A quick look at the news from last week, compiled by Penn Hill Group:

HOUSE

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies will hold a subcommittee hearing on March 17 on the budget for the Department of Labor. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez will testify.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies will hold a subcommittee hearing on March 17 on the budget for the National Science Foundation. National Science Foundation Director France Cordova will testify.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies will hold a subcommittee oversight hearing on March 18 on the achievement gap in higher education. Gail Mellow, President of La Guardia Community College;  Aaron Thompson, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education; Benjamin L. Castleman, Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia; Carol L. Fischer, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Iowa; and Brian K. Fitzgerald, Ed.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Business-Higher Education Forum will testify.

The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity will hold a subcommittee hearing on March 17 on higher education opportunities for veterans. Witnesses for this hearing have not yet been announced.

The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training will hold a subcommittee hearing on March 17 on strengthening the higher education system. Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., President of Purdue University; Dr. Christine M. Keller, Vice President of Research and Policy Analysis and Executive Director for the Voluntary System of Accountability and Student Achievement Measure at the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities; David A. Bergeron, Vice President of Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Progress; and Michael J. Bennett, Associate Vice President of Financial Aid Services at St. Petersburg College will testify.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a committee hearing on March 18 on the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal for the Department of Labor. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez will testify.

The House was in recess last week.

SENATE

Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement on March 9 on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. They stated they have made significant progress in their negotiations and aim to consider markup of legislation during the week of April 13.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a committee hearing on March 18 on oversight of the Federal Communications Commission. Federal Communications Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Michael O’Rielly, Ajit Pai, Jessica Rosenworcel and Tom Wheeler will testify.

ADMINISTRATION

President Obama launched a TechHire Initiative that will provide $100 million in competitive grants to joint initiatives by employers, training institutions and local governments that train and hire low-skilled workers for jobs in the technology field.

President Obama announced a Student Aid Bill of Rights with a Presidential Memorandum that is aimed at providing additional protections for borrowers with Federal student loans. President Obama also directed the US Department of Education (ED) to create a new online feedback system for borrowers to file loan-related complaints. The Administration also released state-by-state data on the number of federal student borrowers and the amount of outstanding loan balances.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the nationwide expansion of the Team Up for School Nutrition Success Initiative. This will provide school nutrition personnel nationally with technical assistance and peer-to-peer mentoring.