The first full week of the 118th Congress has wrapped up. With Members of Congress now sworn in, focus is shifting to organizing committees and beginning work on legislation. In particular, there is already a lot of conversation over fiscal year 2024 funding levels and the debt ceiling. The Senate remains out of session until January 23, and the House will return to Washington on Monday, January 16.
ACTE will soon publish a resource on engaging in advocacy with freshmen Members of Congress. As the 118th Congress is getting underway, it is an important time for CTE advocates to begin getting to know these new members and think about developing relationships with them!
- Updated: Investing in CTE Yields Big Returns: ACTE has updated its fact sheet about the economic benefits that CTE programs have for learners and communities across the country. The Investing in CTE map shows just a sampling of CTE's financial impacts across different states and localities. View the graphic here.
- House Republicans Advance Rules, Committee Chairs: After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was finally elected Speaker of the House early last Saturday morning, the new Republican majority in the House turned to other organizing activities necessary for the 118th Congress. Read more here.
- House Education and Workforce Committee Republicans Begin Oversight: New House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has begun several promised oversight activities. Read her letter to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona here.
- New Proposed Income-Driven Student Loan Repayment Plan: The Department of Education has released a proposal to reform the existing income-driven student loan repayment plan. The plan would amend the terms of the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan to offer $0 monthly payments for any individual borrower who makes less than roughly $30,600 annually and any borrower in a family of four who makes less than about $62,400. The regulations would also cut in half monthly payments on undergraduate loans for borrowers who do not otherwise have a $0 payment in this plan. The proposed regulations would also ensure that borrowers stop seeing their balances grow due to the accumulation of unpaid interest after making their monthly payments.
- Statement from Senate Appropriations Leaders on Appropriations Bills: Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the Senate Appropriations Committee’s new Chair and Ranking Member, issued a joint statement on their bipartisan commitment to funding the government and passing the Senate’s appropriations bills through regular order. Read the full statement here.
- Department of Labor Awards Grants to Support Justice-Involved Young People: The Department of Labor has announced the award of $33 million in Growth Opportunities grants to programs in 11 states. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the second round of grants will enable 13 organizations to help justice-involved young people develop leadership skills, offer mentorship and provide education, training and paid work experiences.
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