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

CONGRESS

The Congressional Budget Office released an estimate of the cost of President Joe Biden’s Income-Driven Repayment Program.

Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, announced the Jobs to Compete Act.

The Government Accountability Office ruled that the Congressional Review Act (CRA) applies to the Administrations actions to pause federal student loan payments and cancel certain loan debts, permitting Congress to consider a CRA resolution of disapproval on the action.

ADMINISTRATION

U.S. President Joe Biden formally sent the nomination of Julie Su to be U.S. Secretary of Labor to the U.S. Senate.

President Biden issued an executive order on “Reducing Gun Violence and Making Our Communities Safer.”

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it will begin using “secret shoppers” as a new tool for conducting oversight on postsecondary institutions’ compliance with Higher Education Act requirements and relevant regulations.

ED posted a blog post about the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education’s launch of the “Career Z Challenge.” Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education Amy Loyd also issued a Dear Colleague Letter on the challenges currently impacting career and technical education programs.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sent a letter to school superintendents encouraging school districts to utilize the State Department’s Exchange Visitor Secondary School Student Program to host international students.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released new guidance on “Unlawful Collection of Payments on Discharged Student Loans.”

President Biden announced his intent to appoint several members to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board.

EVENTS

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

March 22: Senate Committee on Finance Full Committee Hearing on “The President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Health and Human Services Budget”

March 22: Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on “A Review of the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request and Budget Justification for the Department of Health and Human Services”

March 23: House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee Hearing on “Breaking the System: Examining the Implications of Biden’s Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers.”

March 23: House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on “Free Speech: The Biden Administration’s Chilling of Parents’ Fundamental Rights.”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

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