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

November 17, 2020

ELECTION
On Saturday November 7, major media outlets projected Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris the winners of Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral college votes. By winning Pennsylvania, Biden and Harris are now projected to have won the more than the 270 electoral college votes necessary to become the next President and Vice President of the United States. In addition, Biden and Harris are, as of Friday, the projected winners of Arizona’s and Georgia’s electoral college votes. President Trump and Vice President Pence have been projected to be the winners of North Carolina’s electoral college votes. At present 13 House seats remain uncalled, making the current count 219 Democrats and 203 Republicans elected to seats in the 117^thCongress. With Alaska’s Senate race being called for Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), only the two Georgia Senate seats, which are headed to runoffs on January 5, remain undecided.

Thirty-nine Biden-Harris Agency review teams were named to begin the transition process for Federal agencies.

HOUSE and SENATE
The Senate Appropriations Committee Republicans released bill text and explanatory statements for 12 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill, on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as well as all Republican and Democratic leadership team members re-seeking their current posts, have been re-elected to their roles for the 117^th Congress.

COURTS
The First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that Asian Americans were not discriminated against by Harvard University’s use of race in its admission process.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Biden’s plan for higher ed is good—but it could be better [Brookings]

Biden’s Education Department Will Move Fast to Reverse Betsy DeVos’s Policies [The New York Times]

Biden’s HBCU research agenda [Inside Higher Ed]

Pandemic leads tens of thousands of international students to delay plans to enter U.S. colleges, survey shows [The Washington Post]

College applications are decreasing [Inside Higher Ed]

How Higher Ed Helped Flip Five States in the 2020 Election [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Work on new ‘cradle to career’ data system accelerates, amid concerns about continuing state financial support [EdSource]

Vaccines on the horizon, but ‘normal’ is still far off for colleges [Inside Higher Ed]

Kamala Harris, BLM protests put a new spotlight on HBCUs. Many now hope for a financial reckoning. [The Washington Post]

Appeals court upholds ruling that Harvard admissions process does not discriminate against Asian Americans [The Washington Post]

What A Biden Presidency Could Mean For Education [NPR]

Biden presidency offers promise of reset for international education, but challenges remain [Inside Higher Ed]

How Biden Could Steer Education Spending Without Waiting on Congress [Education Week]

How Could a Delayed Trump-Biden Transition Disrupt the Education Department? [Education Week]

Community colleges find an advocate in future First Lady Jill Biden [EdSource]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Transcript of Pelosi Weekly Press Conference Today

House Education & Labor Committee
Press Release: Democratic Health Leaders Urge Reversal After Trump Admin Approves Illegal Georgia Waivers That Threaten Families’ Health Care

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions 
Press Release: Senator Murray Tells Secretaries of Education, Labor and HHS to Preserve All Records

Senate Committee on Appropriations 
Press Release: Senate Approps Vice Chair Leahy Statement On The Release Of The FY 2021 Senate Appropriations Bills

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: Proclamation on American Education Week, 2020

IES Blog: Recent Report Identifies Possible Categories of Adult Struggling Readers (and How to Help Them)

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.8745 — To strengthen American economic resiliency and equitably expand economic opportunity by launching a national competition, promoting state and local strategic planning, encouraging innovation by the public and private sectors, and by substantially investing federal resources in research and development.
Sponsor: Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] (Introduced 11/12/2020) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Financial Services; Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure; Small Business; Science, Space, and Technology; Ways and Means
Latest Action:  House – 11/13/2020 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Press Release: Congressman Joe Morelle Introduces Legislation To Strengthen Economy And Create Jobs In Wake Of Covid-19

H.R.8748 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by updating the definition of untaxed income and benefits.
Sponsor: Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7] (Introduced 11/12/2020) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 11/12/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.Res.1219 — Supporting the designation of the week beginning November 8, 2020, as “National Apprenticeship Week”.
Sponsor: Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4] (Introduced 11/12/2020) Cosponsors: (11)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 11/12/2020 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Comment Request: The Department’s Enforcement Authority for Failure to Adequately Report Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended. Comments due on or before December 14, 2020.

ED Comment Request: Work Colleges Expenditure Report. Comments due on or before January 11, 2021. 

Executive Office of the President Proclamation: National Apprenticeship Week, 2020