HOUSE and SENATE

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced that he will be retiring at the end of this Congress, ending his term as Speaker after approximately 3 years.

It is being reported that the Administration, along with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), is considering use of procedures under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to cut anywhere from $30 billion to $60 billion from the recently passed fiscal year (FY) 2018 appropriations bill. Reports indicate the Administration may release the proposal around May 1. Senior Republican appropriators in both the House and Senate, including Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), have publicly indicated a lack of support for a rescission package and cautioned against moving forward in such a manner.

The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations will accept written testimony from outside witnesses on FY2019 appropriations. The deadline to submit written testimony is Thursday, April 26, the same day as the public witness hearing.

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations will accept written testimony from outside witnesses on FY2019 appropriations. The deadline to submit written testimony is Friday, June 1.

ADMINISTRATION

The Senate confirmed Patrick Pizzella as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor with a 50 to 48 vote.

The Administration nominated John P. Pallasch, of Kentucky, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training.

This week the National Assessment Governing Board announced the release of the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading test scores.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has started an investigation into whether some colleges’ early-decision admissions programs violate Federal antitrust laws by sharing information about college applicants as part of their early decision programs.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with a summary of the following events next week:

• April 17: House Education and the Workforce Committee: “Fraud, Mismanagement, Non-Compliance, and Safety: The History of Failures of the Corporation for National and Community Service”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information