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

May 28, 2025

CONGRESS

The House passed its budget reconciliation bill last week in a 215-214 vote. The legislation extends tax cuts enacted in 2017, increases defense spending, cuts Medicaid spending and increases the nation’s debt limit. The Senate will now consider the bill.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) announced the markup schedule for the House appropriations bills for fiscal year (FY) 2026. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill is set for markup in the Subcommittee on July 21 and in the full House Appropriations Committee on July 24.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee advanced several U.S. Department of Education (ED) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) nominations to the full Senate.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative to actively investigate and prosecute Federal grant recipients who violate Federal civil rights laws.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published data on foreign gifts and donations to institutions of higher education.

COURTS

A district judge halted President Trump’s Executive Order aimed at shutting down ED, blocked his related reduction in force affecting nearly half of agency staff, ordered the rehiring of dismissed staff and prohibited ED from transferring the management of Federal student loans and special education functions out of the Department.

A district judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the U.S. Department of Energy from instituting a 15 percent cap on indirect research costs.

In American Federation of Teachers vs. U.S. Department of Education, ED filed a status report that indicated that over 1.9 million income-driven repayment (IDR) applications were not processed as of April 30.

A Federal district court judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s Executive Order that enabled the Administration to initiate mass reductions in force across agencies as well as to eliminate certain agencies. The court order specifically mentions the U.S. Departments of Energy, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and Government Efficiency; the Office of Management and Budget; the Office of Personnel Management; the National Labor Relations Board, National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration and AmeriCorps.

A Federal district court judge blocked President Trump’s Executive Order calling to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Education News Headlines
[Click on the link to read the article online]

Trump admin tells US embassies to halt student visa interviews [The Hill]

Medical School Accreditor Eliminates Diversity Standard [Inside Higher Education]

What’s the latest in Harvard University’s battle with the Trump administration? [Higher Ed Dive]

Action could create “chaos” in student-visa system [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Justices Allow School to Bar Student From Wearing ‘Only Two Genders’ Shirt [The New York Times]

The U.S. has more than 1 million foreign students. Here’s who they are. [The Washington Post]

Trump says he’s considering giving $3B of Harvard grant money to trade schools [The Hill]

4 Things to Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act [Inside Higher Ed]

How will Trump’s tariff policies impact college students? [Higher Ed Dive]

5 Charts Depicting How Faculty Have Changed in Last 20 Years [Inside Higher Ed]

CUPA HR Report: “Two Decades of Change: Faculty Discipline Trends in Higher Education”

Is federal support waning for registered teacher apprenticeships? [K-12 Dive]

The reconciliation bill cleared the House. Here’s how it would change higher ed. [Higher Ed Dive]

‘Every Revenue Source Is at Risk’: Under Trump, Research Universities Are Cutting Back [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Killings become focal point in Trump’s campaign against antisemitism [The Washington Post]

DHS blocks Harvard from enrolling international students: What to know [The Hill]

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

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Murray, DeLauro Call Out Trump Admin’s Lack of Transparency on Spending, Demand Detailed Agency Spend Plans Be Submitted as Required By Law

June 3: Subcommittee Hearing on “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Education”
Witness: The Honorable Linda McMahon, Secretary, Department of Education
124 Dirksen and via webcast
10:00 a.m. ET

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: DeLauro, Murray Call Out Trump Admin’s Lack of Transparency on Spending, Demand Detailed Agency Spend Plans Be Submitted as Required By Law

House Committee on the Budget
Press Release: What They Are Saying: President Trump Congratulates House Republicans on Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Speaker of the House

Press Release: Speaker Johnson Makes a Trio of Sunday Show Appearances Touting House Passage of The One Big Beautiful Bill

House Majority Leader

Press Release: Washington Post: Scalise Leads Outside the Glare of the House Speakership

Senate Minority Leader
Press Release: House Republicans Spent Months Promising To Not Gut Medicaid – This Morning, Republicans Passed Their Tax Plan To Pay For Tax Breaks For The Ultra-Wealthy By Cutting Over $700 BILLION from Medicaid & Stripping Coverage Away From Nearly 14 Million Americans – The Largest Cut To Healthcare In American History

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Details from Yesterday’s Full Committee Executive Session on Nominations
Nominees: Julie Hocker, Department of Labor; Marco Rajkovich, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission; Wayne Palmer, Department of Labor; Henry Mack, Department of Labor; Kirsten Baesler, Department of Education; Kevin O’Farrell, Department of Education; and Nicholas Kent, Department of Education.

