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

March 4, 2019

HOUSE and SENATE
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke about her Higher Education Act (HEA) reauthorization priorities at a Center for American Progress event this week. Among other things, she highlighted the need to improve affordability in higher education, hold institutions of higher education (IHEs) more accountable, expand access to higher education, increase campus safety and protect students’ civil rights. She also said that an HEA reauthorization should expand student aid and include increased Federal investments in public and traditionally underserved IHEs, but noted that free or debt-free higher education proposals may not be part of a bipartisan HEA reauthorization this year.

The Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report finding that U.S. IHEs have failed to disclose how much money they have received from the Chinese government, as part of Chinese language and cultural programs, which the report says is more that $158 million across all U.S. IHEs since 2006.

The House Education and Labor Committee marked up and passed the Rebuild America’s Schools Act by a vote of 26 to 20.

ADMINISTRATION
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, along with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) announced the proposed Education Freedom Scholarships tax credit, which would create up to $5 billion a year in new tax credits for individuals and businesses that donate to scholarships that help students pay private school tuition or other education expenses.

In an op-ed, acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said that the Administration will propose a 5 percent cut to all non-defense discretionary spending in its fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget request.

A Federal district judge ruled in favor of three borrowers who accused the U.S. Department of Education (ED) of changing an employment requirement for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program which ED said made the borrowers ineligible for the program.

ED announced that it has stopped providing Federal Title IV funding to Argosy University due to concerns that the University had been failing to distribute the Federal financial aid money it had received to students.

During last week’s negotiated rulemaking, ED verbally announced that it will hold an additional Accreditation and Innovation Committee rulemaking session from April 1 to April 3.

ED posted updated forecasts for Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) grants.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Trump Says He’ll Sign Order Requiring Colleges to Protect Free Speech [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Senator Patty Murray says higher education legislation must focus on college affordability [Inside Higher Ed]

Billions of dollars in defaulted student loans are going uncollected, lawsuit says [The Washington Post]

Nearly half of new moms — and nearly one-quarter of new dads — leave full-time STEM employment [Inside Higher Ed]

U. of California System Cancels Elsevier Subscriptions, Calling Move a Win for Open Access [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

What Does a Shrinking Education Department Mean for States and Vulnerable Students? [Education Week]

Two prominent community college leaders prepare to step down [Inside Higher Ed]

National Survey: Americans Say Education Should Be Higher 2019 Priority for Congress Than Terrorism, Immigration, or Jobs [The74]

Education Donors Shift Priorities, Survey Suggests [Education Week]

Michael Cohen Testifies That He Threatened Colleges and College Board if They Released Trump’s Records [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

The College-Affordability Crisis Is Uniting the 2020 Democratic Candidates
[The Atlantic]

DeVos learns about career, technical training at Northern Va. school during visit [The Washington Post]

What Do Americans Think About Affirmative Action? It Depends on How You Ask [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

U of Iowa students launch digital campaign around minority issues on campus [Inside Higher Ed]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
House Education and Labor Committee 
Press Release: Empty Promises Day at the Committee on Education and Labor

House Committee on Energy & Commerce 
Press Release: Consumer Protection & Commerce Subcommittee Announces Rescheduled Hearing on Diversity and Inclusion in Tech

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation  
Press Release: Wicker Convenes Hearing to Examine Consumer Data Privacy Issues

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: First Lady Melania Trump to Travel on a Three-State Tour to Promote Be Best

ED Press Release: Trump Administration Unveils Plan for Historic Investment in America’s Students through Education Freedom Scholarships

ED Blog: 2 Years Was the Path For Me in CTE

DOL Blog: Women’s History Month: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, Envisioning the Future

DOL Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor Announces Updates to its Procedures for Processing H-2B Applications for Temporary Labor Certification

IES Report: Projections of Education Statistics to 2027

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.1430 —To provide that chapter 1 of title 9 of the United States Code, relating to the enforcement of arbitration agreements, shall not apply to enrollment agreements made between students and certain institutions of higher education; and to prohibit limitations on the ability of students to pursue claims against certain institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Education and Labor, Judiciary
Latest Action: House – 02/28/2019 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee…
Press Release: Waters, Durbin Reintroduce Bill To Give Students Defrauded By For-Profit Colleges Their Day In Court

H.R.1434 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish tax credits to encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to contribute to scholarships for elementary and secondary students through eligible scholarship-granting organizations, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Byrne, Bradley [R-AL-1] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (39)
Committees: House – Ways and Means, Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 02/28/2019 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee…
Press Release: Byrne Leads on Trump Administration Education Priority

H.R.1457 — To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to State educational agencies for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public school facilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 02/28/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.R.1458 — To prohibit the Corporation for National and Community Service from removing State offices of the Corporation from States without Congressional approval.
Sponsor: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 02/28/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: McCollum Introduces Keep Community Service Local Act

H.Res.158 — Encouraging people in the United States to recognize Friday, March 1, 2019, as Read Across America Day.
Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 02/28/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Reps. Rodney and Susan Davis Recognize Read Across America Day

S.605 — A bill to assist States in carrying out projects to expand the child care workforce and child care facilities in the States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 02/28/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.608 — A bill to provide that chapter 1 of title 9 of the United States Code, relating to the enforcement of arbitration agreements, shall not apply to enrollment agreements made between students and certain institutions of higher education, and to prohibit limitations on the ability of students to pursue claims against certain institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (7)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 02/28/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Durbin, Waters Re-Introduce Bill To Give Students Defrauded By For-Profit Colleges Their Day In Court

S.609 — A bill to prohibit States from suspending, revoking, or denying State-issued professional licenses or issuing penalties due to student default.
Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 02/28/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Rubio, Warren Reintroduce Bill to Protect Jobs for Workers Struggling with Student Loans

S.625 — A bill to direct the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program under which the Commission shall provide funds to local educational agencies for initiatives to provide voter registration information to secondary school students in the 12th grade.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Introduced 02/28/2019) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: Senate – Rules and Administration
Latest Action: Senate – 02/28/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Press Release: Klobuchar Introduces Legislation to Make Voting Easier for All Americans

S.589 — A bill to provide for a period of continuing appropriations in the event of a lapse in appropriations under the normal appropriations process, and establish procedures and consequences in the event of a failure to complete regular appropriations.
Sponsor: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (Introduced 02/27/2019) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Appropriations
Latest Action: Senate – 02/27/2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

H.R.539 — Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3] (Introduced 01/14/2019) Cosponsors: (4)
Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology, Small Business | Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 02/26/2019 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Job-Creating Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act Passes House with Broad Bipartisan Support

S.Res.79 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education Month.
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (Introduced 02/26/2019) Cosponsors: (50)
Latest Action: Senate – 02/26/2019 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: Federal Student Aid (FSA) Feedback System. Comments due on or before April 3, 2019. 

ED Final Regulations: Program Regulations Superseded by Reauthorizations of the Perkins Act.

ED Correcting Amendment: Programs and Activities Authorized by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act).

ACF Comment Request: Descriptive Study of the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program. Comments due within 30 days.

ED Meeting Notice; Correction: National Assessment Governing Board. The meeting agenda has been revised to reflect a change to the meeting schedule for Friday, March 1, 2019 by adding a closed session.