Congressional Branch activities of interest
Floor Activity
The House and Senate are in Session this week.
FY27 Appropriations
On May 13, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce-Justice-Science passed its FY27 spending bill. The Subcommittee allocated $77.3 billion for the bill, including $7 billion for the National Science Foundation. Watch the markup here. Report language may be found here.
Hearings
On May 14, the House Education & Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified to recent changes at the Department of Education and the Department’s priorities for FY27. Committee member and Indiana Representative Mark Messmer (R) asked Secretary McMahon how the “mega-bloc” grant structure in the President’s Budget Request gives states and local communities more flexibility in dictating where funds go. Watch the hearing here .
On May 14, the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation held a hearing titled, “Science, Technology, and Innovation Posture at the Department of Defense.” In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chair Don Bacon (R-NE) emphasized the importance of the federal government’s “ability to coordinate and collaborate with the brilliant professionals at our nation’s academic institutions, defense industrial base, and other U.S. departments and agencies to ensure we are exploring every innovative path forward.” Read Chairman Bacon’s full statement here. Watch the hearing here.
Bills Introduced
House and Senate versions of the No Branch Campuses in Hostile Countries Act (H.R. 8558, S. 4423) were introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). The bills would require institutions of higher education to certify that the institution does not operate branch campuses as a part of its applications for research and development awards under the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. Read the House bill here. Read the Senate bill here. Read Sen. Scott’s press release here.
House and Senate versions of the Defending American Research Act (H.R. 8559) and (S. 4424) were introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL). The bills amend the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021 to bar institutions of higher education from receiving federal research and development awards for five years if they receive funding from specific foreign governments to carry out research and development tasks tied to national security or military applications including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum information science. Read the House bill here . Read the Senate bill here. Read Sen. Scott’s press release here.
College Affordability and Accessibility Act (H.R. 8618) was introduced by Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX). The bill would increase the maximum Pell grant to $14,800 per student for the upcoming academic year. The bill would require the maximum Pell grant to be adjusted by a percentage amount in subsequent years. Read the bill text here.
Nursing is a Professional Degree Act (H.R. 8659) was introduced by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA). The bill would amend the definition of a professional student in the Higher Education Act to include post-baccalaureate nursing programs. Read the press release here. Read the bill text here.
Executive Branch activities of interest
The Department of Homeland Security Finalizes Elimination of Duration of Status
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized its regulation to eliminate the Duration of Status for F, J, and I visa holders. Pending final review and clearance by the Office of Management and Budget, the DHS will replace Duration of Status with a fixed period of admission. The proposed rule will mean that visa holders would need to apply and pay for a visa extension if they need additional time to finish their academic programs and would shorten the grace period for visa holders. Moreover, the proposed rule would limit international students' ability to transfer between U.S. institutions or change their education objectives. Read the proposed rule here.
Judicial Branch activities of interest
Judge Reinstates Canceled NEH Grants
A U.S. District Court judge has ordered that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to reinstate over 1400 grants that were canceled by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In her ruling, Judge Colleen McMahon found that the canceled grants led to “the disruption of protected expression [and] the interruption of ongoing research and publication.” The U.S. government has 60 days to file an appeal. Read the ruling here.