This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional and Executive Branch activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Activities of Interest
Floor Activity
On Monday, the Senate convened, while the House of Representatives commenced its session on Tuesday. Both chambers are scheduled to be in session for the remainder of the week. The House will consider the HALT Fentanyl Act (H.R. 27) and the Protecting American Energy Production Act (H.R. 26) yet this week. The House also considered eight bills under suspension.
On Monday, the Senate voted 59-38 to confirm Chris Wright as energy secretary. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 54-46 to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general.
FY25 Appropriations & Reconciliations
The House Budget Committee has postponed its markup of the budget resolution, delaying the start of the reconciliation process. The delay comes as lawmakers negotiate spending priorities, with some pushing for deeper cuts to offset increases in defense and border security funding. Due to inaction in the House, Senate Republicans are meeting with President Trump today to discuss moving forward with their own reconciliation plan. On the FY 2025 budget front, the current continuing resolution funding the federal government will expire on March 14.
Bills Introduced
H.R. 899 – Termination of the Department of Education. Sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), this bill proposes eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. H.R. 899 is one sentence long, stating, “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2026.”
H.R. 881 – Restrictions on Institutions with Confucius Institutes. Sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), the legislation would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from providing funding to institutions of higher education that have relationships with Confucius Institutes.
H.R. 938 – Restrictions on Foreign Contracts in Higher Education. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC), this bill seeks to amend the Higher Education Act to restrict contracts with foreign countries of concern and foreign entities of concern. According to the bill’s language, any university that knowingly or willfully fails to comply could face fines or be ineligible to participate in Title IV programs for two institutional years.
H.R. 927 (Title not yet available) – Sponsored by Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), amends the Higher Education Act to prohibit institutions of higher education from requiring ideological oaths.
H.R. 967 – Student Loan Repayment for Post-9/11 Veterans. Introduced by Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL), this bill would allow individuals entitled to post-9/11 educational assistance to use their GI Bill benefits to repay federal student loans.
H.R. 1018 – Increased Transparency in Foreign Gifts and Contracts (INSTRUCT Act). Indiana Rep. Mark Messmer (R) introduced H.R. 1018, which seeks to amend the Higher Education Act to require enhanced disclosure of foreign gifts and contracts received by institutions of higher education.
Hearings This Week
The House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled, “The State of American Education.” During the hearing, Indiana Rep. Mark Messmer asked witnesses about the implications of educational institutions accepting funds from foreign sources and about charter school outcomes. See the full recording here.
The House Science and Technology Committee held a hearing on “The State of U.S. Science and Technology.” Indiana Rep. Jim Baird asked what U.S. universities and private industry are doing to protect research and development from China. See a clip of Rep. Baird’s comments here.
The House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing titled, “Preparing the Pipeline: Examining the State of America’s Cyber Workforce.” See a recording of the hearing here.
Hearings Next Week
Next Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing titled “AI in Manufacturing: Securing American Leadership in Manufacturing and the Next Generation of Technologies.”The hearing will be streamed live here.
Executive Branch Activities of Interest
Temporary Restraining Orders Prevent Pause in Federal Assistance; Reviews of Awards Continue
Federal courts have granted temporary restraining orders (TROs) in lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's January 27 Office of Management and Budget memo that paused agency awards and federal assistance. However, some agencies have noted that these TROs do not impact ongoing review of awards to ensure compliance with executive orders.
Agencies Move to Implement Executive Order on Antisemitism
In response to last week’s executive order on Antisemitism, both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services announced new Antisemitism-related investigations into institutions of higher education. Additionally, the Department of Justice announced the creation of a taskforce to combat Antisemitism.
President Trump Signs Executive Order on Women’s Sports
On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The order directs federal agencies to interpret federal Title IX rules as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports.
Department of Education to Begin Enforcing 2020 Title IX Rule
Late last week the Department of Education announced that, effective immediately, the Department's Office of Civil Rights will enforce Title IX under the provisions of the first Trump administration’s 2020 Title IX rule, rather than the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule.
Executive Order on Department of Education Expected
Several news outlets reported this week that the Trump administration may soon release an executive order that explores steps to dismantle the Department of Education. The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration may wait to issue the executive order until after the confirmation of Linda McMahon as education secretary. The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s confirmation hearing for McMahon has been scheduled for next week, Feb 13 at 10:00 a.m.