Last week, the Trump Administration started their term with a slew of executive orders (EOs), many of which will take time to implement. They are also working on staffing and organizing day-to-day operations. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers continue to work to establish the agenda for the 119th Congress. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held their organizing executive session, and the entire chamber worked through the weekend to confirm two Trump cabinet members. Keep reading for more!
- Trump Administration Announces New Executive Orders: In the initial days of President Donald Trump’s second term, he has signed several EOs that may have significant implications for education. These include an EO that orders a federal hiring freeze at agencies for 90 days, as well as several orders restricting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.. Learn more about the new executive orders and how they will impact CTE on the blog.
- Negotiations Continue on Funding Bills: While no final decisions have been announced, negotiations continued behind the scenes this week on two major funding efforts: a reconciliation bill and FY 25 funding. In regard to FY 25 funding, House and Senate leaders from both parties have been discussing overall totals for the bill, known as “toplines” that are the first step toward allowing individual bills to be drafted. On reconciliation, Republican leaders are still discussing which approach will allow them to pass more of their funding-related priorities on a simple majority vote.
- Senate HELP Committee Held Executive Session: The Senate HELP Committee held an executive session to formally organize the committee for the 119th Congress. Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) discussed education goals for the committee, which included tackling literacy rates and social issues on college campuses. Sen. Cassidy and Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also welcomed new members of the committee – the full list of new Senators on the HELP Committee can be found on the blog!
- Trump Administration Works to Staff Department of Education: President Trump announced that Denise Carter will serve as Acting Education Secretary until Linda McMahon is confirmed by the Senate (confirmation hearings have not been scheduled yet). Carter has served as chief operating officer in the federal student aid office since July 2024 and in the Department of Health and Human Services as deputy assistant secretary for human resources. In addition, a number of other senior staff have been announced, although we are still waiting on appointments in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education.
- Department of Education Begins Work to Implement EOs: The Department of Education has begun work to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) references within its materials and other steps to implement the EOs recently signed by the President. Support materials and resources related to DEI will no longer be available on agency websites and all DEI-related initiatives, training, policies and contracts will be eliminated or removed within 60 days. Read ACTE’s blog about the recent executive orders for more information.
Comments