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

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

The Trump Admin. Put $169M Toward Its Priorities. Here’s Where the Money Went [Inside Higher Ed]

Advocates urge colleges to step up their fight against Trump [The Hill]

Grad Loan Caps Could Hurt Students With Low Credit Scores [Inside Higher Ed]
American University Report: “How Will Graduate Student and Parent Borrowing Be Affected by New Federal Loan Limits?”

Op-Ed: The Forgotten Campuses of American Higher Education [The Chronicle of Higher Education]

ED Plans to ‘Harmonize’ Accountability Metrics [Inside Higher Ed]

What’s in NIH’s settlement over delayed research funding? [Higher Ed Dive]

December Cuts Close Out Brutal Year for Sector [Inside Higher Ed]

Without affirmative action, elite colleges are prioritizing economic diversity in admissions [The Los Angeles Times]

As Job Market Tightens, More Californians Are Heading Back to College [The 74]

DOJ sues Virginia over tuition aid for migrants [The Hill]

5 Predictions on How AI Will Shape Higher Ed in 2026 [Inside Higher Ed]

Will higher education researchers leave for opportunities abroad? [Higher Ed Dive]

Congressional Republicans Look to Build on 2025 Higher Ed Reforms [Inside Higher Ed]

How student loans and financial aid are changing in 2026 [The Washington Post]

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor

Senate Majority Leader
Press Release: Thune: Working Families Tax Cuts Provide Bigger Paychecks, Permanent Relief

House Committee on Education and Workforce
Press Release: @EdWorkforceCmte to Mark Up Bills to Protect Pregnant Students and Combat Human Trafficking

January 8: Full Committee Mark Up of H.R. 6359, H.R. 4307
2175 Rayburn and via webcast
10:15 a.m. ET

January 13: Subcommittee Hearing on “Who’s Watching the Kids? How Employers, Innovators, and Parents Are Solving America’s Child Care Crunch”
Witnesses to be announced.
2175 Rayburn and via webcast
10:15 a.m. ET

Press Release: Scott Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Jeffery O. Smith as Virginia’s Next Secretary of Education

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Cole Remarks at Rules Committee Hearing on H.R. 6938, Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026

Press Release: Ranking Member DeLauro Statement to House Rules Committee in Support of Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; Interior and Environment Appropriations Package

Speaker of the House
Press Release: Speaker Johnson Statement on FY26 Appropriations

Senate Majority Leader
Press Release: Thune: Republicans to Build on Record of Results in 2026

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Committee Releases Conferenced CJS, E&W, and Interior Bills

Press Release: Appropriators Release Three-Bill Minibus

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Committee Releases Conferenced CJS, E&W, and Interior Bills

Press Release: Appropriations Committee Releases Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; Interior and Environment Funding Package

Speaker of the House
Press Release: Speaker Johnson Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: House Republicans Had a Great Year

Press Release: What They Are Saying: Conservative, Industry, and State Leaders Commend Speaker Johnson and House Republicans’ Record in 2025

House Majority Leader
Press Release: Scalise’s End-of-Year Recap: One Year of Republicans Delivering on our Promises

House Committee on Appropriations
Press Release: Appropriations Advent: Unwrapping the FY26 Funding Process

House Committee on Rules
Press Release: House Rules Committee Democratic Staff Releases New Report: “How Donald Trump Stole Congress: The Transformation of the People’s House into a Rubber Stamp for the President—Shutting Down Debate, Silencing Members, and Serving the Billionaire Class”

Department of Education and the Administration

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor announces availability of $145M in funding to support performance-based Registered Apprenticeship expansion

HHS Press Release: HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States for Fraud Concerns

GAO Report: Federal Awards: Selected Programs Did Not Fully Include Identified Practices to Enhance Oversight and Fraud Prevention

ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Announces Release of $169 Million Under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

DOL Press Release: US Department of Labor Announces $98M in Available Funding to Deliver Education, Occupational Skills Training, Job Services to Young People

HHS Press Release: HHS to Close Biden-Era Loophole That Let States Pay Child Care Providers Without Counting Attendance

IES Press Release: 2024–25 Common Core of Data (CCD) Universe Data Files now available

Legislative Movement in Congress

H.R.6938 — Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026
Sponsor: Cole, Tom [Rep.-R-OK-4] (Introduced 01/06/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Appropriations; Budget
Latest Action: House – 01/06/2026 Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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.

H.R.6940 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assess how Executive departments address mental health crisis prevention and awareness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Biggs, Sheri [Rep.-R-SC-3] (Introduced 01/06/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 01/06/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.6937 — To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the H-1B program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Greene, Marjorie Taylor [Rep.-R-GA-14] (Introduced 01/02/2026) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Judiciary; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
Latest Action: House – 01/02/2026 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of…

H.R.2262 — Flexibility for Workers Education Act
Sponsor: Hinson, Ashley [Rep.-R-IA-2] (Introduced 03/21/2025) Cosponsors: (2)
Committees: House – Education and Workforce
Latest Action: House – 12/30/2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 369.

H.R.6932 — To rescind unobligated amounts made available to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2026, and transfer such amounts to States in accordance with section 611 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Sponsor: James, John [Rep.-R-MI-10] (Introduced 12/26/2025) Cosponsors: (0)
Committees: House – Appropriations
Latest Action: House – 12/26/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

H.R.6920 — SUCCESS for BEAD Act
Sponsor: Barr, Andy [Rep.-R-KY-6] (Introduced 12/23/2025) Cosponsors: (1)
Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
Latest Action: House – 12/23/2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices

IRS Comment Request: Trump Account Election(s). Comments due on or before March 6, 2026.

ACF Comment Request: Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Comments due on or before February 4, 2026.

DOL Comment Request: Post Enrollment Data Collection for Job Corps Participants. Comments due on or before March 2, 2026.

ED Grant Notice: Braille Training Program. Applications due on or before March 27, 2026.

ED Notice: National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality

ED Comment Request: Student Assistance General Provisions-Subpart K-Cash Management. Comments due on or before March 2, 2026.

ED Comment Request: National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Comments due on or before March 2, 2026.

ED Comment Request: Federal Student Aid User Experience Design Research Generic Clearance. Comments due on or before March 2, 2026.

ED Comment Request: Third Party Servicer Data Collection. Comments due on or before February 27, 2026.

ED Comment Request: DCIA Aging and Compliance Data Requirements for Guaranty Agencies. Comments due on or before February 27, 2026.

Today’s Federal Register.