The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

House Fails, Senate Passes Vote on DHS Funding
CNSF Requests at Least $9.9 Billion for NSF in FY27
ACTS Reporting Deadline Update
DOJ Begins Investigations Into Three Medical Schools
Post of the Week!

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 FAILS, SENATE PASSES VOTE ON DHS FUNDING

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend its six-week shutdown after the House failed to advance the Senate's legislation this afternoon. In the early hours of this morning, the Senate voted to end the DHS shutdown. Senate Republicans ultimately accepted the Senate Democrats' offer to fund all of DHS, excluding ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection. The Senate-approved package includes some of the provisions agreed to as part of the January funding negotiations, including $20 million for body cameras for immigration enforcement agents. The Senate is now on a two-week recess, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he would like to advance a stopgap measure to fund DHS through May 22nd. Action on this legislation is ongoing, as the House Rules Committee is voting again this afternoon, which will be followed by a full House vote. As always, the Office of Government Relations is monitoring this federal activity and will provide updates as needed.

DHS Vote

Research

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

CNSF REQUESTS AT LEAST $9.9 BILLION FOR NSF IN FY27

The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), representing more than 140 scientific organizations, universities and businesses, including Duke, wrote a letter to congressional appropriators urging them to provide at least $9.9 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in FY27. CNSF emphasized the importance of sustaining investments in basic research, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum science, and STEM education and workforce development. The request comes as Congress begins work on the FY27 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.

CNSF Ask

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.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

ACTS REPORTING DEADLINE UPDATE

Several updates have occurred since our l ast digest, where we covered the latest on the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) data collection news. A judge ruled to extend the reporting deadline for schools in the 17 states that filed the original request to April 6th, though we do expect there to be a potential preliminary injunction. For those institutions not in the 17 states, the Department of Education moved the deadline to March 31st. Additionally, the Association of American Universities (AAU), of which Duke is a member, filed a motion to intervene in that lawsuit to broaden the applicability of the deadline extension. In its filing, AAU says, "AAU has claims that share with the pending action a common question of law or fact—that is, that ACTS conflicts with multiple federal statutes and is otherwise arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act."

TRO Update

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

DOJ BEGINS INVESTIGATIONS INTO THREE MEDICAL SCHOOLS

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened investigations into admissions practices at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego. Federal officials have requested detailed admissions data from the past seven years, including applicant test scores, ZIP codes, alumni or donor ties, and internal communications related to admissions policies. The universities were given an April 24 deadline to produce the information and were told that failure to comply could affect federal funding.

DOJ Investigation

Post of the Week!

Government Relations Resources

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