A quick look back at the news from last week. Compiled by Penn Hill Group.

BUDGET

The House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) (H.R. 2028) that will continue funding for the Federal government through April 28, 2017. The legislation also contains funding for Flint’s contaminated drinking water relief and the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016.

HOUSE

Ranking Members Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce respectively, released a statement opposing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s decision to delay the consideration of the House v. Burwell case, which focuses on the funding of the Affordable Care Act.

Ranking Member Scott and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) issued statements congratulating Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on her selection to serve as the Chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee in the 115^th Congress.

Ranking Member Scott was selected by the Democratic Caucus to continue serving as the Ranking Member for another term.

Ranking Member Scott issued a statement, after the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights released its annual report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, commending the staff on their work.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) was selected by the Republican conference to continue serving as chairman for another term.

SENATE

Chairman Alexander as well as the House Education and the Workforce current Chairman Kline and incoming Chairwoman Foxx issued statements congratulating Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, on his nomination to become the next U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary.

Ranking Member Murray and House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Scott issued statements voicing their concerns over President-elect Trump’s nomination of Andrew Puzder to become the DOL Secretary.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released the 2016 United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly known as the Plum Book, which lists over 9,000, presidentially appointed, civil service positions within the Federal Government.

ADMINISTRATION

The White House released a Fact Sheet announcing new actions by the Administration and 250 different organizations in support of the Computer Science for All initiative.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published, in the Federal Register, that the compliance date for the background checks procedures described in the Head Start Program Performance Standards will be delayed until August 1, 2017.

ED published, in the Federal Register, the final Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ED also released a Fact Sheet on the regulations.

ED published, in the Federal Register, the final regulations on implementing academic assessment requirements under Title I, Part A, which goes into effect on January 9.

The White House released a Fact Sheet announcing new Federal resources to help States and school districts improve testing.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced that they will hear the Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case, which focuses on the “free appropriate public education” requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), on January 11.

ED approved the sale of Apollo Education Group with a number of conditions, including a request that investors provide a letter of credit totaling $385 million, roughly 25 percent of the Federal loans and grants the schools received in the past year.

ED’s Office for Civil Rights released their FY2016 annual report, which shows that there were 16,720 complaints, a record-high number.

The White House released a report with updates about projects launched and local progress made in response to the Administration’s Rethink Discipline efforts, which is part of President Obama’s My Brothers’ Keeper initiative.