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

July 24, 2018

HOUSE and SENATE
The Senate voted to confirm Scott Stump to be the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) by a vote of 85 to 0.

The Senate voted to confirm Jim Blew to be the Assistant Secretary of Education for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at ED by a vote of 50 to 49.

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury Department asking them to clarify that relief issued for private student loans to former Corinthian Colleges students should not be taxed.

Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) sent a letter asking the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to produce two studies. The first request is to provide a historical overview of how changes to Federal student loan programs have affected borrowing levels and repayment. The second request is to examine outstanding Federal student loans in income-driven repayment plans and whether the plans are fiscally sustainable for the Federal government.

The House Education and the Workforce Committee will host an Innovation Forum and Showcase on July 25 in Rayburn House Office Building room 2175 at 10am. The public is invited to tour the Innovation Showcase in the Rayburn Foyer from 10am to 1pm.

ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed an increase to the fees foreign students must pay for visas to study in the U.S. and new fees for schools that accept international students.

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at bolstering job training, creating a National Council for American Workers and a Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Trump Launches New Initiative to Shine a Spotlight on Job Training [Education Week]

First lady listens to students discuss online civility [The Hill]

Trump Administration Defends Campus Sexual Assault Rules [National Public Radio]

More student borrowers may be eligible to cancel federal student loans than have applied for relief [EdSource]

Peril for Private Colleges: A Survey of Business Officers [Inside Higher Ed]

Summer college enrollment up as Pell Grant money flows, helping students to graduate faster [EdSource]

Some colleges accept a share of students’ future salary instead of tuition [Associated Press]

Growing Role of Amazon in Library Acquisitions [Inside Higher Ed]

Scholars, Know Thy History: Higher Ed Has Always Struggled to Survive in the U.S. [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

College business officers question tax law’s impact seven months later [Inside Higher Ed]

White College Graduates Are Doing Great With Their Parents’ Money [The Atlantic]

Democrats Want IRS to Clarify Student Debt Relief Won’t Be Taxed [Inside Higher Ed]

White House Council on ‘Reskilling Challenge’ [Inside Higher Ed]

University of California students cheer an expected $60 tuition drop [EdSource]

U.S. Senate Confirms Betsy DeVos’ New Policy Chief [Education Week]

Pell, work-force training could see increase in 2019 spending [Inside Higher Ed]

Maintaining online courses into maturity requires substantial investment [Inside Higher Ed]

Who Lives in Education Deserts? [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Career and Technical Education Bill Expected to Clear Senate by Month’s End [Education Week]

Senate Confirms Trump Nominee for Career Education [Inside Higher Ed]

Survey finds wide opposition among parents to arming teachers [The Washington Post]

Survey gauges belief in colleges’ contribution to the public good [Inside Higher Ed]
Columbia University’s Teachers College Report: “Americans’ Views of Higher Education as a Public and Private Good”

As Gov. Brown urges work on new online college, community college faculty drop their opposition [EdSource]

Faculty members question lack of black representation on Los Angeles community college board [Inside Higher Ed]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
House Education and the Workforce Committee
Press Release: This Week: Subcommittee Hearing on H.R. 4219, Workflex in the 21st Century Act

Press Release: Media Advisory: Committee on Education and the Workforce to Host Bipartisan Innovation Forum and Showcase

Press Release: Chairman Foxx Urges Continued Department of Labor Action to Improve the Job Corps Program

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Press Release: Murray, Wyden Urge Internal Revenue Service to Clarify That Cheated or Defrauded Students Cannot Be Taxed on Loan Discharges

Press Release: Murray Statement on States Devoting More Resources to Underserved Students Through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Senate Appropriations Schedule for the Week of July 23, 2018

House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
Press Release: Smith Statement on Open Science

Press Release: House Science Committee Bill Enhances Veterans’ Services through Big Data

Senate Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Chairman Enzi and Alexander Request Report on Cost of Student Loan Repayments

House Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Budget Chairmen Urge Conference Committee to Prioritize Veterans within Existing Spending Limits

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
ED Press Release: Secretary DeVos Welcomes Scott Stump and James Blew to U.S. Department of Education

White House Press Release: Readout of First Lady Melania Trump’s Visit to Microsoft

White House Press Release: President Donald J. Trump’s Administration Is Taking Action to Equip American Students and Workers with the Skills They Need to Succeed

White House Executive Order: Executive Order Establishing the President’s National Council for the American Worker

White House Blog: Training for the Jobs of Tomorrow

DOL Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Labor Acosta Statement Regarding the President’s Executive Order Supporting The American Workforce

DOL Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces Funding Opportunity For Apprenticeship Expansion in Key Industry Sectors

IES Announcement: IES Awards $160 Million in Grants for Education and Special Education Research

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.6440 — To provide career and technical education for STEM teachers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25] (Introduced 07/19/2018) Cosponsors: (3)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 07/19/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6441 — To authorize the establishment of American Dream Accounts.
Sponsor: Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] (Introduced 07/19/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 07/19/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.6425 — To provide grants to State-recognized or federally recognized apprenticeship programs to support the expansion, awareness, and prestige of such programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] (Introduced 07/18/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 07/18/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Press Release: Davis, Guthrie Introduce APPRENTICE Act

H.R.6394 — To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that supplemental nutrition assistance benefits be used to purchase only supplemental foods that are eligible for purchase under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (commonly known as the WIC program).
Sponsor: Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] (Introduced 07/17/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Agriculture
Latest Action:  House – 07/17/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

S.3228 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for distributions from 529 programs to pay apprenticeship and qualified early education expenses, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Gardner, Cory [R-CO] (Introduced 07/17/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Finance
Latest Action:  Senate – 07/17/2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

H.R.6387 — To plan, develop, and make recommendations to increase access to sexual assault examinations for survivors by holding hospitals accountable and supporting the providers that serve them.
Sponsor: Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (Introduced 07/16/2018) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce
Latest Action:  House – 07/16/2018 Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the…

H.R.6392 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide the work opportunity tax credit with respect to hiring veterans who are receiving educational assistance under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or Defense.
Sponsor: Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3] (Introduced 07/16/2018) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 07/16/2018 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

S.3217 — An original bill to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] (Introduced 07/16/2018) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 07/16/2018 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 517.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
DOL Notice: Nominations to be considered for appointment as members of the Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO).

CNCS Comment Request: Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Commitment Form. Comments due August 20, 2018.

ED Final Rule; Correcting Amendments:  Student Assistance General Provisions, Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Family Education Loan Program, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, and Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program.