This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional and Executive activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The House and Senate were in Session this week. The House continued its consideration of FY26 appropriations bills and passed the VETS Opportunity Act of 2025. The bill expands options available to VA education recipients to complete a term if they take a leave of absence or withdraw for covered service.
On January 30, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 595, congratulating the Indiana University Hoosiers football team for winning the 2026 CFP National Championship and for completing an undefeated season. Introduced by Indiana Sen. Todd Young (R), the resolution commends IU football Coach Curt Cignetti for his remarkable program turnaround and congratulates players Fernando Mendoza and Mikail Kamara for their Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Player titles, respectively. Mendoza is also recognized for his Heisman Trophy and Carter Smith is recognized as an All-American.
FY 2026 Appropriations
On January 30, the Senate passed a five-bill FY26 minibus, consisting of the Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Labor-HHS-Education, National Security-State, and Transportation-HUD bills, as well as a two-week extension of the FY25 Homeland Security bill.
On February 3, the House passed the bill, and it was signed by President Trump. See the bill here.
Hearings
On February 3, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing titled, “Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures,” with National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. During the hearing, Indiana Senator Jim Banks (R) shared that Indiana is home to three major research institutions, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame, as well as the largest medical school in the country at IU. The senator pointed out that despite all of these institutions making major contributions to health and medical research, the state of Indiana only receives around $350M in NIH funding annually, while similarly sized states like Massachusetts receive $3B. Sen. Banks asked Dr. Bhattacharya how universities in the middle of the country can compete equally for NIH funding. Dr. Bhattacharya responded that one of his goals is to work with Congress to ensure more geographic equity in the distribution of NIH funds. Watch the hearing here.
On February 4, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled, “Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families and Tax Cuts.” In the hearing, members of the committee and the witnesses discussed how rising costs can create barriers to higher education for students, especially those in working-class families. In his opening statement, Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) discussed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which included reforms that attempt to lower the cost of college, and several of the witnesses discussed how their universities are working to reduce tuition and fees. Watch the hearing here.
Bills Introduced
Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act (S. 3757) was introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). This bill would require medical schools outside of the United States and Canada to meet the same minimum requirements to receive Title IV student aid dollars. Currently, some foreign medical schools are exempt from the requirements that other foreign schools are held to, including that at least 60% enrollment must be non-U.S. citizens and that students must have at least a 75% pass rate on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
National Commission on Robotics Act (H.R. 7334) was introduced by Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA). The bill would establish a commission of experts in robotics to evaluate how to best develop U.S. robotics competitiveness, including analyzing workforce challenges and foreign competition. According to Rep. Obernolte, this bill will bring together leaders in the robotics industry, academia, and the government to develop policies that improve American leadership in the robotics sector. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
Quantum Workforce and Development Act (H.R. 7292) was introduced by Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY). The bill would require the Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to submit biennial reports on the implementation of the national quantum workforce strategic plan. The goal of the bill is to strengthen congressional oversight to improve U.S. quantum capabilities and workforce. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
Other Congressional Activities
On February 2, House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) sent a letter to University of Utah President Taylor Randall to examine the university’s recent private equity agreement and its broader implications for college athletics. The letter was in response to the December 9, 2025, announcement that the University of Utah Board of Trustees had unanimously approved a partnership with the private equity firm Otro Capital. In the letter, Reps. Walberg and Owens conclude: “While recognizing the escalating costs in collegiate athletics, including revenue share obligations under the House v. NCAA settlement, NIL-related expenses, and coaching salaries, the Committee seeks to better understand the University’s rationale for entering into this arrangement.”
Executive Branch activities of interest
Department of Education Releases Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Graduate Loan Limits
On January 30, the Department of Education published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that includes the consensus language reached by the “Reimagining and Improving Student Education” (RISE) negotiated rulemaking committee. The NPRM outlines proposed definitions of graduate and professional programs for determining loan limits among other student aid issues. Comments on the proposed rule are due Monday, March 2nd. See the proposed rule here.
Department of Defense Announces Plans to Merge Advisory Boards
The Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it plans to merge the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) and the Defense Science Board (DSB) to form the Science and Technology Innovation Board (STIB). DOD said that the merger will reduce bureaucracy and “create one voice for innovation that replaces competing recommendations with fast, coherent guidance.” The STIB will maintain two permanent subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Strategic Operations and the Subcommittee on National Security Innovation.