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News and updates

What We’re Reading this Week (September 7th-11th, 2020)

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Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

DOJ Seeks to Defend President: Lawyers for the Department of Justice have stepped in to try and take over President Trump’s defense in a defamation lawsuit related to sexual assault allegations. Full story at New York Times.

Middle East Diplomacy Wins: President Trump announced Bahrain will establish normal relations with Israel, following a similar move by the United Arab Emirates. Both countries are US allies, and were not at war with Israel, however disputes over Palestinian territory have previously marred their relations. The move signals stronger cooperation between US allies in the region. Full story at Washington Post.

FBI Announces Arrest in North Korea Sanctions Violation: The Department of Justice announced Ri Jong Chol, who was previously arrested on suspicion of killing Kim Jong Un’s half brother, has been arrested for violating sanctions against North Korea and purchasing commodities on behalf of the DPRK. More here.

GOP Skinny Bill Fails: A “skinny” COVID-19 Relief Bill introduced in the Senate by GOP leaders failed to advance. Democrats criticized the bill for being too lean to be effective. Full story.

Russian Interference: Microsoft announced in a blog post that Russia-backed entities continue hacking in order to interfere in the 2020 US elections. Read more.

9/11 Anniversary: The US acknowledged the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Both President Trump and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden paid their respects at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. Read the full story.

Senate Hearing on FAFSA Simplification

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The US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a hearing on simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Witnesses are from the National College Attainment Network, University of North Carolina, HCM Strategies, Harvard University, and Columbia University.

  • Title: Time to Finish Fixing the FAFSA
  • Date and Time: Thursday, September 17th, 2020 at 7:00 am PT/10:00 am ET
  • Link to watch live is here.

Dept. of Education Publishes Final Rule on Religious Liberty

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In a press statement, the US Department of Education announced the publication of the final rule Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities. The rule will be effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

The final rule intends to “ensure that public institutions of higher education uphold fundamental rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that private institutions of higher education adhere to their own policies regarding freedom of speech, including academic freedom”.

Among other things, the press statement outlines major aspects of the rule, including :

  • Requires that public institutions must comply with the 1st Amendment as a requirement to receive Department grants.
  • Clarifies how private institutions may demonstrate they are controlled by a religious organization for the purposes of Title IX.
  • Ensures equal treatment of religious student organizations at public colleges and universities.
  • Revises regulations governing some discretionary grant programs under Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act of 1964, as amended. The rule more narrowly tailors the prohibition on the use of these grants to religious instruction, religious worship, or proselytization.

The full press statement and link to fact sheet is available here.

 

Senate Republicans Release Targeted COVID-19 Package

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Today, US Senate Republican leaders released a smaller, targeted COVID-19 package. Titled “Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act”, the legislation focuses on specific priorities including childcare, COVID-19 testing, unemployment insurance, and the USPS. It would cost approximately $500 billion and a vote is expected as soon as this week. A larger relief package remains in limbo as Democratic and Republican leaders failed to reach an agreement on a topline number.

What We’re Reading this Week (August 31st-September 4th, 2020)

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Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.

CDC Guidance to States: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has requested states begin developing plans to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late October. More here.

Facebook Counters Voting Misinformation: Facebook said in a press statement it will remove statements from the President urging North Carolina voters to cast their ballot twice, saying it violates their policies on encouraging voter fraud. Statements made with full context, or to correct misinformation, will remain intact. Full story at Politico.

Unemployment Rate Drops: According to the Department of Labor, the US unemployment rate dropped to 8.4% in August, marking another month of decline. However, unemployment remains significantly higher than before the pandemic. More here.

OMB Examines Federal Race Training: A memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget is requesting federal agencies review race-related training given to employees, calling out “anti-American” and “divisive” content. More at Washington Post.

CR in the Works: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin have reportedly reached an informal deal to pass a continuing resolution, which would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month. Details, including length, are unknown. As for a 4th COVID supplemental, the two will reportedly not resume negotiations until a topline number is agreed upon. More at Roll Call.