CONGRESS

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that there may be a fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget resolution markup in the U.S. House Committee on the Budget next week.

The U.S. Senate Budget Committee released text of a FY 2025 budget resolution. The Committee will hold a markup on the resolution on February 12 and 13 of February.

The Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of advancing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by a 14 to 13 vote.

The Senate confirmed Russ Vought as Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by a 53 to 47 vote.

A group of 30 House Democrats sent a letter to acting HHS officials, expressing their concern that Head Start providers in their districts are still facing payment troubles due to the previous funding freeze memo released by OMB.

House Committee on Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting the agency examine how Division I and Division II schools’ spending on athletics impacts postsecondary tuition and fees.

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education; and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee alongside Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education wrote a letter expressing their concern about President Trump’s aims to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott wrote the GAO, seeking a review and assessment of security and information technology systems at ED and the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published new supplemental projections for the Pell Grant program, predicting a $2.7 billion shortfall for the Pell program in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved S.278, the Kids Off Social Media Act.

ADMINISTRATION

President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias.”

President Trump released a memorandum directing the heads of executive departments and agencies to review all funding that agencies provide to Nongovernmental Organizations.

The Trump Administration placed some ED officials who had previously attended diversity training on leave.

President Trump dismissed Rohit Chopra, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

In its first set of antisemitism probes, ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it was initiating investigations into Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

ED’s OCR announced it was initiating investigations for apparent Title IX violations at San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. OCR is also reviewing athletic participation policies at other schools.

ED announced several new appointees, including James Bergeron as Deputy Under Secretary.

COURTS

The University of California Student Association filed a lawsuit against ED, arguing that the agency violated its own regulations and Federal privacy laws by allowing the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency to access federal student financial aid information.

Several groups filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Maryland in Baltimore to block President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders (EOs) aimed at dismantling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the agency level.

POLITICO reported that the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to pause its review of the case concerning the Biden Administration’s borrower defense rule, following a request from the Trump Administration to reassess the rule on its own.

Senior District Judge George O’Toole temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from implementing its plan to offer buyouts to the Federal workforce with a hearing scheduled on the issue for Monday.

EVENTS

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

February 12: House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on “Career Ready Students: Innovations from Community Colleges and the Private Sector.”

February 12: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “Nomination of Lori M. Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor.”

February 12: Senate Budget Full Committee Markup of “Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution – Day 1.”

February 13: Senate Budget Full Committee Markup of “Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution – Day 2.”

February 13: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “Nomination of Linda McMahon to serve as Secretary of Education.”