The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

House Passes Reconciliation Bill
Kennedy Testifies on President’s FY26 Budget Request for HHS
Coalition Urges Congress to Reject Proposed Cut to DOE Office of Science Budget
Department of Commerce Rescinds Most Recent Tech Hubs Awards, Announces New Competition
Judge Blocks Department of Homeland Security Move to Bar International Students at Harvard
Judge Blocks Student Visa Record Terminations Nationwide
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The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

HOUSE PASSES RECONCILIATION BILL

The House of Representatives passed a comprehensive bill incorporating several major policy priorities associated with President Trump, in a narrow 215–214 vote. The legislation, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” includes provisions such as extending 2017 tax cuts, increasing funding for border security and defense, modifying Medicaid eligibility, and raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The vote followed days of intense negotiations and last-minute changes aimed at securing enough Republican support.

Reconciliation Bill

Research

The latest updates on legislation and regulations that impact Duke's research enterprise.

KENNEDY TESTIFIES ON PRESIDENT'S FY26 BUDGET REQUEST FOR HHS

This week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee regarding President Donald Trumps FY26 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services. A significant portion of the hearing focused on research cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the department’s proposal to cap indirect costs at 15 percent, and proposals to reorganize the NIH.

Health Hearing

COALITION URGES CONGRESS TO REGJECT PROPOSED CUT TO DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE BUDGET

Earlier this week, the Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC), of which Duke University is a member, issued a statement urging Congress to reject the Trump administration’s proposal to cut $1.15 billion from the Department of Energy Office of Science in FY26. ESC called on appropriators to instead invest at least $9.5 billion in the DOE Office of Science in FY26 in order to “maintain U.S. competitiveness and unleash innovation in new energy and emerging technologies.”

Coalition Statement

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RESCINDS MOST RECENT TECH HUB AWARDS, ANNOUNCES NEW COMPETITION

The Department of Commerce has rescinded roughly $210 million in grants awarded to six Tech Hubs earlier this year, citing issues with the selection process and announcing a reopened competition with revised criteria. A new notice of funding opportunity will soon be released, requiring applicants “to present information on how this project will be a bargain to taxpayers” and to “remove references to policy priorities of the previous administration.” The original six awardees will still be eligible to reapply with “heightened consideration.”

Tech Hubs Statement

Immigration

The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.

JUDGE BLOCKS DHS MOVE TO BAR ENROLLMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT HARVARD

A federal judge in Boston Friday granted Harvard’s request to temporarily halt a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) action that would bar international students from enrolling at the university. Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order against the action, agreeing that Harvard had shown that its implementation would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to the university. Harvard filed the lawsuit earlier today challenging the Trump administration’s decision. DHS justified its action by citing safety concerns and alleged ties between Harvard and foreign entities, including the Chinese government.

Harvard Action

JUDGE BLOCKS STUDENT VISA RECORD TERMINATIONS NATIONWIDE

A federal judge in California issued a nationwide injunction preventing the Trump administration from ending the legal status of international students while a related court case is ongoing. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White ruled that the government cannot arrest, detain, or relocate these students based on their visa status until the case is resolved. White said the administration’s actions “wreaked havoc” not only on the plaintiffs but also on other student visa holders. The injunction was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by about two dozen students whose legal status was suddenly revoked in April by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Student Visa News

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