Below is RAMC’s weekly Washington Wrap Up from Wednesday. Find out more about Wrap Up and other RAMC resources here.

February 19, 2025

CONGRESS

On February 20, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education.

The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on a 52 to 48 vote.

The Senate Budget Committee passed its fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget resolution by an 11 to 10 vote.

The House Budget Committee released its text of an FY 2025 budget resolution and subsequently passed it by a 21 to 16 vote.

The House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup of several education-related bills. The House passed H.R. 1048, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, on a 20 to 14 vote; H.R. 649, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, on a 24 to 10 vote; H.R. 1069, the Promoting Responsible Oversight to Eliminate Communist Teachings (PROTECT) Our Kids Act, on a 21 to 13 vote; H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems (CLASS) Act, on a 20 to 14 vote; and H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act, on a 20 to 13 vote. These bills will now proceed to the House floor.

ADMINISTRATION

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Implementing The President’s “’Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.”

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission.”

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it canceled numerous Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracts. Subsequently, ED also canceled additional contracts for Regional Educational Laboratories and Equity Assistance Centers.

ED announced that numerous discretionary grants have been canceled, stating that there were conflicts with Administration positions on diversity, equity and inclusion and other priorities.

ED announced several new nominations, including Nicholas Kent as Under Secretary, Jennifer Mascott as General Counsel, Kirsten Baesler as Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Kevin O’Farrell as Assistant Secretary for Career and Technical Education and Mary Christina Riley as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs.

ED sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), encouraging them to “restore to female athletes the records, titles, awards, and recognitions misappropriated by biological males competing in female categories.”

ED agreed to block the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing student loan data through the National Student Loan Data System and related systems and databases until February 17.

ED rescinded the Title IX guidance issued by the Biden Administration on payments made by institutions for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) to college athletes.

ED’s Office for Civil Rights launched investigations into the Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation, regarding sports participation and potential Title IX violations.

ED reversed reporting and compliance requirements under the Biden-Harris Administration regarding Career and Technical Education.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released guidance lowering the maximum indirect cost rate research institutions can charge the Federal government to 15 percent.

The Trump Administration has initiated layoffs at several Federal agencies, including ED.

COURTS

A Federal judge in Washington, DC dismissed a case regarding DOGE’s access to U.S. Department of Labor data.

A Federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the Trump Administration is not in full compliance with his court order on ending the Federal funding freeze and subsequently ordered the Trump Administration to “immediately restore frozen funding” and “immediately end any federal funding pause.”

A Federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the NIH indirect cost policy change.

A Federal judge in Massachusetts lifted the temporary block on the Trump Administration’s plan to offer buyouts to the Federal workforce.

A Federal judge in Washington, DC temporarily blocked the Trump Administration’s action to suspend, pause or prevent obligation through contracts, grants and cooperative agreements of U.S. foreign development assistance.

Education News Headlines
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Education News Headlines                                                               
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Ed. Dept.’s Broad DEI Warning Puts College Leaders in ‘Enormously Complicated Situation’ [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

‘Another twisting of civil rights law’: Free speech group pans Education Department’s DEI guidance [Higher Ed Dive]

Federal Funding Uncertainty Prompts Hiring Freezes [Inside Higher Ed]

12 Trump moves in 4 weeks: What college leaders need to know [Higher Ed Dive]

Education Department slashes grants for training teachers on ‘divisive ideologies’ [The Hill]

Trump Picks Long-Serving State Chief With Bipartisan Fans for Top Ed. Dept. Role [Education Week]

Trump Shakeup Stops Most Work at Education Department’s Civil Rights Office [Education Week]

Court decision allows DOGE to continue accessing student data [The Washington Post]

After Sweeping Anti-DEI Guidance, What Should Colleges Do? [Inside Higher Ed]

Want to measure how much college graduates make? Timing matters. [Higher Ed Dive]

Colleges Take Financial Precautions Amid Uncertainty From Trump Administration [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Linda McMahon Lays Out Plan for a Diminished Education Dept. [The New York Times]

Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Sworn in as Trump’s Health Chief [Education Week]

Sweeping cuts hit recent federal hires as Trump administration slashes workforce [NPR]

Campuses Quiet as Higher Ed Navigates Trump’s Orders [Inside Higher Ed]

Ohio Senate passes bill to ban DEI and faculty strikes at public colleges [Higher Ed Dive]

DOGE rips through Education Department, cutting contracts, staff and grants [The Washington Post]

What National Institutes of Health funding cuts could mean for U.S. universities  [NPR]

Ending the Research 1 ‘Arms Race’ [Inside Higher Education]

Which colleges gained R1 status under the revamped Carnegie Classifications? [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Senate Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Condemning Unqualified Nominee For Secretary Of Health And Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Press Release: Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Republican Tax Plan To Slash Essential Programs For Working Americans To Give Tax Breaks To The Ultra-Wealthy

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: NEXT WEEK: Senate HELP Committee to Consider Nomination for Secretary of Education

Press Release: Chair Cassidy Delivers Remarks During Confirmation Hearing on Nomination for Secretary of Education

Press Release: Chair Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders Announce Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress

Statements and Webcast from February 13 Full Committee Hearing on “Nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as Secretary of Education”

February 19: Full Committee Hearing on “Nomination of Lori M. Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor”

