| Budget & Appropriations The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.
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APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
On Tuesday, as we previewed in our last digest, House Republicans successfully passed a multi-trillion dollar budget resolution after Senate Republicans passed their own version of the resolution a week prior. With two competing versions of the resolution, the next phase of the reconciliation process is now underway. House and Senate Republican leadership will need to develop a compromise budget resolution that has a chance of succeeding in both chambers, not an easy task when the two chambers are several trillion dollars apart and differ on which policies should be included in the bill.
While the reconciliation process now moves to some behind-the-scenes negotiations, attention is turning to the looming government shutdown, with funding set to expire on March 14. With each passing day, another continuing resolution (CR) becomes more and more likely. The only question is how long the resolution will run. The most talked about option currently is a CR that runs through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
Several higher education associations have further analyzed numerous issues that will impact schools such as Duke through the various budget bills under consideration. The associations include the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National Associations of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
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| Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes
The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.
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EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PAUSES INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLAN APPLICATIONSThe Education Department has paused applications for income-driven repayment plans. This action follows a legal battle over the Biden administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which aimed to reduce borrower payments and offer quicker debt relief. The plan, initially launched in 2023, was blocked by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which halted the implementation of the SAVE plan and prohibited loan forgiveness through income-driven repayment programs. According to the Department's website, the pause results from the injunction issued and is currently temporary.
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FEDERAL ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO VISIT 10 COLLEGE CAMPUSES
The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced its intention to visit 10 university campuses where antisemitic incidents have occurred since October 2023. No timeline for the visits was included in today’s announcement. The Task Force, formed following President Trump’s Executive Order, aims to address antisemitic harassment in schools, prioritizing the protection of Jewish students and faculty. That list of universities includes: - Columbia University
- George Washington University
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- New York University
- Northwestern University
- The University of California, Los Angeles
- The University of California, Berkeley
- The University of Minnesota
- The University of Southern California.
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Immigration
The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.
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BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS REINTRODUCE AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACTYesterday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Reps. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) reintroduced the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 in the House. The bill, identical to the one introduced last Congress, aims to create a pathway to citizenship for certain recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, children of specific nonimmigrant visa holders and individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).
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| Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke
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FEDERAL JUDGE ISSUES INJUNCTION ON DEI EXECUTIVE ORDER
A federal judge has issued an injunction blocking the Trump Administration from enforcing certain provisions of its executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). This ruling does not impact the DEI guidance issued by the Department of Education which is discussed in the next section below. The injunction blocks three key elements of the executive order: the termination of equity-related grants, a certification requirement for grant recipients regarding DEI programs and a provision encouraging the Attorney General to target illegal discrimination in the private sector.
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HIGHER ED GROUPS WRITE LETTER IN RESPONSE TO ED DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE
A letter was sent by higher education associations, led by the American Council on Education (ACE) in response to the Department of Education's Feb. 14, Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which we touched on last week, regarding the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. The letter expresses concern that the DCL’s unclear language has caused confusion among institutions about their legal obligations, particularly regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The associations request that the Department rescind the DCL and work with the higher education community to provide clearer guidance. They emphasize the importance of supporting inclusive educational environments while ensuring compliance with existing civil rights laws. The Association of American Universities also sent an additional letter.
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CABINET LEVEL UPDATES
This week, the Senate officially confirmed Jameison Greer to serve in President Donald Trump's cabinet as the United States Trade Representative.
The Senate has scheduled a hearing for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director nominee, to occur on March 5.
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