Washington Update, September 25, 2024
Dear Colleagues:
It appears Congressional leaders have reached an agreement to keep the government funded through December 20, avoiding a shutdown. The deal excludes a controversial GOP immigration proposal and instead includes funding for the Secret Service and FEMA. Meanwhile, a UCLA professor has filed a class-action lawsuit against six major academic publishers, accusing them of antitrust violations that harm research. In higher education news, the Department of Education is working to reassure leaders that the FAFSA will be fully operational by December 1 after delays last year, with improvements underway to streamline the process. It’s the sprint to the extended “election recess”-let’s dive in.
1.House GOP unveils plan to keep the government funded through December 20th
It seems Congressional leaders have reached a deal to fund the government through December 20, avoiding a potential shutdown. The agreement drops a GOP-backed immigration proposal, supported by former President Trump, that required proof of citizenship for voter registration. House Republicans, unable to pass a longer-term funding bill (they initially had hoped for a 6-month continuing resolution (CR), negotiated with Democrats to craft a short-term (CR). The compromise measure includes more than $200 million for the Secret Service to increase security for presidential candidates ahead of Election Day and following two assassination attempts on the former President and current Presidential candidate Trump. It would also replenish FEMA's disaster fund but not provide specific extra funding for disaster relief.
The bill, expected to pass the House mid-week, will need to clear the Senate as well. While House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to avoid a shutdown, he faces opposition from his party's right-wing faction. Democrats have embraced the bill as a bipartisan compromise to avert a government shutdown before the upcoming election.
2. A class-action lawsuit against six major Academic Publishers has been Filed.
A UCLA professor has filed a class-action lawsuit against six major academic publishers—Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Wiley, Sage Publications, Taylor & Francis, and Springer Nature—alleging antitrust violations that impede academic research. The lawsuit claims the publishers formed a "cartel" through the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers (STM), mandating that peer review work remain unpaid, restricting manuscript submissions to one journal at a time, and barring researchers from sharing their findings during the peer review process. These practices allegedly stifle competition, slow the publishing process, and harm scientific progress.
The lawsuit seeks to end these agreements and secure damages for U.S. academics affected since 2020. It criticizes the publishers for profiting from unpaid academic labor, delaying the publication of vital research, and exploiting taxpayer-funded research for profit. The lawsuit claims these practices hinder advancements in areas like cancer treatments, quantum computing, and climate change solutions. The publishers have largely declined to comment, but Wiley dismissed the claims as meritless
3. Department of Education Looks to Reassure Higher Education Leaders that the FAFSA will be Fully Functional by December 1st
The Department of Education is reassuring higher education leaders that the federal financial aid form (FAFSA) will be fully functional by its December 1st deadline, following last year's issues with delays and technical glitches. Efforts include increasing staffing at support centers by 80%, beta testing, and addressing challenges for families without Social Security numbers. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona acknowledged last year’s frustrations but emphasized improvements, including stakeholder sessions and the recruitment of IT professionals. Additionally, 500,000 more students will be eligible for Pell Grants due to the FAFSA overhaul. While testing is on track, the Department is requesting additional funding from Congress to continue modernization efforts.
In a letter obtained by Politico, Secretary Cardona said in part:
“We very much understand the deep frustrations many expressed in the initial, rocky months after the launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA form, which was beset with delays and technical difficulties… We have put all hands on deck at the Department to make sure we release the 2025-26 FAFSA in a way that reflects industry-standard best practices around technological transformation and responds to the frank feedback and recommendations of our partners.”
4. New Resources for Educators
• The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report, focused on the rates of discipline among black girls. Despite making up only 15 percent of all girls in public schools, Black girls received nearly half of all suspensions and expulsions in the 2017-18 school year
• The Senate Joint Economic Committee released a new report highlighting the need to renovate school buildings. The average age of school buildings in the United States is about 49 years, and roughly 53 percent have never undergone any major renovations.
• The One Million Teachers of Color (1MToC) Campaign has released a new brief: Creating Conditions for Success: How Districts Can Build and Sustain a Stronger and More Diverse Educator Workforce. The brief outlines key insights from district and school leaders who are addressing the lack of diversity across the field. Based on interviews and focus groups with 30 leaders across 15 states, this policy brief offers a holistic approach to increasing the representation of educators of color in P-12 schools
Until next time, see you on X
Kait
@brennan_kait
*With the extended recess approaching Washington Update will be released intermittently throughout October and November
