CONGRESS

The House Appropriations Full Committee passed its fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill by a 35 to 28 vote. The Committee summary can be found here. The bill text can be found here. The Committee report can be found here.

The House Appropriations Committee passed its FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill by a 34 to 28 vote. The bill text can be found here. The Committee report can be found here.

A group of Senate Democrats wrote a letter to the Trump Administration expressing their concern regarding the Administration’s decision to reject 460,000 borrowers’ applications for more affordable monthly student loan payments under income-driven repayment and urging a reversal of this decision.

Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) issued a statement expressing concern with the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) efforts to transfer responsibility over career and technical education programs and adult education programs to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report titled “Department of Education: Gaps in Federal Student Aid Contract Oversight and System Testing Need Immediate Attention.”

ADMINISTRATION

ED announced it will end discretionary funding for several Minority-Serving Institution grant programs.

DOL and ED announced the launch of a new integrated State plan portal for the administration of Federal workforce development programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

ED released scores from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 8th grade science and 12th grade reading and mathematics.

COURTS

Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily allowed the Trump Administration to freeze approximately $4 billion in foreign aid while the Supreme Court considers an emergency appeal from the U.S. Department of Justice challenging a lower court’s order requiring the funds to be spent by September 30.

EVENTS

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

September 16: House Education and Workforce Subcommittee Hearing titled “No More Surprises: Reforming College Pricing for Students and Families.”

September 17: House Oversight Subcommittee Hearing titled “Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees.”

September 18: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “The State of K-12 Education.”