March 16-19

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Administration Actions

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump proposed sweeping changes to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and broader educational policies that could significantly impact CTE. He reaffirmed his longstanding pledge to abolish the Department of Education, arguing that education policy should be controlled at the state and local levels rather than by federal agencies. As part of his broader push for education reform, he advocated for school choice initiatives, which would allow public education funds to follow students to private, charter, or religious schools.

 

In February, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiated significant budgetary reductions within the Department of Education. This action resulted in the termination of almost 100 contracts funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), reportedly totaling approximately $900 million (although the exact amout is uncertain)

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One of the most consequential cancellations for CTE was the National Evaluation of Career and Technical Education under Perkins (NECTEP). This evaluation was designed to assess the effectiveness of CTE programs. Without this evaluation, understanding how well these programs prepare students for the workforce and meet industry needs may be compromised. In addition, key longitudinal data collections that help us determine participation in CTE and pathways after CTE participation were halted.

 

On March 12, ED reduced its workforce through a series of reductions in force (RIFs), following voluntary buyout offers. This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader agenda to streamline federal operations and reduce government spending. The layoffs and buyouts have impacted various departments within the agency, potentially affecting the delivery of educational services nationwide. The Administration asserts that these measures are necessary to enhance efficiency and reallocate resources more effectively. However, critics argue that such significant staffing cuts could undermine the department’s ability to support students, educators, and schools, particularly those in underserved communities. It is not yet clear what the long-term implications of these cuts would be.

 

Resources

 

Background

Congress operates under a fiscal year that runs from October 1 – September 30. The federal budget process usually begins each February when the president submits the Administration’s budget request to Congress. This request is not binding, but it serves to outline the Administration’s funding priorities for the coming fiscal year and Congress may use it as a blueprint in crafting its own budget.

 

The House and Senate Budget Committees are responsible for developing the congressional budget. These committees study the president’s proposals, along with requests from other committees and Members of Congress and put together their own “budget resolution.” The budget resolution sets a “spending ceiling” for each broad budget category. There are 17 major categories for which the Budget Committees recommend spending ceilings. CTE and workforce development programs are part of the category known as “Function 500 – Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services.” The budget resolution has no binding authority over specific program funding levels, but the higher the total funding levels in the budget resolution, the higher the likelihood of increases for programs such as Perkins, HEA, WIOA and ESSA.

 

Once the budget resolution has been agreed upon and passed by both chambers of Congress, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees begin the work of setting specific funding levels for individual programs, including Perkins, through appropriations bills. The 12 annual appropriations bills are designated to subcommittees within the appropriations committees. Funding decisions concerning CTE, other education programs and workforce development are made in the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

 

If approved at the committee level, the funding bills are then considered by the full House and Senate, with any differences between the two versions reconciled by a conference committee. Often many of the larger and more controversial appropriations bills are not completed on time, and Congress must pass a “continuing resolution” (CR) to continue program funding at current levels until a new appropriations bill can be passed.

Current Status

Congress has been operating on a CR since the fiscal year ended on September 30. Since the first threat of a government shutdown, Congress has passed two continuing resolutions keeping government open.

 

At the end of the 118th Congress, lawmakers agreed to a CR that extended government funding to March 14. With the change in power, lawmakers have yet to come to an agreement on funding for FY 2025. The leadership for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have been continually negotiating topline spending numbers, which will set the overall spending for the year. Once that number gets agreed to, the subcommittees will then be able to set the funding levels for the various programs in their bills. Time is running short for an agreement however, and Congress could extend funding again, either for a short time or for the rest of the year, or we could face a government shutdown.

 

Congressional Republicans have long pushed for spending cuts. In previous proposals, they pushed for sweeping cuts to the education budget. That push will likely continue this Congress, and ACTE will continue to push for meaningful increases to the Perkins State Grants.

Resources

Background

The Pell Grant was established in the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand access to four-year colleges for students who may not otherwise be able to afford a postsecondary education. While the program has since been expanded to other postsecondary opportunities such as associate degrees and some certificates, shorter-term programs under 600 clock hours are not covered by Pell. These programs offer in-demand certifications, skills and credentials that can lead to better wages and career prospects. Additionally, these short-term programs play a critical role in narrowing the nation’s skills gap so that employers can find workers who possess the qualifications and training needed to fill these in-demand positions.   

 

The primary bipartisan legislation to expand Pell grant eligibility to short-term programs is the JOBS Act, which has been re-introduced every Congress since 2014. While this legislation has yet to pass, it has gained broad bipartisan support through careful negotiation. ACTE has publicly supported this bill and actively advocates for its passage.  

