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

CONGRESS

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Glenna Wright-Gallo to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on a 52-44 vote.

ADMINISTRATION

The Federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 expired this week.

ED released an update on student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and announced that it will update the PSLF Help Tool used to file PSLF applications.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Workforce Pathways for Youth Grant Program Summary
Application Deadline: May 19, 2023
Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

Survey: Stress is impacting college student success [Inside Higher Ed]

Op-Ed: With New Grants, 5 States Could Lead the Way to Widespread, Effective Tutoring [The 74]

The college-going gap between Black and white Americans was always bad. It’s getting worse [The Hechinger Report]

Florida bans DEI spending at all public colleges [Higher Ed Dive]

Biden Administration Hears From 132,000 and Counting on Title IX Rule [Inside Higher Ed]

Admissions Offices, Cautiously, Start Using AI [Inside Higher Ed]

Senators probe Education Dept FY 24 spending plan [K-12 Dive]

How much public support does Biden’s debt forgiveness proposal have? [Higher Ed Dive]

Democrats again aim to expand SNAP for college students as end of COVID-era benefits nears [Higher Ed Dive]

Op Ed: College Going Is Changing; We Need Better Data [Inside Higher Ed]

Colleges race to establish satellite campuses in D.C. [Inside Higher Ed]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Negotiations are Happening

House Majority Leader

Press Release: The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Press Release: Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of May 8, 2023

House Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Jeffries on MSNBC: “Extreme MAGA Republicans Continue to Demonstrate That They are The Party of Lawlessness and Disorder”

House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Press Release: Chairman Good to Hold Hearing on Protecting Employees’ Rights

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Opening Statement at Hearing with ED Secretary Cardona

Press Release: New ED Rule Would Steamroll Five Decades of Progress for Women’s Equality

Press Release: Owens Leads Hearing on America’s Workforce Challenges and the Ways to Improve Skills Development

Press Release: Chairwoman Foxx Delivers Opening Remarks at Markup to Nullify Biden’s Student Loan Debt Scheme

Press Release: Republicans Vote to Deny Relief for 43 Million Student Loan Borrowers

May 16: Full Committee Hearing on “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.”

2175 Rayburn

10:15 a.m. EST

Senate Majority Leader

Press Release: Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Condemning Speaker McCarthy’s Refusal To Take Default Off The Table In Debt Ceiling Talks

Senate Minority Leader

Press Release: It’s Time for President Biden to Wake Up and Negotiate with Speaker McCarthy

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Ranking Member Cassidy Blasts Biden’s Decision to End Title 42

Statements and Webcast from Friday’s Field Hearing on “Roundtable: How Can We Improve Health Workforce Diversity and Address Shortages? A Conversation with Historically Black College and University Leaders and Students”

May 12: Field Hearing: “Roundtable: How Can We Improve Health Workforce Diversity and Address Shortages? A Conversation with Historically Black College and University Leaders and Students”

Witnesses: Valerie Montgomery Rice MD, FACOG, President and CEO Morehouse School of Medicine; Jeannette E. South-Paul MD, DHL(Hon), FAAFP, Executive Vice President and Provost, Meharry Medical College;

Hugh E. Mighty MD, MBA, FACOG, Senior Vice President for Health Affairs

Howard University; David M. Carlisle MD, PHD, MPH, President and CEO,

Charles R. Drew University; David J. Skorton MD, President and CEO,

Association of American Medical Colleges; Sonya Randolph, Student, Morehouse School of Medicine; Jamil Joyner, Student, Morehouse School of Medicine; Samuel Cook MD, Resident, Morehouse School of Medicine.

10:00 a.m. EST

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Senator Murray Highlights Critical Importance of Strong Investments in Education and Workforce

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

White House Press Release: Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with Congressional Leadership on Preventing Default

White House Press Release: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Strategies to Train and Connect American Workers to Jobs Created by the President’s Investing in America Agenda

White House Press Release: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Outlines Priorities for Building America’s Energy Infrastructure Faster, Safer, and Cleaner

ED Press Release: Secretary Cardona Delivers Commencement Address to University of Central Florida Class of 2023

ED Media Advisory: U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education to Visit Georgia on “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” Tour

DOL Press Release: Us Department Of Labor Awards $78m For Nursing Programs to Strengthen, Diversify Workforce to Fill Quality Jobs In 17 States

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.3179 — To authorize funding to expand and support enrollment at institutions of higher education that sponsor construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Craig, Angie [Rep.-D-MN-2] (Introduced 05/10/2023) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/10/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

H.R.3211 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training programs for workforce development, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D-DE-At Large] (Introduced 05/11/2023) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/11/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Press Release: Reps. Blunt Rochester, Walberg Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Build The Workforce Of The Future

H.R.3271 — A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exclude child and dependent care services and payments from the rate used to compute overtime compensation.

Sponsor: Stefanik, Elise M. [Rep.-R-NY-21] (Introduced 05/11/2023)

Cosponsors: (2)

Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/11/2023 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Press Release: Stefanik, Harder, Hinson Reintroduce Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act

S.1516 — A bill to authorize funding to expand and support enrollment at institutions of higher education that sponsor construction and manufacturing-oriented registered apprenticeship programs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN] (Introduced 05/10/2023) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Latest Action: Senate – 05/10/2023 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

DOL Comment Request: Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Program Year (PY) 2023 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 167, National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Grantee Allotments. Comments due on or before May 30, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Loan Rehabilitation: Reasonable and Affordable Payments. Comments due on or before June 14, 2023.

FNS & USDA Comment Request: Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) National Disqualified List. Comments due on or before June 27, 2023.

ED Comment Request: Comment Request; HEERF No Cost Extension (NCE) Request Form. Comments due on or before June 30, 2023.

ED Notice: Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities-Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions.  Applications due on or before July 14, 2023.