CONGRESS

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) announced the membership for Senate Appropriations subcommittees in the 119^th Congress. The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee retains the same leadership from last Congress, with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) serving as Chair and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) serving as Ranking Member.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Fraud Risk Management.”

GAO published a report titled “K-12 Education: Education’s Priorities in Discretionary Grantmaking.”

GAO published a report titled “Higher Education: College Student Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care.”

ADMINISTRATION

On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo to Federal agencies ordering a freeze on activities related to certain Federal programs. This memo has since been stayed by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan and rescinded by OMB.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism.”

President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.”

President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families.”

President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.”

The Institute of Education Sciences published results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments for grades 4 and 8. The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) related statement can be found here.

ED announced that it has dismissed 11 complaints related to book bans; dismissed 6 additional pending allegations of book banning; rescinded all related Department guidance; and will no longer employ a “book ban coordinator.”

ED announced its recognition and celebration of National School Choice Week.

ED launched an investigation into Denver Public Schools regarding its conversion of a restroom to an all-gender restroom.

COURTS

The Supreme Court announced it will take on a court case related to an Oklahoma religious charter school.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans on providing clients a summary of the following events next week:

February 5: House Education and Workforce Full Committee Hearing titled “The State of American Education.”

February 5: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Full Committee Hearing titled “Rightsizing Government.”

February 5: Full Committee Full Committee Hearing on “Preparing the Pipeline: Examining the State of America’s Cyber Workforce”