CONGRESS

On February 27, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor.

The Senate HELP Committee voted 12 to 11 to advance Linda McMahon’s nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education to the full Senate.

Former House Education and Workforce Committee Chair and current Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), alongside House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY), wrote a letter to U.S. Acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter, requesting a list of the compliance investigations involving foreign gift reporting that were opened and closed during the Biden Administration.

The Senate passed S.Con.Res.7, the chamber’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget resolution, by a 52 to 48 vote. Media outlets have reported that the House is scheduled to consider H.Con.Res.14, the chamber’s FY 2025 budget resolution next week.

ADMINISTRATION

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies.”

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Keeping Education Accessible and Ending Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools.” Related guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) can be found here.

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”

President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Initiative.”

President Trump released a memorandum titled “Radical Transparency About Wasteful Spending.”

President Trump announced appointments to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

ED released a Dear Colleague Letter that outlines the Administration’s viewpoint on the applicability of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard to race-based policies and programming at the Pre-K-12 and college level.

ED announced the termination of grants to institutions and nonprofits that were using Federal funds to train teachers and education agency staff.

ED announced the termination of grants under the Comprehensive Centers Program.

ED announced a change in information collected on State authorizers in conjunction with the Charter Schools Program.

ED announced updated guidance on the expenditure of COVID-19 pandemic relief funding.

Media has reported that ED has decided not to fund the National Assessment of Education Progress 2024-2025 Long-Term Trend Age 17 assessment.

COURTS

A Federal district judge denied a temporary restraining order request to block the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing student data at ED.

A Federal appellate judge remanded the lawsuit challenging the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) Federal student loan repayment plan, directing the district court to block the entire SAVE plan, as well as the emergency final rule issued by ED to reinstate the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Federal student loan repayment plan.

EVENTS

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

February 26: House Committee on Education and Workforce Full Committee Hearing titled “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy.”

February 26: House Appropriations Full Committee Hearing titled “Federal Investments in Elementary Education.”

February 27: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “Nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as Deputy Secretary of Labor.”

February 27: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Executive Session on the Nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor.