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

HOUSE and SENATE

The House and Senate will be in recess until after the September 4^th Labor Day Holiday.

The House Rules Committee posted a running list of potential amendments to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2018 (H.R. 3354), which is the legislative vehicle for the remaining appropriations bills not yet passed by the House.

Ranking Members on the House and Senate Education and Judiciary committees sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and ED Secretary Betsy DeVos requesting information on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent memo expressing interest in investigating race-based admissions policies at colleges and universities.

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that they will hold the first two of a series of hearings related to stabilizing health insurance premiums in the individual markets on September 6 and 7. The first two hearings will cover testimony from State insurance commissioners and Governors.

ADMINISTRATION  

ED published a notice announcing that they will hold a public hearing in Utah on September 26 and in Washington, D.C. on October 4 to solicit input on regulations related to postsecondary education to repeal, replace or modify for ED’s Regulatory Reform Task Force.

In a case involving ten States challenging the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen granted Texas’ request to delay any further proceedings until after September 5, 2017. Those ten States have threatened to sue the Trump Administration if the Administration does not rescind DACA by September 5, 2017.

Federal Judge A. Wallace Tashima ruled that an Arizona law banning ethnic studies violated students’ constitutional rights.

The White House is planning to hold its annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities conference next month, despite calls to postpone it.

Lambda Legal filed a complaint claiming that ED and DOJ violated the Freedom of Information Act by withholding requested information and documents about the agencies’ decision to rescind guidance related to Title IX protections for transgender students.