Witnesses: Hon. Lori M. Chavez-DeRemer, Happy Valley, OR

Location TBD and via webcast

10:00 a.m. ET

February 20: Full Committee Executive Session on the Nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as Secretary of Education

Location: TBD

Time: TBD

Senate Committee on the Budget

Press Release: Merkley, Murray, Peters Seek Clarity on Scope, Reach of OMB Funding Cuts, Who Authored Disastrous Memo

Press Release: Chairman Graham Statement on Sending FY25 Budget Resolution to the Floor

Press Release: Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member: House Republican Budget Proposal is “One Big, Awful Pile of Junk”

Statements and Webcast from Yesterday’s Full Committee Markup of “Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution”

House Majority Leader

Press Release: House Republican Leadership Statement on Committee Passage of Budget Reconciliation Resolution

House Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Jeffries: “The Republican Objective Is To Enact Massive Tax Cuts For Their Billionaire Donors”

House Committee on Education and Workforce

Press Release: Chair Walberg Questions Columbia’s Efforts to Protect Jewish Students

Press Release: Chair Walberg Delivers Opening Statement for Markup of Five Bills to Limit Foreign Influence in American Education and Protect Child Nutrition

Statement and Webcast from Yesterday’s Full Committee Markup on “H.R. 1048, H.R. 649, H.R. 1069, H.R. 1005, H.R. 1049”

House Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Aderholt Remarks at Hearing on Career Ready Students

Press Release: Ranking Member DeLauro Remarks at the Career Ready Students: Innovations from Community Colleges & Private Sector Hearing

Statements and Webcasts from Yesterday’s Subcommittee Hearing on “Career Ready Students: Innovations from Community Colleges and the Private Sector”

House Committee on Budget

Press Release: Chairman Arrington’s Statement on the House Republicans’ Budget Blueprint

Press Release: Boyle Statement on Republican Budget Plan

Statements and Webcast from February 13 Full Committee Mark up on “Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution”

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Executive Order: Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Requires Transparency for the American People About Wasteful Spending

White House Presidential Action: Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending

White House Press Release: President Trump Announces Appointments to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs

White House Press Release: Nominations Sent to the Senate

White House Press Release: Memo to Press Corps: Hundreds of Billions of Dollars Are Fraudulently Spent Every Year

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Directs Schools to End Racial Preferences

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Cuts Over $600 Million in Divisive Teacher Training Grants

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Cancels Additional $350 Million in Woke Spending

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Celebrates Sub-Cabinet Presidential Nominations

DOL Press Release: Dean Heyl Appointed as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Public Affairs

DOL Press Release: Troy Finnegan Appointed as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Administration and Management

HHS Press Release: President Donald J. Trump Nominates Individuals to Key Posts at the Department of Health and Human Services

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.1282 — To prohibit Federal funding for institutions of higher education that carry out diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12] (Introduced 02/13/2025) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.1296 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a refundable credit for qualified child care startup expenses.

Sponsor: Conaway, Herbert [Rep.-D-NJ-3] (Introduced 02/13/2025) Cosponsors: (29)

Committees: House – Ways and Means

Latest Action: House – 02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Press Release: Conaway Jr., MD, Foushee, Barragán, Sánchez, Pressley, Chu Introduce Bill to Expand Child Care Access

H.R.1331 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to enhance teacher and school leader quality partnership grants.

Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4] (Introduced 02/13/2025) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/13/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.1409 — To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program for skills-for-success courses for all first-year students enrolled at certain institutions of higher education.

Sponsor: Foushee, Valerie P. [Rep.-D-NC-4] (Introduced 02/18/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/18/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.1426 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the amount allowed as a credit under the expenses for household and dependent care services credit and the employer-provided child care credit.

Sponsor: Mackenzie, Ryan [Rep.-R-PA-7] (Introduced 02/18/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Ways and Means

Latest Action: House – 02/18/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.1428 — To amend the Community Services Block Grant Act to update the Federal poverty line, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Mullin, Kevin [Rep.-D-CA-15] (Introduced 02/18/2025) Cosponsors: (10)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Action: House – 02/18/2025 Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction…

H.Con.Res.14 — Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.

Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19] (Introduced 02/18/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Budget

Latest Action: House – 02/18/2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 1.

S.535 — A bill to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, to improve access to relative caregivers, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN] (Introduced 02/12/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: Senate – Finance

Latest Action: Senate – 02/12/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

S.Res.76 — An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA] (Introduced 02/12/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Rules and Administration

Latest Action: Senate – 02/12/2025 Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

ED Grant Notice: Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences. Applications due on or before March 7, 2025.

Children and Families Administration Comment Request: Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions Comments due on or before March 7, 2025.

ED Grant: Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP). Applications due on or before March 10, 2025.

NSF Comment Request: Request for Information on the Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. Comments due on or before March 15, 2025.

ED Comment Request: Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Universal Forms. Comments due on or before March 17, 2025.

ED Comment Request: 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Comments due on or before April 7, 2025.

ED Notice: Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education

ED Notice: Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program-Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance; Corrections

ED Notice: Retroactive Application of the Revised Version of the Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance

Presidential Document: Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

Presidential Document: Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias (EO 14202)

Presidential Document: Women’s Sports; Efforts To Keep Men Out (EO 14201)

Presidential Document: Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth

Presidential Document: Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service

Presidential Document: Anti-Semitism; Additional Measures To Combat (EO 14188)

NSF Grant Notice: Facilitating Research at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions. Applications accepted anytime