Last Week in Congress (3/23–3/27/26)
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.
Last week, the administration announced that it would be moving remaining U.S. Department of Education staff out the Department’s Washington, DC headquarters. Named for President Lyndon B. Johnson, championed the ESEA, the Civil Rights Act, and the HEA as part of his Great Society agenda, focused on reducing poverty and expanding opportunity, the building has served as Department headquarters for 40 years. This is the latest in the administration’s efforts to dissolve the Department of Education without Congressional approval. Representative Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued a statement of objection, noting that “Leaving the Lydon B. Johnson headquarters does not cut bureaucracy – it rearranges it. This decision to close the Department’s physical building is not just a symbolic move – it reflects a broader effort to reduce the federal government’s role in ensuring people have equal access to a quality education.”
· H.R. 8039 (Bice, R-OK), the Workforce and Education Partnership Act of 2026, to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to address workforce gaps (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8045 (Courtney, D-CT), to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate interest on student loans, establish the Education Affordability Trust Fund, and increase annual and aggregate loan limits (Education and Workforce; Budget).
· H.R. 8051 (Kennedy, R-UT), to ensure that qualified technical schools offering certain career pathway and job training programs have the same access to Federal grants as 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8073 (DeSaulnier, D-CA), the Protection and Advocacy for Student Success Act, to authorize grants and establish a national education protection and advocacy program to enforce the rights and protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8102 (Foxx, R-NC), to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to enhance the performance accountability system and dedicate funding to skills development (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8107 (Khanna, D-CA), to require the establishment of a list identifying program areas and administrative practices presenting the greatest risk to the integrity of Federal funds administered by States and local governments (Oversight and Government Reform).
· H.R. 8110 (Lee, D-NV), the Cyber Ready Workforce Act, to establish a grant program within the Department of Labor to support the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity (Education and Workforce).
· H.R. 8117 (Moore, R-UT), to ensure fair treatment of certain charitable organizations and recipients of Federal financial assistance (Ways and Means; Oversight and Government Reform).
· S. 4165 (Cotton, R-AR), to require all institutions of higher education receiving Federal assistance to regularly submit information to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System regarding students, faculty, and administrators who are not United States citizens, or lawful permanent residents (Judiciary).
· S. 4167 (Warnock, D-GA), to establish the Federal Clearinghouse on Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4177 (Tuberville, R-AL), to establish rules regarding eligibility of student athletes for intercollegiate athletics (Commerce, Science, and Transportation).
· S. 4183 (Heinrich, D-NM), to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an annual increase in stipend for books, supplies, equipment, and other educational costs under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans’ Affairs).
· S. 4190 (Kim, D-NJ), to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the knowledge and skills of principals and school leaders regarding early childhood education (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4231 (Scott, R-FL), to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase flexibility in the transferability of Post-9/11 Educational Assistance (Veterans’ Affairs).
· S. 4232 (Cassidy, R-LA), to reauthorize the national service laws (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4237 (Blumenthal, D-CT), to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the eligibility requirements for transfer of unused entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance (Veterans’ Affairs).
· S. 4253 (Cortez Masto, D-NV), to require the Secretary of Defense to update guidance for the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program to evaluate the effects of the JROTC instructor pay scale on recruitment and retention (Armed Services).
· S. 4258 (Heinrich, D-NM), to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to revitalize schoolyards (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4260 (Cornyn, R-TX), to prohibit sexual exploitation and sexually explicit depictions of minors (Judiciary).
· S. 4261 (Murray, D-WA), to award grants to eligible entities to support the prevention of youth homelessness (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4263 (Rosen, D-NV), to establish a grant program within the Department of Labor to support the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions).
· S. 4269 (Blumenthal, D-CT), to repeal certain loan provisions (Finance).
· On March 25, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a markup on a number of bills, including H.R. 5334, the “Supporting Early-childhood Educators' Deductions Act of 2025”
· On March 25, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, held hearings to examine protecting American citizenship, focusing on federalism, sanctuary cities, and the rule of law.
· On March 26, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing to examine positioning student-athletes for success in school and beyond.
· On March 26, the House Committee on Education and Workforce held a hearing entitled “U.S. Universities Under Siege: Foreign Espionage, Stolen Innovation, and National Security Threat.”
· On March 26, the House Committee on the Judiciary held a markup on a number of bills, including H.R. 6453, the ADA 30 Days to Comply Act, to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to provide for a remediation period before the commencement of a civil action.
· On March 26, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a markup on a number of bills, including H.R. 6428, to require the Secretary of State to submit a report on participation in educational and cultural exchange programs.