Last Week in Congress (9/29–10/3/25)
An update will be shared every week that Congress is in session. This will include a short summary of the past week in Congress, as well as a listing of all education-related bills introduced in the House and Senate, relevant Committee and Floor activity, and education-related hearings.
As we watched Congress argue, posture, and deftly maneuver the country into a government shutdown, with some immediate violation of the Hatch Act for added spice, I was reminded of the iconic scene in The Princess Bride between Vizzini and the Man in Black as they attempt to outwit each other with a cup of poison, one confident in his wit, the other confident in his ability to survive being poisoned.
The Senate took a total of six votes – each of which failed to pass – on two different Continuing Resolutions. The first, H.R. 5371, was introduced by Republicans and passed by the House. It would continue current spending levels until November 21 (or on any earlier date by which a full appropriations package is enacted). The second, S. 2882, was introduced by Democrats. It would continue current spending levels until October 31 or enactment of an appropriations act, and also permanently extend an expanded premium tax credit for purchasing health insurance and additional funding for Medicaid.
With the shutdown in its sixth day, and negotiations at an apparent stand-still, the only Hill action to report today is that Representative Hakeem Jeffries has challenged Speaker Mike Johnson to a debate. It remains to be seen which party thinks it’s developed enough of a tolerance to poison to keep chancing the cup.
· H.R. 5634 (Kean, R-NJ), to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a limitation on the amount of entitlement to educational assistance payable for flight training under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans’ Affairs).
· H.R. 5655 (Omar, D-MN), to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require mandatory certification for certain students and reduce stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 5658 (Sherrill, D-NJ), to establish universal child care and early learning programs (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 5668 (Van Drew, R-NJ), to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies to make physical improvements at the elementary schools and secondary schools served by such agencies (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 5675 (Carbajal, D-CA), to increase the total maximum Federal Pell Grant (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 5691 (Van Drew, R-NJ), to prohibit the provision of Federal funds to a local educational agency that imposes or enforces a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on students at the schools served by such agency (Education and Workforce).
· S. 2932 (Cantwell, D-WA), to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes (Commerce, Science, and Transportation).
· S. 2936 (Scott, R-FL), to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence (Judiciary).
· S. 2939 (Warren, D-MA), to establish universal child care and early learning programs (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 2944 (Smith, D-MN), to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require mandatory certification for certain students and reduce stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees (Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry).
· S. 2954 (Sanders, I-VT), to establish grant programs for health professional schools (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· The Senate continued consideration of S. 2296, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and related amendments
· The Senate failed to pass continuing appropriations measure S. 2882 on 9/30 by a vote of 47 yeas to 53 nays; on 10/1 by 47 yeas to 53 nays; on 10/3 by 46 yeas to 52 nays.
· The Senate failed to pass continuing appropriations bill H.R 5371 on 9/30 by a vote of 55 yeas to 45 nays; on 10/1 by 55 yeas to 45 nays; on 10/3 by 54 yeas to 44 nays.