CONGRESS

The House Ways and Means Committee passed its reconciliation bill on a party-line 26 to 19 vote, advancing it to the House Budget Committee.

The House Agriculture Committee passed its reconciliation bill on a party-line 29 to 25 vote, advancing it to the House Budget Committee.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed its reconciliation bill on a party-line 30 to 24 vote, advancing it to the House Budget Committee.

The House Budget Committee voted 21 to 16 against advancing the budget reconciliation bill and recessed the markup. The Committee plans to reconvene this Sunday to reconsider the vote.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) published data on foreign gifts and donations to institutions of higher education.

ED issued a Dear Colleague Letter officially notifying the plaintiffs that are party to the New York litigation that the Department is changing the deadline to liquidate obligations under the COVID-related Education Stabilization Fund program to May 24, 2025.

Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent wrote a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) urging Congress to increase or suspend the debt limit by mid-July otherwise the Federal government will risk exhausting all its funds by August recess.

COURTS

A Federal district court judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s Executive Order that enabled the Administration to initiate mass reductions in force across agencies as well as to eliminate certain agencies. The court order specifically mentions the U.S. Departments of Energy, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and Government Efficiency; the Office of Management and Budget; the Office of Personnel Management; the National Labor Relations Board, National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration and AmeriCorps.

A Federal district court judge blocked President Trump’s Executive Order calling to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

A Federal district court judge blocked the U.S. Department of Energy’s new policy setting a 15 percent cap for indirect research costs for grant recipients at institutions of higher education.

EVENTS

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

May 20: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing titled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services.”

May 21: House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing titled “Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Education.”

May 21: House Education and Workforce Subcommittee Hearing titled “Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI.”

May 21: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Full Committee Hearing titled “The State of Higher Education.”

May 22: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing titled “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Labor.”

May 22:  Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Executive Session to consider U.S Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Nominees.