Washington Wrap Up – June 6, 2017

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

HOUSE

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing entitled “Department of Labor (DOL) – Budget Hearing” on Wednesday, June 7, where DOL Secretary Alexander Acosta will testify

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing entitled “National Science Foundation (NSF) Budget Hearing” on Wednesday, June 7, where NSF Director Dr. France Cordova will testify.

CQ Roll Call reported that some House Republicans are advocating for moving a fiscal year 2018 omnibus appropriations bill before the August congressional recess this summer.

SENATE

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing entitled “Review of the FY2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education (ED)” on Tuesday, June 6, where ED Secretary Betsy DeVos will testify.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing entitled “Review of the FY2018 Budget Request for DOL” on Thursday, June 8, where DOL Secretary Alexander Acosta will testify.

ADMINISTRATION  

ED Secretary DeVos announced the hiring of several additional senior staff members, including Kimberly Richey as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Kathleen Smith as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary; Steven Menashi as Deputy General Counsel; Nathan Bailey as Communications Director; and José Viana as Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition.

ED announced that the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool is now available for borrowers applying for an income-driven repayment plan.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with summaries of the following events next week:

  • June 6: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing “Review of the FY2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Education”
  • June 7: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing “National Science Foundation Budget Hearing”
  • June 7 and June 8: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearings “Review of the FY2018 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Labor”

Education News Headlines

New Guide on Undergraduate STEM Education [Inside Higher Ed]

Some Hires by Betsy DeVos Are a Stark Departure From Her Reputation [The New York Times]

What if the Treasury Dept. Handled Student Loans? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Survey finds regrets among most former college students but belief in quality of their education [Inside Higher Ed]

Lack of Financial Literacy May Inhibit College Borrowing, Study Suggests [Education Week]

Betsy DeVos shuns reporters [The Atlantic]

Dual enrollment provides boost to community colleges but may hide extent of enrollment declines [Inside Higher Ed]

Federal Budget Plan Spares Some Ed. Research Efforts, Cuts Others [Education Week]

Regulators and accreditor begin review of Purdue’s boundary-testing deal with Kaplan [Inside Higher Ed]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Murray Questions Secretary DeVos’ Potential Conflict of Interest and Ethics Agreement Violation with Speech at American Federation for Children Event
 

U.S. Department of Education 

  • Blog: Sixth Cohort of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Announced
  • Press Release: Secretary DeVos Releases Statement on President Trump’s Decision to Withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.2653 — To direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to carry out programs and activities to ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully engaging their entire talent pool, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (Introduced 05/25/2017) Cosponsors: (20)
Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology
Latest Action: 05/26/2017 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure.

H.R.2753 — To provide for loan repayment for teachers in high-need schools.
Sponsor: Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (Introduced 05/26/2017) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action: 05/26/2017 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

ED Comment Request: Annual Vocational Rehabilitation Program/Cost Report (RSA-2). Comments due June 29, 2017.

ED Grant Notice: Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs. Applications have various deadlines beginning August 3, 2017.

VA Comment Request: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Longitudinal Study Survey. Comments due July 31, 2017.