Last week in Washington was quiet, with Congress in recess for the July 4 holiday and policymakers in their states and districts for a planned work period. Congressional leadership in the Senate focused on crafting a potential budget reconciliation package, as more uncertainty surrounding the future of the bipartisan, bicameral America COMPETES/USICA legislative package swirls. Both chambers will return this week, where there will be action on several appropriations packages for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). ACTE is continuing to monitor the Labor-HHS-Education FY23 spending bill as it moves to the Senate and will provide updates as they come. As we await Congress’s return, here are some news and notes:
- America COMPETES/USICA Update: Recently, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) declared that the Senate would immediately halt bipartisan negotiations on the America COMPETES Act/USICA, which contains several top ACTE priorities, if Senate Democrats continued ahead with plans to negotiate and pass a budget reconciliation package with drug pricing and climate provisions before the November midterm elections. The House of Representatives may look to pass the Senate-approved version of the bill, known as USICA, in order to bypass the conference negotiation process, but the Senate version of the bill does not include short-term Pell. ACTE will provide any updates as they come.
- Department of Education Releases Proposed Regulations on Student Loan Debt Relief: The Department of Education has released proposed regulations that would expand student loan discharge programs for borrowers whose schools closed or were untruthful with borrowers, for those who are totally and permanently disabled and for public service workers who have fulfilled requirements of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. View the proposed regulations here and a fact sheet here.
- Department of Labor Awards Apprenticeship Building America Grants: The Department of Labor has awarded $121 million in Apprenticeship Building America grants, which are designed to strengthen and modernize registered apprenticeship programs. Read more about the grant recipients and funding categories above.
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