List reported that the national median rent in January fell to $1,353, down 1.4% from a year earlier and the lowest January level since 2022, as a large wave of new supply continues to weigh on pricing. The national vacancy rate rose to 7.3%, the highest on Apartment List’s index dating to 2017, and units took an average of 41 days to lease, also a record for the index. Chris Salviati, chief economist at Apartment List, said a brief rebound in rent growth that appeared possible in early 2025 stalled and reversed after a weak summer leasing season that has carried into winter. With demand…

Supreme Court clears way for California congressional map: Last Wednesday, February 4, the Supreme Court rejected an emergency bid by the California  Republican Party to block California’s new congressional map, allowing the state to use it for the November midterms (2/4). The unsigned order did not include a vote count or reasoning, but it preserves a plan Democrats pursued after the President urged GOP-led states to redraw maps for partisan gain, including Texas. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) framed the decision as a response to a broader redistricting fight that began after Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) moved to redraw Texas districts…

Los Angeles, San Francisco teachers unions OK strikes over pay, staffing demands: Strike authorization votes in Los Angeles and San Francisco have put California’s two biggest contract fights on a short fuse after months of stalled negotiations over pay and staffing. United Educators of San Francisco, which represents about 6,500 educators, approved a walkout in a second….

Education:

Administration guidance emphasizes right to pray in public schools: CAP reminder: Guidance documents are non-binding in both law and in practice. They reflect an agency’s interpretation of law or regulations, but do not hold the same weight as law or regulation. New Education Department guidance says schools should protect constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression, including allowing teachers to pray on the same terms as students and to pray with willing students as long as it is not coercive or treated as the school's official speech. Signed by Joshua Kleinfeld, a top Education Department attorney, the document rejects what it calls the "legally unsound” idea of a “wall of separation” between religion and public schools and leans on recent Supreme Court rulings…

Education Department's shutdown effort has workers ‘doing the same job’ at a different agency: The administration's effort to shutter the Department of Education is pushing parts of its grant operation into other agencies, a move that employees and some lawmakers say is adding bureaucracy instead of reducing it, according to reporting published this past Thursday, February 5. About 60 Office of Postsecondary Education staffers have been detailed to the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, where workers described building access and information technology as hurdles that slowed work as agencies…

Education Department doubles down on anti-DEI efforts: The U.S. Department of Education said it will continue targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, even after a federal court blocked the department’s February 14 Dear Colleague letter that framed DEI as potentially unlawful race discrimination. Julie Hartman, press secretary for legal affairs at the Education Department, said the Office for Civil Rights will “vigorously enforce”…

Educators sue over ICE activity on school grounds and nearby: Two Minnesota school districts and the state’s teachers’ union sued the federal government to stop immigration enforcement at or near schools after the administration revoked protections for “sensitive locations.” The lawsuit alleges ICE and Border Patrol agents staged operations on school grounds, bus stops…

Teaching as you’re feeling: St. Paul teachers share their classroom realities: A federal surge of immigration enforcement around Minnesota schools and bus stops has pushed Twin Cities districts to return to remote learning in uneven ways, unlike the uniform shift during the COVID-19 shutdowns. John Horton, a teacher at Barack and Michelle Obama Montessori in St. Paul, said all 28 of his first-, second-, and third-graders are still attending in person, aided by community volunteers and school precautions that help families maintain routine despite fear. At Como High School, Eric Erickson said attendance has split sharply by race…

Free speech debates resurface with student walkouts over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids: Student walkouts protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have spread nationwide, with the largest wave on January 30 as part of a  “National Shutdown” campaign urging students to leave class, stay home from work, and avoid spending money. The protests, driven in part by heightened attention to federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis following the killing of two civilians by federal officials…

Where private school choice enrollment—and spending—is surging: Private school choice enrollment has surged in recent years as Republican led states invest billions in vouchers, education savings accounts, and tax credits that families can use for private education costs. Congress added a major new layer last July by approving a federal tax credit program that 28 states have opted into ahead of a launch next calendar year, raising questions about costs, eligibility, and oversight. Participation is already concentrated in a few states, including Florida, with roughly 500,000 students using choice options, more than 15%…


Oklahoma board expected to deny bid for Jewish charter school, invite lawsuit: The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is expected to deny an application for the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School today, Monday, February 9th. A move board leaders anticipate will trigger another lawsuit over whether religious charter schools are constitutional. Peter Deutsch, founder of the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation and a former congressman, pitched the school in January of this year as a rigorous, values-driven option for Jewish families. Meanwhile, Brian Shellem, chair of the Oklahoma…