 

In addition to the JOBS Act, there were several other bills introduced in the previous Congress to address expanding Pell to short-term programs. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act in December 2023. In this bill, state workforce boards, accreditors and the Department of Education (ED) would determine whether programs would be eligible for Workforce Pell Grants, including by verifying whether they provide a return on investment for students. Also, ED would have to verify that programs maintain completion and job placement rates of at least 70 percent. Short-term programs would also have to show state workforce boards that they provide education for high-skill, high-wage or in-demand occupations.    

Current Status

The JOBS Act (S. 383) was re-introduced in February of 2025 and remains the most widely supported and bipartisan legislation for short-term Pell expansion. Incoming Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, has previously spoken positively about the need to expand Pell access for short-term training. The lead sponsors of JOBS will likely push the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for a markup this year. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) co-sponsored the bill in the 118th Congress. It is also possible we see the reintroduction of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act from last Congress.

Resources

Background

Created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, budget reconciliation is a special legislative procedure that allows for expedited consideration of certain tax, spending, and debt limit legislation. Over the history of the law, there have been 23 budget reconciliation bills with the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act the most recent.

 

The process of reconciliation starts when both chambers pass their annual budget resolution. In the resolution, Congress sets total spending, revenues, the surplus or deficit, and the public debt. The budget may also include reconciliation instructions that direct one or more congressional committees to recommend changes to existing law to achieve specified changes in spending, revenues, deficits and the debt limit.

 

In the Senate, a reconciliation bill is considered under expedited procedures that limit debate and amendments. As a result, a reconciliation bill cannot be filibustered in the Senate and therefore only needs a simple majority to move to a final vote.

 

The Senate also must abide by the Byrd Rule. Named for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), the Byrd Rule limits extraneous provisions from a reconciliation bill. The Byrd Rule is aimed at preventing the use of reconciliation to move a legislative agenda that is unrelated to spending or taxes. The following are considered to be extraneous:

  • Measure with no budgetary effect (i.e. no change in outlays or revenues)
  • Measures that worsen the deficit when a committee has not achieved its reconciliation target
  • Measures outside the jurisdiction of the committee that submitted the provision
  • Measures that increase deficits for any fiscal year outside of the reconciliation window
  • Measures that recommend changes to Social Security

 

Given the ability to avoid a filibuster in the Senate, budget reconciliation has typically only been used when one political party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House. Budget reconciliation last occurred in the 117th Congress when Democrats controlled both chambers and President Joe Biden was in office. They used reconciliation to pass both the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Current Status

After the 2024 election, Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives and regained a majority in the Senate. Budget reconciliation, primarily focused on tax cuts, has been their top focus in the early months of the 119th Congress.

 

Both chambers have passed a budget resolution, but used different approaches, and both chambers must pass the same resolution in order for the reconciliation process to officially begin. Currently, there are substantive differences between the two resolutions and lawmakers in both chambers will need to come to a compromise in order to get started on drafting a reconciliation proposal.

 

In addition to the resolutions, lawmakers in both chambers are also debating the provisions that will be included in their reconciliation bill. The core of any budget reconciliation bill will center around border security, extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and energy-related permitting reform.

 

However, in order to initiate budget savings to offset some of the envisioned new spending, the final budget resolution will likely give instructions for both the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in addition to the tax writing House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees. Some of the education provisions that may be considered include:

  • Reform Pell Grants: This option would allow the Committee on Education and the Workforce to make reforms to the Pell program, such as capping grants at the median cost of attendance, lowing overall benefits, and/or expanding Pell grant eligibility to short-term credential programs (although this is a longshot).
  • Endowment Tax Expansion to 14%: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a new tax on a small group of private nonprofit colleges and universities. Institutions enrolling at least 500 students that have endowment assets exceeding $500,000 per student (other than those assets which are used directly in carrying out the institution’s exempt purpose) pay a tax of 1.4 percent on their net investment income. In 2022, the tax raised $244 million from 58 institutions. This would raise that rate to 14%.
  • Eliminate the American Opportunity Credit: The American opportunity tax credit (AOTC) is a credit for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education. Taxpayers can get a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student. This option would repeal the credit.
  • Eliminate the Lifetime Learning Credit: The Lifetime Learning Credit (“LLC”) provides a nonrefundable tax credit equal to 20 percent of qualified tuition and related expenses of the taxpayer that do not exceed $10,000. This option would repeal the credit.
  • Eliminate Exclusion of Scholarship and Fellowship Income: Qualified scholarships and fellowships are generally excluded from taxable income if used for tuition and related expenses. This option would make all scholarship and fellowship income taxable, increasing revenue by $54 billion over 10 years.
  • Eliminate Deduction of Interest on Student Loans: Taxpayers can deduct up to $2,500 of interest paid on student loans from their taxable income. This option would eliminate the deduction for student loan interest.
  • Repeal the SAVE plan and streamline income-driven repayment plans: Under this option, the Department of Education (ED) would offer borrowers two repayment plans for loans originated after June 30, 2024: the currently available 10-year repayment plan and a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan. This option would eliminate all other plans, including the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which is the IDR plan that was created administratively in 2023.
  • Repeal Biden borrower defense to repayment discharge regulation: This would partially repeal a Biden administration rule that made it easier for a borrower to discharge loans as a result of a school’s misconduct, including, for example, misrepresentation of student outcomes.
  • Reform Gainful Employment: This policy option would establish minimum levels of performance (i.e. expanding Gainful Employment) for programs to participate in Title IV federal student aid programs.
  • Reform Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): This option would allow the Committee on Education and the Workforce to make reforms to the PSLF, including limiting eligibility for the program.