House Committee on Education and Workforce
Press Release: House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force Applauds Successful Effort to Defend Education Department

Press Release: Government Watchdog Concludes Trump is Illegally Impounding Funding—Senator Murray Responds

Statements and Webcast from Yesterday’s Subcommittee Hearing on “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Labor”

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: We Already Knew: Trump and Musk are Stealing from You

Press Release: DeLauro on Court’s Ruling Against President Trump’s Dismantling of Department of Education

Senate Committee on the Budget
Press Release: Merkley Statement After Republican Reconciliation Bill Passed Out of the House

Press Release: Merkley Statement on GAO’s First Determination Showing the Trump Administration Violated the Impoundment Control Act

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Fights Fraud in Student Aid to Protect the American Taxpayer

GAO Report: Apprenticeship: Earn-And-Learn Opportunities Can Benefit Workers and Employers

White House Press Release: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump is Restoring Gold Standard Science in America

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor announces Trump Administration appointees for Wage and Hour Division

White House Press Release: What They Are Saying: One, Big, Beautiful Bill Clears House

White House Press Release: Every Democrat Just Voted Against Tax Cuts, Pay Raises, and More

HHS Press Release: MAHA Commission Unveils Landmark Report Exposing Root Causes of Childhood Chronic Disease Crisis

HHS Press Release: HHS’ Civil Rights Office Finds Columbia University in Violation of Federal Civil Rights Law

Legislative Movement in Congress:

H.R.3587 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to recognize digital skills and digital literacy as critical adult education and literacy objectives, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Goodlander, Maggie [Rep.-D-NH-2] (Introduced 05/23/2025) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/23/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.3605 — To establish the Strength in Diversity Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Scott, Robert C. “Bobby” [Rep.-D-VA-3] (Introduced 05/23/2025) Cosponsors: (20)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/23/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.3606 — To amend title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to restore the right to individual civil actions in cases involving disparate impact, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Scott, Robert C. “Bobby” [Rep.-D-VA-3] (Introduced 05/23/2025) Cosponsors: (13)

Committees: House – Judiciary; Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/23/2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, 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…

H.Res.42 — Recognizing the importance of California’s public higher education systems and reaffirming the United States’ commitment to supporting these institutions.

Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6] (Introduced 05/23/2025) Cosponsors: (18)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 05/23/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.1 — One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19] (Introduced 05/20/2025) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Budget
Latest Action: House – 05/22/2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

S.1863 — A bill to amend section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the eligibility requirements of the public service loan forgiveness program for certain members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.1895 — A bill to establish the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Program to increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health service providers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Young, Todd [Sen.-R-IN] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.1897 — A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team grant program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Judiciary
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

S.1903 — A bill to prohibit changes to Medicare and Medicaid in reconciliation.
Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-D-RI] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: Senate – Budget
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.

S.Res.249 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “Mental Health Awareness Month”.
Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.Res.250 — A resolution recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to implement policies to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.
Sponsor: Grassley, Chuck [Sen.-R-IA] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (17)
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

S.Res.251 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week”.
Sponsor: Husted, Jon [Sen.-R-OH] (Introduced 05/22/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Latest Action: Senate – 05/22/2025 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

Health Resources and Services Administration Comment Request: Initial and Reconciliation Application Forms To Report Graduate Medical Education Data and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Residents Trained by Hospitals Participating in the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program; and FTE Resident Assessment Forms To Report FTE Residents Trained by Organizations Participating in the CHGME Payment Program and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program. Comments are due on or before July 28, 2025.

Health Resources and Services Administration Comment Request: Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program Specific Form. Comments are due on or before July 28, 2025.

Health Resources and Services Administration Comment Request: The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program Eligible Resident or Fellow Full-Time Equivalent Chart. Comments are due on or before July 28, 2025.

DOL Comment Request: Alternative Reporting Methods for Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Top Hat Plans. Comments are due on or before June 27, 2025.

ACF Comment Request: American Relief Act 2025 Disaster Supplemental Funds for Child Care

ED Notice: Parent Information and Training Program

ED Notice: Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions