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

HOUSE and SENATE

The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate held pro forma sessions this week and did not conduct legislative business. Both chambers will reconvene for legislative business on Monday, November 30.

Press reports indicate that Senate and House appropriators have reached a deal on funding levels for each appropriations subcommittee, an essential step necessary to begin to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations process.

ADMINISTRATION

The General Services Administration triggered the formal Administration transition process, enabling President-elect Joe Biden’s Agency Review teams to begin to work with existing Trump Administration political appointees and career employees on transition activities.

An analysis conducted for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) projected that $935 billion in principal and interest would be paid on the $1.37 trillion in Federal student loans held by the agency at the beginning of this year.

ED removed a recently announced online tool designed to improve the process of filing a borrower defense to repayment claim. Press reports indicated that the Office of Management and Budget had not formally approved the tool when ED posted it.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a proposed rule that would seek to reinstitute provisions impacting milk, whole grains and sodium requirements in school meals that were included in an interim final rule that was invalidated by the courts earlier this year.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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