After a busy weekend where both the House and Senate managed to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open until Nov. 17, the Senate had very little activity this week, and is now recessed until October 16. The House, however, saw unprecedent events unfold as former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was voted out of his role. The House is now beginning the process of electing a new speaker, but it is uncertain how long this may take. In the meantime, House activity is at a standstill, potentially impacting numerous pieces of legislation awaiting consideration. Read further news and notes below:
- Appropriations Update: With a new CR in place until November 17, Congress now needs to return to the process of considering appropriations bills. Currently, the House has passed four of its 12 funding bills, all on a partisan basis, while the Senate is still working to pass its first set of three bills. The Senate plans to return to votes on these bills when they return, but the situation in the House is likely to slow further appropriations consideration there. Both sides remain far apart in terms of total spending levels. As this process continues to advance, it is critical that you continue to let your Members of Congress know you prefer the reasonable investments in the Senate bill.
- Department of Education Appoints New Members to National Assessment Governing Board: ED has announced the appointment of 11 education leaders (seven new members and four reappointed members) to the National Assessment Governing Board, the organization that oversees the Nation’s Report Card. These new members are set to be sworn in at the governing board’s quarterly meeting in November. The full governing board members list is linked here.
- Department of Education Announces an Additional Student Debt Relief Measure: ED and the Biden-Harris Administration have announced an additional $9 billion in student debt relief for more than 125,000 Americans through fixes that the Department has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The new measure also grants automatic loan cancellation to borrowers with total and permanent disabilities.
- Department of Labor Announces Funding for Continued Temporary Employment and Workforce Training Support After Hurricane Ian: DOL has announced an incremental award of $7.5 million in funding to support the efforts of disaster-relief employment and workforce development and training for eligible residents in the state of Florida as the area continues to recover from the effects left behind by Hurricane Ian. The funds will be available for the Florida Department of Commerce to provide residents with relief services including support for career and training programs.
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