This week in legislative affairs...

 Shared by our Legislative Relations' Committee and NCHER.

Week of April 25

·       This week, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. However, neither chamber is expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation. 

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing titled, “Navigating Business Tax Reform.” Witnesses include: Thomas Barthold, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; Dr. James Hines, Jr., L. Hart Wright Collegiate Professor of Law and Richard A. Musgrave Collegiate Professor of Economics, University of Michigan; Sanford Zinman, Owner, Sanford E. Zinman, CPA; Gayle Goschie, Vice President, Goschie Farms; and Dr. Eric Toder, Institute Fellow and Co-Director, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, Urban Institute.

·       On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee meets to consider S. 2644, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Reauthorization Act, which would authorize the Commission’s operations for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. During the markup, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) is expected to offer an amendment to the bill repealing Section 301 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Section 301 amended the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to allow the use of auto-dialer technology in the collection of federally-held or -guaranteed debt. NCHER members with senators on the committee are encouraged to urge them to oppose the Markey amendment.

·       On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee meets to consider a number of bills, including H.R. 2589, which would require the FCC to publish new rules on the same day that they are adopted; H.R. 2592, which would require the FCC to publish the draft of a rulemaking, order, report, or any other action when it is circulated to the commissioners for a vote; and H.R. 2593, which would require the FCC to publish a list of items that are placed on delegated authority – that is, decided at the bureau level in lieu of a commission vote.

·       On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a hearing titled, “Government Reform: Ending Duplication and Holding Washington Accountable.” Witnesses include: The Honorable Tom Coburn, Former U.S. Senator, State of Oklahoma; and The Honorable Eugene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

·       On Wednesday at 1:45 p.m., House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) holds a town hall meeting entitled, “Building a Confident America,” with millennials at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. His remarks will be followed by a question-and-answer session moderated by Mo Elleithee, the Institute’s Executive Director, and S.E. Cupp, CNN contributor and a member of the Institute’s advisory board. The town hall event will be webcast live on the Institute’s website.

·       On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing titled, “Fixing the Budget Process: Better Budgets, Better Results.” Witnesses include: Barry Anderson, Former Acting Director, Congressional Budget Office; James Capretta, Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, American Enterprise Institute; and Stan Collender, Executive Vice President, Qorvis MSLGROUP.

·       On Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. PDT, the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics meets for its annual meeting in Fullerton, CA. The commission is responsible for advising the President and Secretary of Education on all matters pertaining to the education attainment of the Hispanic community, and the meeting’s agenda includes a discussion on the commission’s 2016 activities, including updates on the Administration’s early learning, K-12, and post-secondary education priorities and proposed outreach and engagement efforts.

·       On Friday at 10:20 a.m., Education Secretary John King, Jr. participates in the District of Columbia’s College Signing Day at George Washington University. He will speak to high school students, parents, and other stakeholders about the importance of a higher education.

·       On Saturday at 9:00 a.m., Education Secretary John King, Jr. delivers the commencement address at Florida A&M University where he will speak to 1,200 graduates and their families about the importance of service and giving back to the community.

This week in legislative affairs...

From NCHER and SASFAA's Legislative Relations Committee.

Week of April 4

·       This week, the U.S. Senate is in session for legislative business, though it is not expected to consider student financial aid-related legislation. The U.S. House is in recess and will return on Tuesday, April 12.

·       Today and Tuesday, all day, the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education hosts its 43^rd annual national conference using the theme, “Our Future is Now in Higher Education,” at the City University of New York Graduate Center in New York City, NY. Panels and workshops include: Dual Credit and Enrollment Issues at Community Colleges, Career Technical Education for the Future, Annual Panel: Year in Higher Education, Legal Issues in Higher Education: Annual Review of Court and Administrative Developments, and Effective Advocacy on Behalf of Higher Education.

 

·       On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing titled, “Assessing the Effects of Consumer Finance Regulations.” Witnesses include: Leonard Chanin, Counsel, Morrison and Foerster LLP; David Hirschmann, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; and Todd Zywicki, Foundation Professor of Law and Executive Director, Law and Economics Center, George Mason University School of Law.

 

·       On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government holds a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2017 budget request and funding justification for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Witnesses include: The Honorable Tom Wheeler,Chairman, FCC; and The Honorable Ajit Pai, Commissioner, FCC.

 

·       On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., Higher One and EverFi host a discussion titled, “Financial Wellness in Higher Ed,” to release the fourth-year results of Money Matters on Campus, a survey examining the financial attitudes and behaviors of college students from across the United States. The findings outlined in this year’s report provide evidence that early financial experience and education are worthwhile endeavors and will, hopefully, help direct policies and programming designed for both four-year and two-year student populations. Panelists include: Ted Gonder, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Moneythink; Bryan Ashton, Assistant Director, Student Wellness Center, The Ohio State University (Moderator); Jillian Berman, Reporter, MarketWatch;Kate Griffin, Vice President of Programs, Corporation for Enterprise Development; Mary Johnson, Vice President of Financial Literacy and Student Aid Policy, Higher One; and Drew Smith, Director, Office of Wellness Initiatives for Student Empowerment, The University of Kentucky. To RSVP, click here.

·       On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the American Youth Policy Forum and the National College Access Network (NCAN) host a webinar titled, “Moving the Needle for First Generation College Students: Comprehensive Advising from College Access to Success.” The webinar will highlight comprehensive advising strategies for supporting first generation college students from low-income homes and their college access, transition, and success, and discuss the role of policy in scaling these efforts. Speakers include: Elizabeth Morgan, Director of External Relations, NCAN; Cassie Magesis, Director of College Readiness, Urban Assembly, Bridge to College Program; Pam Blumenthal, Director, Links Programs, Portland Community College; Josh Lauire, Manager, Future Connect Scholarship, Portland Community College; and Rana Tarkenton, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Denver Scholarship Foundation. To register, click here.

·       On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) releases the minutes of its two-day meeting held March 15-16, 2016.

·       On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing entitled, “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Semi-Annual Report to Congress.” The sole witness will be The Honorable Richard Cordray, Director, CFPB.

·        On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Federal Reserve releases its “Consumer Credit – G.19” report, which includes the amount of outstanding federal and private student loans. 

·       On Friday at 10:00 a.m., New America hosts an event entitled, “Starting From Scratch?: A Debate on Vouchers vs. Direct Aid to Colleges.” Panelists will discuss which funding structure works better: the current voucher system that provides Pell Grants to low-income students or a state-federal partnership that provides federal aid to colleges through states. Panelists arguing for the current system include: Sarah Flanagan, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Development, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; and Andrew Kelly, Resident Scholar and Director, Center on Higher Education Reform, American Enterprise Institute. Panelists arguing for directly aiding colleges include: F. King Alexander, President, Louisiana State University; and William Doyle, Associate Professor of Higher Education, Vanderbilt University. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Reporter forThe Washington Post, will serve as moderator. To RSVP, click here.

 

·       Saturday through next Tuesday, all-day, the American Association of Community Colleges holds its annual convention titled, “Our Camelot Moment: A New Day for Community Colleges,” in Chicago, IL. The event is among the largest gatherings of educational leaders, attracting over 2,000 community college presidents and senior administrators, as well as international educators, representatives of business and industry, and federal agencies. Sessions include: Pathway to College Readiness for All High School Graduates, Building a Movement for Free Community College on Campus and Nationwide, USA Funds/Gallup Survey Results: How Associate Degree Recipients Rate Their College Experience, Finding Common Ground: Adapting Performance Funding to Improve Outcomes, National Community College Politics and Policy in the Presidential Election Year, and Best Practices for Improving Your Cohort Default Rate.