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

February 26, 2025

CONGRESS

On February 25, the Senate voted 51 to 47 along party lines to enable the Senate to go into executive session to confirm Secretary-Designate Linda McMahon’s nomination. The vote is expected to occur on February 27.

On February 27, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

The Senate HELP Committee voted 12 to 11 to advance Linda McMahon’s nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education to the full Senate.

The Senate passed S.Con.Res.7, the chamber’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget resolution, by a 52 to 48 vote. The House passed H.Con.Res.14, the chamber’s FY 2025 budget resolution, by a 217 to 215 vote.

ADMINISTRATION

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Keeping Education Accessible and Ending Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools.” Related guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) can be found here.

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Initiative.”

President Trump released a memorandum titled “Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending.”

President Trump announced appointments to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

ED released a Dear Colleague Letter that outlines the Administration’s viewpoint on the applicability of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard to race-based policies and programming at the Pre-K-12 and college level.

ED announced the termination of grants to institutions and nonprofits that were using Federal funds to train teachers and education agency staff.

COURTS

A Federal district judge denied a temporary restraining order request to block the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing student data at ED.

A Federal appellate judge remanded the lawsuit challenging the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) Federal student loan repayment plan, directing the district court to block the entire SAVE plan, as well as the emergency final rule issued by ED to reinstate the REPAYE Federal student loan repayment plan.

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

Trump’s AG threatens 3 states over transgender sports policies [Politico]

Applications for Some Student Loan Repayment Plans Frozen [Inside Higher Ed]

DeSantis moves to create Florida’s own DOGE to target college spending [Higher Ed Dive]

DOGE blocked from accessing Education Department’s sensitive student data until March 10 [Higher Ed Dive]

Student loan borrowers face abrupt 180 as GOP budget plans threaten to raise payments [The Hill]

Democrats to DOGE: Explain Education Spending Cuts [Education Week]

How California schools, colleges are responding to Trump’s DEI crackdown [Los Angeles Times]

Op-Ed: Hands Off Higher Ed! [Chronicle of Higher Education]

Education Dept. Lifts Pause on Some Civil Rights Investigations [Inside Higher Ed]

Amid Federal Upheaval, a Pell Shortfall Looms [Inside Higher Ed]

Will Trump Follow Through on His Threats to Cut School Funding? [Education Week]

McMahon confirmation as education secretary advances to full Senate [K-12 Dive]

Senate adopts budget resolution after marathon overnight vote-a-rama [The Hill]

What Are College Presidents Saying About Trump? Not Much. [Inside Higher Ed]

Tracking Trump: His actions on education [The Hechinger Report]

Ahead of Court Hearing, Chaos Reigns at NIH [Inside Higher Ed]

What College Leaders Are Saying About Trump’s Directive on Race and DEI [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

Colleges tighten budgets amid NIH funding uncertainty [Higher Ed Dive]

Has Florida Sparked a Trend of Ending In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students? [Inside Higher Ed]

Kentucky lawmakers seek to weaken tenure, restrict DEI [Higher Ed Dive]

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

Senate Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Schumer Statement On House Republicans’ Harmful Budget Passage

Press Release: Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Slamming Republicans’ Budget Plan To Cut Taxes For Billionaires At The Cost Of Working Americans And Their Families

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Press Release: Senate HELP Committee Votes to Approve Nomination of Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education

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

Statements and Webcast from the February 19 Full Committee Hearing on “Nomination of Lori M. Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor”

February 27: Full Committee Executive Session on the Nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to be Secretary of Labor

562 Dirksen and via webcast

9:30 a.m. ET

February 27: Full Committee Hearing on the Nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Deputy Secretary of Labor

Witness: Hon. Keith Sonderling, Boca Raton, FL

562 Dirksen and via webcast

10:00 a.m. ET

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Senator Murray Remarks on Senate Republicans’ Budget Resolution at Senate Democrats’ Weekly Press Conference

Speaker of the House

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

Press Release: Speaker Johnson Discusses Budget Reconciliation at Americans for Prosperity Congressional Event

House Majority Leader

Press Release: The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Press Release: Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Preview – Week of February 24, 2025

House Minority Leader

Press Release: Leader Jeffries Hosts Demand Diversity Roundtable To Discuss Strategy To Counter White House Anti-Equity Agenda

Press Release: LEADER JEFFRIES: “THIS RECKLESS REPUBLICAN BUDGET IS A BETRAYAL OF WORKING-CLASS AMERICANS

House Committee on Education and Workforce

Press Release: Chairman Walberg Applauds House Passage of Trump-Endorsed Budget Resolution

Press Release: Ranking Member Scott Seeks Answers on DOGE’s Access to Sensitive Data

Press Release: Walberg and Moolenaar Call for Eastern Michigan, Oakland University, and Detroit Mercy to End Joint Institutes with Chinese Universities

Press Release: Scott Statement on Trump’s Radical Reinterpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

Press Release: Chairman Walberg Announces Hearing on Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy

February 26: Full Committee Hearing on “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy”

Witnesses to be announced.

2175 Rayburn and via webcast.

10:15 a.m. ET

House Committee on Appropriations

Press Release: Ranking Member DeLauro Releases Important Update on OMB Director Russ Vought’s Move to Continue Stealing from American Families and Businesses

House Committee on Budget

Press Release: Statement from Chairman Arrington on President Trump’s Endorsement of House Budget Resolution

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration

White House Press Release: America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Employees Return to Work

ED Press Release: Office for Civil Rights Launches Title IX Violation Investigations into Maine Department of Education and Maine School District

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education’s Statement on Title IX Compliance

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Updates Guidance on COVID-19 Funding

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Cancels Divisive and Wasteful Grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor appoints J. Ross Stewart as Executive Secretary

GAO Report: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: HHS Could Facilitate Information Sharing to Improve States’ Use of Data on Job Training and Other Services

Legislative Movement in Congress:

S.Con.Res.7 — An original concurrent resolution setting forth 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: Graham, Lindsey [Sen.-R-SC] (Introduced 02/13/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: Senate – Budget

Latest Action: Senate – 02/21/2025 Resolution agreed to in Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 – 48.

Press Release: Chairman Graham Speaks on Senate Floor Ahead of Budget Resolution Vote-A-Rama

H.R.1446 — To amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to identify or develop assessments to measure the prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences of an individual, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Allen, Rick W. [Rep.-R-GA-12] (Introduced 02/21/2025) Cosponsors: (0)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/21/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

H.R.1490 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow certain return information disclosed to institutions of higher education for financial aid purposes to also be used for certain Federal TRIO programs.

Sponsor: Moore, Gwen [Rep.-D-WI-4] (Introduced 02/21/2025) Cosponsors: (3)

Committees: House – Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/21/2025 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 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…

Press Release: Moore, Bonamici, Tenney, and Thompson Work to Streamline TRIO Eligibility, Supporting Students

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

Committee Report: H. Rept. 119-4

Latest Action: House – 02/25/2025 On agreeing to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 217 – 215

H.Res.163 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the goal of education in schools across America shall be that virtually every student in the United States achieves grade-level reading proficiency, providing them with the foundation to develop the skills and knowledge needed for success in school, work, and life.

Sponsor: Huizenga, Bill [Rep.-R-MI-4] (Introduced 02/25/2025) Cosponsors: (6)

Committees: House – Education and Workforce

Latest Action: House – 02/25/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

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.