This Week in Washington D.C. | May 15-19, 2023

Viewers, below are some key happenings in Washington D.C. from the week of May 15-19th that should remind us to take action!

Legislative

State AG’s Committing Support for Women’s Bill of Rights Nationwide
Sixteen state attorneys general have committed their support for the Women’s Bill of Rights legislation – a common-sense declaration on the biology of sex. It aims to strictly define what being a female is under state law. 

GOP Legislators Urge Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and many other House Republicans on the Education and Workforce Committee sent a letter to ED on Monday, urging for the withdrawal of its proposed Title IX sports rule and pushed for support on H.R. 734, the House-passed Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. 

ED Secretary Cardona Testified Before Congress
On Tuesday, Secretary Cardona testified before the House Education Committee, where he received many pressing questions on the Department’s actions from GOP members of the committee. Question topics included Biden administration’s student loan debt relief plan, proposed Title IX sports rule and other proposals. Secretary Cardona mainly stuck to his prepared talking points throughout the questioning and consistently avoided answering many questions. 

Regulatory

ED Issues Response on Foreign Gift Reporting Information Collection Request
The Department of Education has issued a response to the comments received on the December 2022 information collection request on Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which mandates that higher education institutions report any foreign gifts or contracts worth over $250,000. The department said that it would be making only limited changes to the final reporting requirements and that it would not be conducting a formal rulemaking process.

ED Released Updated Guidance on Prayer and Religious Expression in Public Schools

• The guidance reaffirms that students and school officials can participate in private prayer or religious expression.
• “The guidance continues to recognize the important legal principle that school employees may take part in protected religious expression such as prayer, even during their workday, at a time when it is permissible to engage in other private conduct,” Cardona wrote in a letter to school leaders. “School employees may not, however, pressure students to join in that personal religious expression.”

Biden Administration Asks Federal Judge to Throw Out Loan Repayment Lawsuit

• On Monday, the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by private student lender SoFi, which argues the payment freeze hurts its business.
• Biden Administration lawyers argued for the case to be thrown out because the “goal of profiting from student loan borrowers” is not a valid interest that’s protected by the federal laws governing student loans.
• Related: The Congressional Review Act (which would overturn President Biden’s student loan forgiveness and payment-freeze) is expected to go to the House floor for a vote late next week.

Secretary Cardona on Released New Gainful Employment Proposed Rule

• On Wednesday, the Biden Administration rolled out their gainful employment ruling, reviving an Obama-era approach to policing the for-profit education industry. This was eliminated by the Trump administration.
• The proposed rule would examine college graduates’ “success” following their graduation, which would in turn define the “success” of their alma mater.
• For-profit institutions would be required to pass two new metrics to continue accepting federal student loans and Pell grants:
• One examining the debt-to-income ratio of recent graduates;
• And one examining the graduates’ income compared to a high school graduate.
• A senior administration official said the department was “confident” it would meet a Nov. 1 deadline for finalizing the rules, so that they can take effect next summer.

Education Department Accepting Public Comments 

• The Department of Education posted two forms for public comment that are required to implement the new Borrower Defense to Repayment and Prison Education regulations which will go into effect on July 1. Both forms were published on May 17, and comments are due by June 16. 

Quote of the Week

“The principles of all genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority.  The man therefore who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that book may be accessory to all the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer.” –Noah Webster, Former Connecticut State Representative