Newsom proposes tighter charter school oversight: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is proposing expanded oversight of charter schools through a budget trailer bill after negotiations between teachers unions and charter advocates stalled last year. The plan would require annual financial audits and staff training on reviews, and it would direct school districts to verify student performance data for charter renewals. Districts would also be required to visit charter campuses, attend board meetings, and review…

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on why he's taking Trump's 'free money’: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO), a longtime school choice supporter, said he's opting into the administration's new federal scholarship tax credit, making him one of only two Democratic governors to do so alongside North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC). The benefit, beginning next January…

California community colleges expand credit for prior learning, but tracking gaps remain: Laylah Rivers, a U.S. Army veteran and West Los Angeles College student, received seven credits after documenting military training and computer coursework, highlighting how “credit for prior learning” can help students finish faster and save money. California’s community colleges have expanded these pathways since 2017, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has backed the effort with more than $34 million…

Weekly Update- 2/2/2026

Weekly Update 2/2/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners

President and Administration:

FBI searches Fulton County elections office seeking 2020 ballots: On Wednesday (1/28), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia. According to the warrant, they were seeking 2020 election materials including physical ballots, vote tabulator tapes, ballot images and voter rolls. A source told CBS News that this operation is linked to the 2020 presidential election. The FBI seized around 700 boxes of 2020…

Federal Reserve keeps rates steady: The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75% at its first meeting of the year, extending a pause after three quarter-point cuts at the end of 2025, even as the administration has publicly pressed for much lower borrowing costs. In its policy statement, the Fed said economic activity is…

Congress:

Johnson says no quick House vote to end partial shutdown and blames Democrats for their ICE demands: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said a House vote on government funding will take several days, ensuring the partial federal shutdown continues as lawmakers clash over limits on immigration enforcement. He is leaning on the President’s support after the President negotiated a Senate deal to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks while Congress debates new restrictions on ICE. Democrats refuse to fast-track the bill without stronger reforms, including requiring…

California:

Broadband Funding Delays: State officials and broadband industry leaders warned that California could face more delays getting access to the $42.45 billion in the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program, which is an internet subsidy created by the Biden Administration. California remains one of the 13 states and territories awaiting federal approval of final plans. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) first received sign-off in 2024 for $1.8 billion in broadband…

Fire fight: On (1/30), The President signed an executive order seeking to shift authority over rebuilding permits after the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires from state and local governments to the federal government, an unusual move that the President said was aimed at speeding approvals for residents rebuilding homes and other structures destroyed in the fires. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass (D) quickly rebuked the order, which would represent a major…

Education:

Department of Education – agency information collection activities; comment request; National Special Education Spending Study: The U.S. Department of Education, through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), issued a Federal Register notice proposing a new information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) for the National Special Education Spending Study. The study will collect data from state, local, and Tribal…

Administration finds California’s ban on ‘forced outing’ of students violates federal law: The administration announced that California’s policy allowing schools to withhold information from parents about a student’s gender identity violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the policy improperly restricts parental…

San José State violated federal law with trans athlete policies, Education Department finds: The U.S. Department of Education found that San José State University violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) by allowing a transgender athlete to compete on its women’s volleyball team. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR)…

Summary of 2025 Actions: Trump disrupted or cut billions for education in 2025: During the first year of the administration, federal agencies cut, canceled, or disrupted more than $12 billion in education funding, significantly reshaping the federal grant landscape for K–12 schools and higher education institutions…

4-day school weeks and teacher retention: New research drawing on 17 years of Texas teacher job movement data found that districts switching to four-day school weeks saw teacher turnover fall by about 2.7 percent, but the change did not meaningfully improve recruitment or the overall experience and education levels of teachers working in those districts. Cade Lawson…

More states are pairing cell phone bans with media literacy: A new report from Media Literacy Now found that at least half of U.S. states have enacted laws to advance media literacy education, including 11 states, California among them, that passed new legislation since January 2024, as lawmakers respond to the spread of artificial intelligence-generated misinformation online. This law now requires the commission to consider incorporating artificial intelligence literacy content into mathematics, science…

Legal battle emerging over Long Island charter system's plans to open new schools: New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) filed lawsuits against the State University of New York (SUNY) challenging approval of three new Academy Charter School locations in Brentwood and Central Islip. The union argues SUNY…