This week, Congress continued work on the budget reconciliation package following the Senate Parliamentarian’s rulings on several relevant provisions. Meanwhile, several Trump Administration nominees for the Department of Education (ED) and Department of Labor (DOL) were advanced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Keep reading for details! 

• Senate HELP Committee Advances Education and Labor Nominees: The Senate HELP Committee voted this week to advance eight Trump Administration nominees at ED and DOL and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  This includes Penny Schwinn, who has been nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary of Education. 

• Parliamentarian Rules on Key Education Provisions: This week, the Senate Parliamentarian made several rulings on education provisions lawmakers are hoping to include in the final reconciliation package, including provisions for the expansion of Pell Grant access for short-term job training programs. This is a very fluid situation as the bill moves forward.  

• Supreme Court Upholds Universal Funding Mechanism in Federal Communication Commission (FCC) v. Consumers’ Research: In a decision on the FCC v Consumers’ Research case, the Supreme Court voted to uphold the constitutionality of the Universal Service Funding Mechanism. This ensures the continued operation of the E-Rate program, which provides support for broadband access and Wi-Fi connectivity in schools.  

• Senate Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing on President’s Rescission Request: The Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing on the President’s Rescission Request, which would rescind $9.4 billion in enacted funding in FY 2025. While most of the funding in the current recission package is related to foreign aid and public broadcasting, this has the potential to set a precedent for the recission of other funding.