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

May 18, 2021

HOUSE and SENATE
The Senate confirmed Cindy Marten to serve as Deputy Secretary of ED by a vote of 54-44.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to advance the nominations of Jocelyn Samuels to serve as Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, Seema Nanda to serve as Solicitor for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Jennifer Abruzzo to serve as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.

On Monday evening a cloture vote is scheduled on the Endless Frontiers Act.

ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued both a final regulation and guidance pertaining to Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funds under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.

The White House announced President Biden’s intent to nominate Catherine Lhamon for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at ED.

A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said that the President’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request will be released on May 27.

The Federal Communications Commission and ED announced a joint outreach program to support the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program.

The Biden Administration announced a number of efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States, including  a partnership between Federal retail pharmacy partners and high-enrollment community colleges.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued guidance and released funds for the State and local fiscal recovery funds under the American Rescue Plan Act.

DOL announced it is accepting nominations for membership on the Workforce Information Advisory Council.

DOL announced it will reestablish the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship and is accepting nominations for this Committee.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in adolescents 12 through 15 years of age.

The Institute of Education Sciences released its Monthly School Survey Dashboard for March 2021.

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]
Biden meets with DACA recipients on immigration reform [The Hill]

Huge budget boost to UC, CSU and community colleges targets student housing and job training [Los Angeles Times]

Biden to release full budget proposal on May 27 [The Hill]

Lhamon Nominated For Assistant Secretary For Civil Rights [Inside Higher Ed]

‘Theft At A Scale That Is Unprecedented’: Behind The Underfunding Of HBCUs [NPR]

What does the public think about international students? [Higher Ed Dive]

Gates Foundation attempts to redefine ‘value’ in higher education [Inside Higher Ed]
Postsecondary Value Commission Report: “Equitable Value: Promoting Economic Mobility And Social Justice Through Postsecondary Education”

How much do inequities in higher education cost? [Inside Higher Ed]
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce Report: “The Cost of Economic and Racial Injustice in Postsecondary Education”

Colleges come under closer scrutiny for holding transcripts hostage over unpaid bills [The Hechinger Report]

Bloomberg Gives $150 Million to Help Universities Diversify STEM Doctorates [The New York Times]

Cardona opens emergency grants to undocumented and international college students [The Washington Post]

Warren, Sanders Call For Expanding Food Aid To College Students [NPR]

Is free college a good idea? Increasingly, evidence says yes [Brookings Institute]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:
Speaker of the House
Press Release: Pelosi Statement on Biden Administration Guidance for State and Local Government Funding Included in American Rescue Plan

House Majority Leader
Press Release: Hoyer, Lee Announce Majority Leader Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity Vice Chairs

House Minority Leader
Press Release: Leader McCarthy Delivers Remarks After Meeting With President Biden

Senate Majority Leader
Press Release: Schumer Statement After Senate Commerce Committee Advances The Endless Frontier Act

Senate Minority Leader
Speech: Opportunities for Bipartisan Progress if Biden Administration Seeks Common Ground

House Education and Labor Committee
May 19: Subcommittee Hearing: “Picking up the Pieces: Strengthening Connections with Students Experiencing Homelessness and Children in Foster Care”
Witnesses: Ms. Jennifer Erb-Downward, MPH, Senior Research Associate, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Michelle Linder-Coates, M.Ed., Executive Director, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Ms. Gretchen Davis, Foster Parent, Arlington, VA; Dr. James F. Lane, Ed.D., Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, Virginia Department of Education, Richmond, VA
10:15 a.m. via Zoom

Press Release: Murphy Opening Statement at Hearing on Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
May 18: Full Committee Hearing: “Paid Leave for Working Families: Examining Access, Options, and Impacts”
Witnesses: Vicki Shabo, Senior Fellow, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, Better Life Lab at New America, Washington, DC; Marcia St. Hilaire-Finn, Founder/CEO of Bright Start Early Care and Preschool, Washington, DC; Marianne McManus, Vice President, Health & Benefits, IBM, on behalf of the American Benefits Council, Westchester, NY; Elizabeth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel, National Federation of Independent Business, Washington, DC
10:00 a.m. in 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building or webcast

