This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional, Executive, and Judicial Branch activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Branch Activities of Interest
Floor Activity
The House and Senate are in session this week with both chambers considering amended versions of the House budget resolution (discussed below).
Reconciliation
Over the weekend, the Senate passed an amended budget resolution with Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) joining all Democrats in voting no. The resolution includes different reconciliation savings and spending thresholds for House and Senate committees and assumes a current policy baseline, under which extending expiring tax provisions would not count as a cost.
On April 10, the House passed the budget resolution 216-214, with Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz (R) and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) joining Democrats to vote against passage.
House & Senate Judiciary Chairmen Send Letters to Eight Universities Regarding Alleged Price Collusion
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent letters to eight universities voicing concerns about an alleged tuition price collusion effort. The institutions receiving this letter included Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, and Yale. See a press release and copies of the letter here
Bills Introduced
1296 DETERRENT Act – Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Sen. Tom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act to the Senate HELP Committee. A one-pager on the Senate bill, which differs slightly from the House-passed version, may be found here.
S.1317 Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act – Introduced by Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), S.1317 requires colleges and universities to provide more detailed disclosures of gifts and contracts received from foreign sources. Sen. Banks’ press release on the bill may be found here.
H.R.2663 Restore College Sports Act – sponsored by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), H.R.2663 seeks to establish the American Collegiate Sports Association, a new federal body to oversee and regulate collegiate athletics. The proposed association would set national standards on academic integrity, athlete protections, and financial transparency, potentially shifting authority away from entities like the NCAA. A press release on the bill may be found here.
H.R.2634 Free Speech on Campus Act – Introduced by Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA), H.R.2634 would require public colleges and universities to provide new students with a written statement and educational programming on their First Amendment rights.
S.1387 National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025 – four bipartisan Congressional Commissioners on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) introduced legislation to implement a key recommendation from the Commission’s report, released earlier this week. Commission Chair Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Commissioners Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK5), and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA17) jointly introduced the National Biotechnology Initiative Act in both the House and Senate. The bill would establish a National Biotechnology Coordination Office within the Executive Office of the President to lead and coordinate federal biotechnology efforts.
Hearings
- On April 8, the House Education & Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing titled, “Game Changer: the NLRB, Student-Athletes, and the Future of College Sports”. See a recording of the hearing here.
- On April 9, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing titled, “Converting Energy into Intelligence: the Future of AI Technology Human Discovery and American Global Competitiveness.”. Watch a recording of the hearing here.
- On April 8, Indiana Todd Young testified before the House Armed Services Committee about the final report of the National Security Commission for Emerging Biotechnology, which Senator Young chairs. Sen. Young testified about the growing competition between the U.S. and China in biotechnology. He expressed that the objective of the U.S. should be to “harness the very best of our innovation ecosystem from the private sector to our research universities and labs to our broad and deep capital markets so that we can be prepared for this biotech-related defense challenge.” The final report may be found here.
Executive Branch Activities of Interest
Trump administration freezes $790 million in federal funding to Northwestern University and over $1 billion to Cornell University
According to reporting from several sources, the White House confirmed that the Trump administration has frozen $790 million in federal funding to Northwestern University and over $1 billion to Cornell University, citing ongoing Title VI investigations related to discrimination and concerns over university responses to antisemitism and campus protests.
Department of Education, Department of Justice Announce Title IX Special Investigations Team
The Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of a “Title IX Special Investigations Team” (SIT) to “ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities.”
The press release announced that the SIT would “allow personnel to apply a rapid resolution investigation process to the increasing volume of Title IX cases and also enable ED and DOJ to work together to conduct investigations that are fully prepared for ultimate DOJ enforcement.”
Judicial Branch Activities of Interest
Trump Administration Appeals Federal Judge’s Permanent Injunction in Suit Challenging F&A Cap
On April 8, the Trump administration appealed a permanent injunction issued by a federal court judge blocking the implementation, application, or enforcement of the National Institutes of Health’s February 7 supplemental guidance imposing a cap of 15% on F&A reimbursements.