The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Senate Appropriators Begin FY26 Work
Borrowers in SAVE Forbearance Will Accrue Interest Starting in August
House and Senate Armed Services Committees Begin Considering FY26 NDAA
Supreme Court Clears Way for Mass Firings at Federal Agencies
Trump Admin Cautions Harvard Accreditor, Demands International Student Records
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Named Interim NASA Head
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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.

SENATE APPROPRIATORS BEGIN FY26 WORK

The Senate Appropriations Committee kicked off its FY26 funding work this week, advancing two of three bills on its agenda while the third hit a political snag. Legislative Branch and Agriculture-FDA appropriations cleared the panel with bipartisan support, maintaining funding for USDA and FDA and excluding House-proposed cuts to the Government Accountability Office.

But the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) bill—initially approved in subcommittee—was pulled from full committee consideration after a narrow 15-14 vote added an amendment to block the Trump administration’s plan to relocate the FBI headquarters.

Under the current version of the bill, the NSF’s budget would take a $60 million hit, to $9 billion, rather than plunge by 57 percent, to $3.9 billion, as originally proposed by President Donald Trump. At NASA, science programs would receive $7.3 billion, rather than the $3.9 billion Trump has requested. The House has yet to take up its version of the CJS bill at the time of this writing.

FY26 Funding

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

BORROWERS IN SAVE FORBEARANCE WILL ACCRUE INTEREST STARTING IN AUGUST

The Department of Education announced this week that interest will resume on student loans enrolled in the SAVE repayment plan starting Aug. 1. The SAVE plan, introduced under the Biden administration, was ruled unlawful by a federal appeals court, and millions of borrowers have since remained in interest-free forbearance. Borrowers are now encouraged to switch to alternative repayment options, as the SAVE plan is being phased out under recent legislative changes.

Interest Accrual

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

HOUSE AND SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES BEGIN CONSIDERING FY26 NDAA

The subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services Committee have completed initial markups of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the full committee meeting in closed session to continue consideration. A second day of markup is scheduled for July 12, if needed. As of now, no bill text has been released.

In the House, the Armed Services Committee is set to mark up its version of the NDAA on July 15. While official text has not yet been published, a leaked draft of the chairman’s mark outlines key provisions, including restrictions on funding for animal research in foreign countries of concern (Section 215) and a ban on painful research involving cats and dogs without a waiver from the defense secretary (Section 217). Additional resources are expected to be posted on the committee’s website in the coming days.

SUPREME COURT CLEARS WAY FOR MASS FIRINGS AT FEDERAL AGENCIES

The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward, for now, with plans to downsize the federal workforce and restructure several agencies. While the justices did not rule on the legality of specific actions, they indicated the administration is likely to succeed in its broader legal argument. The decision lifts a lower court block and enables the administration to proceed with its efforts as legal challenges continue.

Court Decision

TRUMP ADMIN CAUTIONS HARVARD ACCREDITOR, DEMANDS INT’L STUDENT RECORDS

The Trump administration has notified Harvard University’s accrediting agency of potential noncompliance with federal antidiscrimination laws and announced plans to subpoena the university for information on international students. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services allege Harvard may no longer meet accreditation standards after a civil rights investigation found the school failed to adequately protect Jewish and Israeli students. Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue, including a July 21 court hearing regarding blocked federal grant funding and ongoing challenges to the university’s ability to enroll international students. The Department of Homeland Security recently said it would issue administrative subpoenas seeking records concerning the "criminality and misconduct" of student visa holders on Harvard's campus.

Harvard Updates

Trump Administration

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SEAN DUFFY NAMED INTERIM NASA HEAD

President Donald Trump announced this week that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will also serve as the interim head for NASA. In late May, the president rescinded his nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, citing a “thorough review of prior associations.”

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Government Relations Resources

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