Penn Hill Group’s Washington Wrap Up – June 1, 2015

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

HOUSE

The House was in recess last week.

SENATE

The Senate was in recess last week.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a committee hearing on June 3 on college affordability, as part of its series of hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. Witnesses include: Judith Scott Clayton, Assistant Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; Elizabeth Akers, Fellow, Brown Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institution; Michael Mitchell, Policy Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; F. King Alexander, President and Chancellor, Louisiana State University; and James Kennedy, Associate VP for University Student Services and Systems, Indiana University.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released reviews of four loan servicers, Navient, Great Lakes, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and Nelnet. ED found that in the vast majority of cases related to loan interest rates for active-duty servicemembers, the servicers complied with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) circulated proposals to expand the FCC’s Lifeline program, including providing internet service to low-income individuals. Presently the program pays for low-income individuals’ phone service.