This has been a busy week on Capitol Hill as Congress held multiple hearings relevant to education and workforce development across both chambers. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon both testified before Congress this week to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request. Meanwhile, the House passed its budget reconciliation bill, shifting the process to the Senate. Congress is scheduled to take recess next week, but will back in DC in June!
- House Passes Reconciliation Bill: The House of Representatives passed its budget reconciliation proposal on May 22. The process now shifts to the Senate where it is certain to face many changes from Senators. Budget reconciliation allows for changes to tax and mandatory spending programs and can sidestep the filibuster in the Senate. It cannot impact discretionary spending, which will be addressed in the FY 2026 appropriations bills. Read more about how the bill would impact education on the blog.
- Senate HELP Committee Advances Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE): The Senate HELP Committee voted to advance several of the President’s nominees at the Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and the Department of Education (ED). Included in these nominees is Kevin O’Farrell, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of OCTAE. Learn more about O’Farrell from ACTE’s statement regarding his nomination.
- McMahon Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee: Secretary McMahon testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Her testimony focused on the Trump Administration’s budget proposal outline for FY 2026. Read more on the blog.
- Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Holds Hearing on the State of Higher Education: The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on the state of higher education. One of the witnesses, Russell Lowery-Hart, is the chancellor of Austin Community College and spoke of the critical role that community colleges play in innovation and workforcetraining. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) used this hearing to promote short-term Pell Grants, pressing the committee to mark up the JOBS Act, which is endorsed by ACTE.
- House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development Holds Hearing on DEI: The House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development held a hearing to address DEI issues in education, discussing some of the recent funding cuts and other actions taken related to the Administration's agenda around this topic.
- Secretary Lori Chavez De-Remer Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee: Secretary Chavez-DeRemer testified before the Senate HELP Committee regarding the President’s “Skinny” Budget Request for DOL. Check out the blog to learn more about the budget request.
- Democratic Lawmakers Send Letter to Secretary McMahon on Federal Funding Delays: Several lawmakers with minority leadership roles sent a letter to Secretary McMahon to address recent delays in providing states and school districts with information about formula funding that had been previously appropriated. While Perkins allocations for FY 2025 have been released, many other grant allocations have not.
- Judge Rules Against Staffing Cuts at ED: A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of employees fired at the Department of Education through a “Reduction in Force” earlier this year, stating that the firings were akin to dismantling the agency, which only Congress can do, would keep the agency from fulfilling its core functions. The Administration has appealed the ruling and next steps in the legal process are uncertain.
- More on Staffing Challenges at ED: Related to the legal argument that layoffs have impeded core activities at the Department, a recent survey, published by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) found that postsecondary financial aid offices nationwide have reported recent operational delays, breakdowns in federal support systems and insufficient communication with ED.
- Secretary McMahon Announced Proposed Priorities for ED Discretionary Grants: Secretary McMahon announced her first three proposed priorities for ED discretionary grants, including evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice and returning education to the states. The Administration will align discretionary grant competitions with these priorities in the future.