This Week in Legislation - Week of March 27, 2017

Week of March 27, 2017

·         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.

·         Today through Wednesday, all day, Academic Impressions hosts a hands-on skills training conference titled, “Customer Service Skills Training: Certification for Higher Education” in Boston, MA. At this conference, which is designed for both managers and front-line staff working in the areas of enrollment and student services, attendees will learn how to provide better customer service and leave with increased confidence in their customer service skills, as well as a heightened ability to handle a wide variety of service scenarios.

·         On Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing entitled, “Fostering Economic Growth: The Role of Financial Companies.” Witnesses include: The Honorable Robert Heller, Former Governor, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; The Honorable Donald Powell, Former Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; The Honorable William Spriggs, Economics Professor and Howard University and Chief Economist, AFL-CIO; and Deyanira Del Rio, Co-Director, The New Economy Project.

·         On Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., the Center for American Progress (CAP) and TeachStrong host a panel discussion on how states, districts, and colleges of education are leading the way in improving the systems designed to support teachers at every stage of their careers. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, will provide the keynote address and discuss a bill she introduced to elevate the teaching profession through innovations in teacher recruitment and retention, as well as the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts on the ability of states and districts to adequately train, compensate, and support their teacher workforce. Other participants in the event include: Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Dean, School of Education, American University; Tonia Holmes-Sutton, Director, Network to Transform Teaching, Clark County, Nevada; Melody Schopp, Secretary of Education, South Dakota, Board of Directors President, Council of Chief State School Officers; and moderator Dyan Smiley, Assistant Director of Educational Issues, American Federation of Teachers.

·         On Tuesday at 12:50 p.m., Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gives a speech titled, “Addressing Workforce Development Challenges in Low-Income Communities,” at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Annual Conference.

·         On Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit holds a hearing entitled “The State of Bank Lending in America.” Witnesses include: Scott Heitkamp, President and Chief Executive Officer, ValueBank Texas, on behalf of the Independent Community Bankers of America; Holly Wade, Director, Research and Policy Analysis, National Federation of Independent Businesses; David Motley, President, Colonial Companies, on behalf of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Michael Calhoun, President, Center for Responsible Lending.

·         On Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., Federal Reserve Member Jerome Powell gives a speech titled, “America’s Central Bank: This History and Structure of the Federal Reserve,” at the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics in Morgantown, WV.

·         On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee holds a hearing titled, “Closing the Skills Gap and Boosting U.S. Competitiveness,” which will explore the technical skills gap in the manufacturing sector and other trades and  highlight steps taken by advocates and industry to address the growing issue and foster a competitive workforce. Witnesses include: John Ratzenberger, Actor, Director, Founder of the American Museum of Manufacturing; Rory DeJohn, Senior Vice President, Turner Construction Company; Colonel Michael Cartney (USAF, retired), President, Lake Area Technical Institute; Jay Neely, Vice President of Law and Public Affairs, Gulfstream Aerospace; and Judith Marks, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens USA.

·         On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee holds a hearing entitled, “The Effect of Borrowing on Federal Spending: Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management.” Witnesses include: The Honorable David Walker, Former Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Dr.  Veronique de Rugy, Senior Research Fellow, The Mercatus Center, George Mason University; and Dr.  Mark Zandi, Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics.

·         On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releases its 2017 Long-Term Budget Outlook. The long-term projections, which typically span 30 years, are consistent with CBO’s current 10-year budget and economic projections released in January. The agency last released detailed long-term budget projections in July 2016 and issued a partial update in January 2017.

 

This information is shared by SASFAA's Legislative Affairs' Committee and NCHER.