Resources

Check out these additional resources to learn more about budget reconciliation.

WIOA

Background 

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is the primary federal legislation governing federal workforce development programs. It is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. The latest reauthorization, signed into law in 2014, emphasized increased coordination and cohesion among federal workforce development programs, including Perkins, instead of them working independent of one another. They accomplished this by aligning the language of definitions, requiring that postsecondary CTE institutions be a local infrastructure partner, and giving states the option to do a combined state plan that meets the planning requirements for WIOA’s core programs and at least one other federal program, among others. WIOA superseded the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and amended the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

 

Current Status 

Programs under WIOA were authorized through FY 2020, which means they expired starting October 1, 2020, although they remain funded through the appropriations process. Both parties in Congress have acknowledged the importance of WIOA programs and expressed desire to reauthorize the legislation. At the end of last Congress, leaders of the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee reached a bipartisan deal on WIOA reauthorization and included a modified version of H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, in the original draft of the continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded. The bill would have comprehensively reauthorized WIOA and made significant changes to core aspects including eligible training providers lists. Ultimately, however, WIOA reauthorization was removed from the CR at the last minute, and it did not see any more action in 2024.

 

New House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) has expressed interest in reviving WIOA reauthorization this Congress, but it is not yet clear if lawmakers will re-introduce the previously agreed upon version or start over on a new comprehensive WIOA reauthorization.

 

Additional Resources 

Apprenticeships

Background 

The National Apprenticeship Act (NAA) is a federal law that authorizes registered apprenticeship programs. Apprentice programs in the U.S. were largely unregulated until 1934. After passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), industry, trade unions and the National Recovery Administration cooperated to fashion various “industry codes” to govern competition, wages, working conditions and quality of products and services.

 

In 1937, the Congress passed the National Apprenticeship Act, also known as “the Fitzgerald Act.” The Act established a national advisory committee whose task was to research and draft regulations to establish minimum standards for apprenticeship programs. The Act was later amended to permit the United States Department of Labor to issue regulations protecting the health, safety and general welfare of apprentices, and to encourage the use of contracts in the hiring and employment of them. The National Apprenticeship Act is administered by the Employment and Training Administration in the Department of Labor, but the underlying statute has not been significantly updated in years.

 

Current Status 

Little progress has been made on a reauthorization in 2024 and 2025.  Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced S. 2122, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023, for the 118th Congress. This bill would have provided resources for small- and medium-sized employers to develop their own apprenticeship programs, create rural demonstration grants for low-density areas with labor shortages, streamline the apprenticeship application process and provide resources for program sponsors to attract participants with employment and populations that have not-traditionally enrolled in apprenticeship programs.

 

After receiving criticism from other organizations, progress on this bill halted as Baldwin and Murkowski resumed negotiations. Negotiations are likely to continue in 2025, and advocates are going to continue to push for a comprehensive reauthorization.

 

Additional Resources 

Background

Throughout the country, K-12 schools have been reporting concerning levels of staff shortages across virtually every subject area, including and especially CTE. While the pandemic certainly exacerbated this issue, the root causes of the national teacher shortage are longstanding and systemic. In many schools, low teacher pay makes it difficult to recruit and retain staff; however, this is particularly challenging for CTE teachers who can often make two to three times more money working directly in the industries they teach. Further, problems such as teacher licensure, limited school resources and difficult working conditions have caused many teachers to consider leaving the classroom or may prevent prospective teachers from entering the classroom at all. While these shortages are widespread, they impact low-income, rural and communities of color at disproportionate rates.   

