The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Appropriations Update
NIH Director Testifies in Senate on Proposed FY27 Budget
Moolenaar, Banks Introduce New Legislation to Restrict Research Collaboration with China
Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Reaches Consensus on Accreditation
FAFSA Completion Rate Sets Record
Associations Raise Concerns About Slow Processing of DACA Renewals
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.

APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE

The full House Appropriations Committee marked up the FY27 Energy‑Water bill. The bill provides:

DOE Office of Science: $8.53B (+$125M from FY 26), below the $9.5B request
ARPA‑E: $300M (‑14% from FY 26)

The House also released the FY27 Interior‑Environment bill, which includes:

NEH/NEA: $135M each (‑35% from FY 26)

Separately, the House approved the FY27 Commerce‑Justice‑Science bill, providing:

NSF: $7B (‑20% FY 26)
NASA Science: $6B (‑17.2% from FY 26)

On reconciliation, Senate Republican leadership has delayed a planned vote after internal opposition to the administration’s proposed “anti‑weaponization” fund. Action is now expected after the Memorial Day recess, meaning Congress is likely to miss President Trump’s June 1 deadline on immigration funding.

NIH DIRECTOR TESTIFIES IN SENATE ON PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET

On Thursday, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya testified before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing HHS funding, outlining the administration’s budget and priorities for the agency. Some lawmakers raised concerns about funding levels, staffing gaps and impacts on research, while also revisiting the proposed 15 percent cap on indirect costs. Bhattacharya indicated interest in exploring alternative approaches to the indirect cost system, including increased competition and potential structural changes.

Research

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

MOOLENAAR, BANKS INTRODUCE NEW LEGISLATION TO RESTRICT RESEARCH COLLABORATION WITH CHINA

The House Select Committee on China Chair John Moolenaar (R‑MI) and Senator Jim Banks (R‑IN) have introduced the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act, which would prohibit federal funding for research collaborations with “entities and individuals on U.S. government blacklists.” According to the committee, the bill “broadly defines ‘research collaboration’ to include joint research projects, co‑authorship, data sharing, personnel exchanges, and other forms of cooperation.” Lawmakers said the proposal is intended to restrict federal funding for research ties with organizations linked to foreign adversaries. The next steps in this legislation are unclear at present, but as always, we will continue to provide updates as necessary.

Research Bill

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

NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING COMMITTEE REACHES CONSENSUS ON ACCREDITATION

The Department of Education has reached an agreement with negotiators on its proposal to overhaul the college accreditation system under the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) rulemaking. The plan includes provisions to increase competition among accreditors, establish clearer measures of student outcomes, change transfer credit policies and incorporate concepts such as intellectual diversity into accreditation reviews. The Department is now required to post the agreed-upon language as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, open to public comment, before publishing a final rule.

Consensus Reached

FAFSA COMPLETION RATE SETS RECORD

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) reports that the high school Class of 2026 has already set a new record for FAFSA completion rates, reaching 55.4 percent with more than a month remaining in the cycle. This surpasses the previous high of 54.4 percent set in 2018.

NCAN News

Immigration

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

ASSOCIATIONS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT SLOW PROCESSING OF DACA RENEWALS
More than 30 higher education organizations have joined a community letter led by the American Council on Education (ACE), of which Duke is a member, to the US Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow, raising concerns about delays in processing renewals for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The letter notes that median processing times have increased from two weeks in 2025 to more than two months in 2026, according to USCIS data. As the letter emphasizes, “efficient processing of these renewals is essential to continue the academic … and other contributions of DACA recipients at our institutions of higher education and broader communities.”

Letter Sent

Post of the Week!

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