May 20: Subcommittee Hearing: “A Dire Shortage and Getting Worse: Solving the Crisis in the Health Care Workforce”
Witnesses: to be announced
10:00 a.m. in 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building or webcast

Press Release: Senator Murray Praises Secretary Cardona’s Reversal of “Cruel” DeVos Rule Restricting Emergency Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

House Committee on Financial Services
Press Release: Waters Floor Statement on Her Comprehensive Debt Collection Reform Bill

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
May 20: Full Committee Hearing: “21^st Century Communities: Expanding Opportunity Through Infrastructure Investments”
Witnesses: Marcia L. Fudge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Department of Transportation
10:00 a.m. on http://www.banking.senate.gov

House Committee on Appropriations
May 18: Subcommittee Hearing: “The Need for Universal Broadband: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Witnesses: Joi Chaney, National Urban League; Matt Dunne, Center on Rural Innovation; Max Stier, Partnership for Public Service
10:30 a.m. via webcast

May 18: Subcommittee Hearing: The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Member Day
12:30 p.m. via webcast

May 19: Subcommittee Hearing: The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Public Witness Day
10:00 a.m. via webcast

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
May 18: Subcommittee Hearing: “Protecting Kids Online: Internet Privacy and Manipulative Marketing”
Witnesses: Ms. Angela Campbell, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Institute for Public Representation; Mr. Serge Egelman, Research Director, Usable Security and Privacy, International Computer Science Institute, University of California Berkeley; Ms. Beeban Kidron, Founder and Chair, 5Rights
10:00 a.m. in 253 Russell Senate Office Building or webcast

Press Release: Pallone and Doyle on Launch of The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Press Release: E&C Republican Leaders’ Statement on House Passage of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorder Bills

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
Press Release: Clyburn Praises New CDC Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People

House Committee on the Judiciary
Press Release: Chairman Nadler Statement for Subcommittee Hearing on “Juvenile Justice Pipeline and the Road Back to Integration”

Online Events:
May 18: The Hunt Institute event— “Latinx Identity on College Campuses: Not a Monolith”
In the last ten years, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions has grown by 93%, increasing from 230 to 539. This growth tracks with the increase of the overall Latinx population in the United States, in turn fueling greater rates of matriculation in higher education. In the wake of the 2020 election, where Latinx community members wrestled with articulating the nuanced differences within Latinidad, public calls to acknowledge the rich and diverse backgrounds that comprise Latinx communities have swelled. In this webinar, hear from Latinx practitioners, funders, and higher education professionals, explore the nuances of Latinx identity through a higher education lens.
Speakers: Melanie Godinez-Cedillo, John M. Belk Impact Fellow, The Hunt Institute; Paul Luna, President & CEO, Helios Education Foundation; Armando Rodriguez, Trustee, Canutillo Independent School District; Dr. Deborah Santiago, CEO, Excelencia in Education
2:00 p.m. Eastern
Register here.

May 19: Third Way event—“Student Well-Being, Belonging & Success in Higher Ed”
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re thinking a lot about college students across the country. Stories portrayed in the media showed that campus closures and the pivot to online learning exacerbated existing inequities in our nation’s higher education system, with some students shifting their postsecondary plans altogether. But a lesser-known story is about how college students’ mental health has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, resulting in questions about what colleges and universities can do to support their student’s mental health and wellness moving forward and what the correlation is between student well-being and academic success.
Speakers: Andrew Gumbel, journalist and author, Won’t Lose This Dream; Dr. Mesmin Destin, Associate Professor of Psychology, Northwestern University; and Chynna Lloyd, Outreach and Training Fellow, Young Invincibles and graduating senior, California State University, Northridge.
3:00 p.m. Eastern
Register here.