 

The federal government plays a very limited role in the K-12 education system, but there is still significant opportunity to affect change. In previous years, there has been action taken to address the teacher pipeline. The Biden-Harris Administration focused on alleviating teacher shortages by leveraging public-private partnerships, encouraging the registration of teacher residency programs as apprenticeships with the Department of Labor, and proposing additional funding to federal programs such as the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant, the Hawkins Centers for Excellence, and Every Student Succeeds Act Title I grants to local education agencies.   

 

With the change in administration, the Department of Education (ED) has not laid out any priorities on addressing teacher shortages. As new leadership gets confirmed into their positions, we could see some offices within ED lay out their positions and priorities. 

 

In previous years, ACTE has endorsed a number of teacher workforce bills: the RAISE Act, the RETAIN Act and the Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act most notably. Both the RAISE Act and RETAIN Act would provide a federal income tax credit for all public K-12 teachers. The Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act would extend the Teacher Loan Forgiveness program to all teacher subjects. None of these bills have received any actions with their relevant committees.   

 

Importantly, Congress has not proposed many solutions for the postsecondary CTE faculty shortage. These shortages are widespread, however, there is no federally collected data to measure them. Postsecondary CTE faculty shortages can lead to program closures, which exacerbate workforce shortages and lead to decreased opportunities for learners.   

 

There was one key win for the CTE teacher pipeline late last Congress. Just before adjourning for the year, Congress managed a huge victory for CTE teachers and other public sector worker when they passed the Social Security Fairness Act, H.R. 82.  

 

This action marked the culmination of decades of advocacy to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) within the Social Security program. These provisions unfairly reduced Social Security benefits, including spousal benefits, for those who worked in private sector jobs and paid into Social Security, but also worked in a public sector job and earned a pension, depending on how the retirement system was structured in a state. They were particularly problematic for CTE teachers in about 15 states because many of our teachers work in the private sector before transitioning to teaching later in their careers. It made it even more difficult to recruit CTE teachers in these states because they faced losing their already earned Social Security benefits. 

 

The bill that was passed completely eliminates these provisions, which should restore Social Security benefits for anyone who meets other eligibility criteria but had suffered a reduction or elimination of their monthly payment because of GPO or WEP. 

Current Status

With the start of the 119th Congress, lawmakers are re-introducing legislation that they worked on the previous Congress. So far, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Jahana Hayes have re-introduced the RAISE Act, which ACTE has endorsed once again. It is not likely though that this bill will receive a vote by either the House or Senate. 

 

ACTE’s detailed legislative priorities in this area can be found here.   

Resources

Monday

Opening Session

Melanie Zanona, Capitol Hill Correspondent, NBC News – Bio

 

General Session: Budgets and More! A Deep Dive Into Federal Funding Policies

Sarah Abernathy, Executive Director, Committee for Education Funding – Bio
Robyn Hiestand, Vice President, Bose Public Affairs Group – Bio
Katie Spiker, Managing Director of Government Relations, National Skills Coalition – Bio

 

General Session: The Impact of the Administration’s Activities & Priorities

Rob Duston, Partner, Saul Ewing LLP – Bio – Slides

 

General Session: Using Public Opinion Polling to Advocate for CTE

Evangel Penumaka, Polling Principal, Data for Progress – Bio – Slides
Rebeca Shackleford, Director of Government Relations, All4Ed – Bio – Slides
Stacy Whitehouse, Associate Director of Communications, Advance CTE – Bio – Slides

 

ACTE Legislative Agenda and Hill Visit Overview

Slides

Wednesday

Setting the Stage

Meghan Wills, Senior TA Consultant, American Institutes for Research – Bio

 

Challenges and Opportunities Surrounding Apprenticeship

Zach Boren, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute – Bio
Lateefah Durant, Vice President of Innovation, CityWorks DC – Bio
Dave Harrison, Executive Director for Work Force Development, Government Programs and Military Employment Issues, Fastport, Inc. – Bio

 

Spotlight Focus on EV Hub

Jennifer Worth, Senior Vice-President, Academic & Workforce Development, American Association of Community Colleges – Bio

Mala Thakur, Senior Director, Programs and Initiatives, National Association of Workforce Boards – Bio

 

High School Pathways to Support the Apprenticeship Pipeline

Stephen Cousins, Associate Vice President Industry Relations & Curriculum Advocacy, Home Builders Institute – Bio – HBI Apprenticeship Information
Dan Hinderliter; Associate Director, State Policy; Advance CTE – Bio
Blaise King, Director of Workforce Innovation, AccelerateMS – Bio
Erica Simon, Deputy Director, Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, New America – Bio – PAYA Definitions – PAYA Infographic

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