Below is an abridged version of RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

HOUSE

House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee regarding the nomination hearing of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary nominee Alexander Acosta.

The House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing on the challenges and opportunities facing the National Science Foundation. The documents and webcast can be found here.

The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing to discuss strategies for improving Federal student aid. The documents and webcast can be found here. Committee Republicans and Democrats released statements on their priorities.

SENATE 

The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Alexander Acosta to serve as DOL Secretary. The documents and webcast can be found here. The Committee will hold an executive session to vote on his nomination on Thursday, March 30.

Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released statements supporting the Acosta nomination.

Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement in opposition of the Acosta nomination.

Ranking Member Murray issued a statement regarding reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has eliminated questions about LGBTQ people from the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants and Annual Program Performance Report for Centers for Independent Living.

Ranking Member Murray released a statement opposing the appointment of Roger Severino as Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS.

Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released a statement in opposition to President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2018 “skinny budget” proposal.

ADMINISTRATION  

President Trump held a roundtable discussion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as U.S. and German business leaders, on vocational training.

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Secretary Betsy DeVos visited Valencia College, a community college in Kissimmee, Florida.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with a summary of the following event next week:

• March 29: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies budget hearing for the Department of Health and Human Services

Education News Headlines

Gates Foundation Unveils Open-Access Platform [Inside Higher Ed]

DeVos’ Challenge: Tuning Her Message as New Education Secretary [Education Week]

Trump administration’s delay of rule to regulate career-training programs sparks protest [The Washington Post]

Student loan collector pledges not to charge high fees permitted by Education Department [The Washington Post]

Republican member of Congress says Pell Grants discourage marriages [Inside Higher Ed]

Appalachia Has STEM Jobs Available. Will Students Have the Skills to Fill Them? [Education Week]

Trump budget protected institutional aid for black colleges but not programs that help black college students [Inside Higher Ed]

Presidents Call on Trump to Protect Dreamers [Inside Higher Ed]

What Education Programs Could Still Be Vulnerable in Trump’s Budget? [Education Week]

Trump administration rolls back protections for people in default on student loans [The Washington Post]

Betsy DeVos’s Hiring of For-Profit College Official Raises Impartiality Issues [The New York Times]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: Bonamici: Education Department Turns Back on Struggling Student Loan Borrowers

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
Documents and webcast of yesterday’s Full Committee Hearing: “The Promises and Perils of Emerging Technologies for Cybersecurity”

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House
Blog: Memorandum: Testimony and Public Statements on the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget

Department of Labor
DOL Blog: Trailblazing Women in STEM

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.1614 — To authorize borrowers of loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program to modify the interest rate of such loans to be equal to the interest rate for such loans at the time of modification.
Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 03/17/2017) Cosponsors: (31)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 03/17/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.1635 — To amend the loan counseling requirements under the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] (Introduced 03/20/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 03/20/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Press Release: Guthrie, Bonamici Reintroduce Bipartisan Student Financial Literacy Bill

H.R.1710 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make education affordable and accessible.
Sponsor: Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] (Introduced 03/23/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 03/23/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

S.718 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make college affordable and accessible.
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (Introduced 03/23/2017) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: 03/23/2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Sens. Peters, Cassidy, Boozman, Franken and Reps. Polis & Reed Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Make College More Affordable & Accessible
 

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Computer Matching Program. Comments due April 19, 2017.

ED Comment Request: Study of An Information Strategy to Increase Enrollment in Postsecondary Education. Comments due May 22, 2017.

ED Comment Request: Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs. Comments due April 20, 2017.

ED Comment Request: Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education. Comments due April 21, 2017.

ED Comment Request: National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2018-2019. Comments due May 22, 2017.