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:
White House Press Release: Statement from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Child Tax Credit

White House Press Release: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse, May 14, 2021

White House Press Release: Readout of Oval Office Meeting With Six Dreamers

White House Press Release: President Biden Announces His Intent to Nominate Catherine Lhamon for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education

ED Press Release: Statement by Secretary Cardona on President Biden’s Nomination of Catherine Lhamon

ED Press Release: Department of Education Launches Outreach Campaign to Millions of K-12 Students and Federal Pell Grant Recipients Now Eligible for Monthly Discounts on Broadband Internet Service

ED Press Release: Statement from Secretary Miguel Cardona on the Confirmation of Cindy Marten as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Makes Available $36 Billion in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students and Institutions

ED Press Release: Secretary Cardona Holds Virtual Roundtable with Educators to Discuss the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

IES Blog: Effective Postsecondary Interventions: Early Colleges Combine High School and College to Benefit Students

IES Report: “The Impact of Career and Technical Education on Postsecondary Outcomes in Nebraska and South Dakota”

Legislative Movement in Congress Last Week:
H.R.3242 – To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the American History for Freedom grant program.
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/14/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

H.R.3244 – To ensure that Federal work-study funding is available for students enrolled in residency programs for teachers, principals, or school leaders, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/14/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Congressman Crow Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Allow Prospective Teachers and Principals in Residency Programs to Use Federal Work-Study Funds to Support their Work

H.R.3246 – To award funds to States and local areas for subsidized employment programs for youth.
Sponsor: Rep. Garcia, Jesus G. “Chuy” [D-IL-4]
Committees: House – Education and Labor; Agriculture
Latest Action: House – 05/14/2021 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 concerned.
Press Release: Reps. García and Kaptur Introduce Legislation to Promote Economic Justice and Youth Employment

H.R.2547 – Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
Committees: House – Financial Services
Committee Reports: H. Rept. 117-23
Latest Action: House – 05/13/2021 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Roll Call Votes: There have been 4 roll call votes

H.R.3186 – To award career pathways innovation grants to local educational agencies and consortia of 2 local educational agencies, to provide technical assistance within the Office of Career, Technical, 3 and Adult Education to administer the grants and support the local educational agencies with the 4 preparation of grant applications and management of grant funds, to amend the Higher Education 5 Act of 1965 to support community college and industry partnerships, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/13/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: House Passes Comprehensive Debt Relief Package that Includes Representative Craig’s Amendment to Forgive Private Student Loans Upon Death of Student

H.R.3199 – To establish a competitive grant program at the U.S. Department of Education to support the development, production, and distribution of public media programming designed to prepare Americans for in-demand occupations that address the needs of State and local economies.
Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action: House – 05/13/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Introduces Bipartisan Partnership for American Jobs Act to Revitalize Job Growth

S.1626 – A bill to award career pathways innovation grants to local educational agencies and consortia of local educational agencies, to provide technical assistance within the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education to administer the grants and support the local educational agencies with the preparation of grant applications and management of grant funds, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support community college and industry partnerships, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 05/13/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce to Areas of Greatest Need

H.R.3136 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to strengthen the disclosure requirements for institutions of higher education related to foreign gifts and contracts.
Sponsor: Rep. Brooks, Mo [R-AL-5] (Introduced 05/12/2021) Cosponsors: (6)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 05/12/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Congressman Mo Brooks Introduces Bill Exposing Foreign Influence In College & University Education

H.R.3106 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide funding, on a competitive basis, for summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth ages 14 through 24.
Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] (Introduced 05/11/2021) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Education and Labor
Latest Action:  House – 05/11/2021 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Press Release: Kelly, Durbin, Duckworth Introduce Bills to Increase Youth Employment Opportunities

S.1562 — A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide funding, on a competitive basis, for summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth ages 14 through 24.
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (Introduced 05/11/2021) Cosponsors:(1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/11/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Bills To Increase Youth Employment Opportunities

S.1534 — A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to authorize the Reentry Employment Opportunities Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (Introduced 05/10/2021) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action:  Senate – 05/10/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Press Release: Peters Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Reentry Opportunities Through Skills Trainings & Apprenticeships

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:
ED Final Rule: Eligibility To Receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Programs

ED Grant Notice: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program. The deadline for transmittal of applications is June 28, 2021. The deadline for intergovernmental review is August 27, 2021. 

ED Notice: Public Posting Requirement of Grant Information for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grantees

ED Grant Notice: Proprietary Institution Grant Funds for Students Program Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF); American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARP). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 11, 2021.

ED Grant Notice: Public and Private Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARP). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 11, 2021.

ED FAQ: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III Frequently Asked Questions

ED Final Regulations: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Final rule clarifies student eligibility for emergency funding. 

USDA Comment Request: Pandemic EBT. Comments due on or before July 12, 2021.