This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional and Executive activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The House and Senate are in Session this week.
FY 2026 Appropriations
Reports indicate Senate Republicans have been pushing to pass several FY26 appropriations bills before the end of the year, including the Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Interior, Transportation-HUD, and Commerce-Justice-Science bills by packaging them into a minibus. Congress must pass the remaining nine appropriations bills or pass another continuing resolution by January 30 to avoid a second government shutdown.
FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act
The Senate passed the FY26 NDAA in a 77-20 vote on Wednesday. The bill will soon go to President Trump, who is expected to sign it. In addition to the freeze on unilateral changes to university indirect cost rates and new restrictions on research contracts, the bill prioritizes R&D partnerships between the DOD, research universities, and small businesses and directs the creation of new National Security and Defense Artificial Intelligence Institutes to bolster the security sector’s AI capabilities.
Bills Introduced
The Campus Free Speech Restoration Act (H.R. 6663) was introduced by Rep. Gregory Murphy (R-NC). The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that all students are able to engage in free speech by limiting universities’ policies on the restriction of expressive activities. Read the bill text here.
The Professional Student Degree Act (H.R. 6718) was introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). The bill would amend the federal definition of “professional degree” in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include nursing, social work, secondary education, and public health. This change responds to a recent administrative determination that certain graduate programs do not qualify as “professional degrees” and therefore are not eligible for higher federal loan borrowing limits. Under the Working Families Tax Cut Act, graduate student borrowing is capped at $100,000 for traditional graduate programs, while programs designated as “professional degrees” are subject to a higher cap of $200,000. Read the press release here. To see the full list of added categories, read the bill text here.
The Professional Degree Access Restoration Act (H.R. 6677) was introduced by Rep. Torres Ritchie (D-NY). The bill would reverse the recent changes made to student loan borrowing that reduce federal loan availability for graduate students. In a letter to the Department of Education (ED), Rep. Torres claimed that the new restrictions would push many graduate students to borrow from high-cost, private loan lenders or abandon their education altogether. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
The Put American Students First Act (S. 3507) was introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). The bill would ensure that noncitizens do not qualify for in-state tuition rates at public universities and disqualify states which violate this act by withholding certain federal grants, including Pell grants. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
Hearings
On December 17, the House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on “The Quantum, AI, and Cloud Landscape: Examining Opportunities, Vulnerabilities, and the Future of Cybersecurity.” The discussion focused on strategies to strengthen U.S. AI security, including fostering partnerships with universities to drive innovation while minimizing risks of security breaches and misuse. Witnesses emphasized that this is a pivotal moment for government, industry, and researchers to collaborate and develop more effective methods to prevent malicious applications of emerging technologies. Watch the hearing here.
Executive Branch activities of interest
ED Completes Initial Rulemaking to Launch Workforce Pell Grant Program
The Department of Education (ED) has completed the first week of its Accountability in Higher Education and Access Through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) negotiated rulemaking committee. This committee, comprising officials from ED, the Department of Labor (DOL), and higher education stakeholders, developed consensus language to advance the Workforce Pell Grant’s goal of strengthening the nation’s workforce. The agreed-upon language aligns with provisions outlined in President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act. ED will soon draft a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement these recommendations. Read the ED press release here.