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Category: Appropriations

Dept. of Education Budget Request Released

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The Trump administration has released its budget request for the Department of Education for Fiscal Year 2026, proposing steep funding cuts of more than 15%—a $12 billion reduction in budget authority. The administration characterizes these cuts as part of a broader effort to “responsibly wind down” the department.

While the president’s budget request serves as an important policy statement, it carries no legal authority. Final funding decisions rest with Congress, which determines allocations through the annual appropriations process. Several key Congressional committees are set to begin deliberations in the coming weeks, shaping the future of federal education spending.

Included below are some of the key higher education policy changes proposed in the budget request:

  • Pell Grant Reduction: The maximum Pell Grant award would be cut by $1,685, reducing it to $5,710 in total. The administration argues that this is necessary to address a $2.7 billion shortfall that has resulted from increasing instances of fraud as well as congressional irresponsibility.
  • Elimination of TRIO Programs: Federal funding for TRIO programs would be ended entirely. The administration argues that programs to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be better administered by individual states.
  • Cuts to Federal Work-Study: The administration requests to cut funding for work-study programs by $980 million. The administration hopes these proposed cuts will help to “enact a more appropriate split between Federal and employer wage subsidy, where employers pay 75 percent of a student’s hourly wages and reduce the federal contribution to 25 percent.”
  • Defunding GEAR UP: The GEAR UP program would also be defunded under this proposal.

Department of Labor Budget Hearing

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The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related
Agencies will meet in open session at 10:00 AM on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Room 138
of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The hearing is titled: A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for
the Department of Labor

Witness:
The Honorable Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Secretary, Department of Labor

Live video webcast of the hearing available on www.appropriations.senate.gov.

HHS Budget Hearing

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The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will meet in open session at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Room 124 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled: A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be the witness. Live video webcast of the hearing can be found here:  www.appropriations.senate.gov.

 

 

 

Continuing Resolution Unveiled

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On Saturday, House Republicans unveiled a stopgap measure to fund the government through September, setting up a vote on the resolution that would avert an impending government shutdown. The 99-page continuing resolution (CR) is expected to be considered by the House Rules Committee on Monday, with a floor vote expected Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether Republicans have the votes for passage.

The proposed CR would maintain current discretionary spending levels through the end of the fiscal year, though it does include some anomalies. In total, these anomalies increase defense spending by $6 billion, including funds for shipbuilding and military pay raises, and decrease nondefense spending by $13 billion. Also included are a number of extensions for healthcare programs, including: Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program, funding for the National Health Service corps and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program, and the delaying of scheduled cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals.

Notably, the CR does not raise the debt limit, which Congress must adjust in the coming months. It also does not include any earmarks for individual legislators.

While President Trump came out in support of the bill shortly after its unveiling on Saturday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) still faces an uphill battle as he works towards whipping enough votes for passage. House Democrats have quickly come out in opposition to the CR, voicing their frustrations over having been left out of the negotiations. Many Democrats have also cited concerns over the lack of guardrails on President Trump and his adviser Elon Musk’s attempts to unilaterally slash government spending.

If all members are present and voting, Johnson can afford just one Republican defection. If House Republicans are able to unify and pass the CR, it will face an even more difficult challenge in the Senate, where it will need 60 votes to cut off debate on the bill to get to a vote. With a 53-47 majority, and one member already voicing their opposition (Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky), Republicans will need Democratic votes for passage. So far, not a single Democratic member in either chamber has said they will vote yes.

As a reminder, Congress must pass and the President must sign a CR by midnight on the 14th to prevent a partial government shutdown.

Link to CR text

 

 

House Passes Budget Resolution

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On Tuesday, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a Republican budget resolution that would advance much of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda in one “big, beautiful bill.” After weeks of infighting and doubt surrounding the passage of the resolution, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other House GOP leaders were able to successfully advance the resolution in a 217 to 215 party-line vote. Only one Republican, Rep. Massie (R-KY) defected, citing concerns over measures that would increase the deficit.

House and Senate GOP leaders had been at odds over the strategy behind this legislative package, with Senate leaders preferring a two-pronged approach in which defense, immigration, and energy would be tackled in one bill and taxes in another bill later in the year. House leaders, on the other hand, with the backing of President Trump, stood firmly behind their one-bill approach.

The Senate passed their own version of the resolution last week, so now leaders from both chambers will need to coalesce around a single plan. The largest roadblocks will likely be the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts called for by the House plan, which would be paid for in part by the proposed cuts to programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. Moderates in both chambers have voiced concerns over these provisions, while hardline conservatives have demanded more severe spending cuts to offset the tax plan.

While significant challenges lie ahead for President Trump’s agenda, the passage of the House resolution is a major hurdle that has now been cleared. If House and Senate Republicans can build support behind a single bill, they will unlock the ability to pass it through the reconciliation process which, crucially, is not subject to filibuster in the Senate.

All of this is occurring while top appropriators in both chambers scramble to stave off the government shutdown slated to take effect later this month if a spending agreement is not reached. The continuing resolution reached late last year is set to expire after March 14th, and negotiations appear to have stalled as Democrats seek assurances from congressional Republicans that President Trump will spend any money that is appropriated.