CONGRESS

The U.S. Senate passed S.5, the Laken Riley Act, by a 64 to 35 margin. The U.S. House of Representatives subsequently passed this version of the bill by a 263 to 156 margin, sending it to President Donald Trump’s desk to become law.

The Government Accountability Office released a report titled “Head Start: Action Needed to Reduce Potential Risks to Children and Federal Funds in Programs under Interim Management.”

ADMINISTRATION

President Trump was officially sworn into office as the 47^th President of the United States.

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The related fact sheet can be found here.

The Office of Personnel Management released guidance requiring agencies to put employees of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) offices on administrative leave effective immediately and close those offices by Jan. 31.

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Establishing and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.”

President Trump officially nominated Linda McMahon as U.S. Secretary of Education.

President Trump nominated Keith Sonderling as Deputy Secretary of Labor.

President Trump nominated Penny Schwinn as Deputy Secretary of Education.

President Trump named Denise Carter, who was Acting Head of Federal Student Aid (FSA) under the Biden Administration, as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Vincent Micone as the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Trump Administration announced some initial staff that will serve in senior roles at ED.

The Office of Federal Student Aid reopened the reporting period for institutions to submit data for Gainful Employment and Financial Value Transparency reporting requirements until Feb. 18, citing that some schools were unable to meet the initial deadline of Jan. 15.

Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued a directive overturning Biden Administration guidance that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from conducting enforcement activities in schools.

ED announced the elimination of several DEI initiatives at the agency.

President Trump established the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

COURTS

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously upheld a district court decision declaring the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unlawful but restricted the ruling’s effect to Texas only.

A Federal District Court judge blocked President Trump’s executive order outlawing birthright citizenship.

EVENTS

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

January 29: Senate Finance Full Committee Hearing titled “Hearing to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of California, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.”

January 30: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “Nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services.”