House and Senate Advance Competing Budget Plans
Washington Update
Appropriations
On Wednesday, February 12, Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee passed their budget resolution in a party-line vote of 11-10, advancing President Trump's domestic policy agenda through reconciliation and paving the way for policies on energy, border security, and defense, as part of a broader two-track strategy that separates these priorities from a tax cut package.
On Thursday, February 13, the House Budget Committee approved the budget resolution in a 21-16 party-line vote. The resolution includes provisions for substantial tax cuts, increased border security, defense spending, and energy policies. To secure sufficient support, House leaders agreed to additional spending cuts in exchange for the proposed tax reductions. The next challenge for House Republicans is to secure a floor vote to unlock reconciliation power, which is necessary to bypass Democratic opposition in the Senate. Senate and House Republicans continue to clash over budget resolutions.
The Senate advanced its two-track strategy that includes $175 billion for border operations, $150 billion for defense, and provisions for energy and tax cuts. Meanwhile, House Republicans insist on leading the process, proposing $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, a $4.5 trillion deficit cap tied to tax cuts, and $300 billion for border and defense. Both chambers must align on a single blueprint to bypass the Senate filibuster and advance Trump’s priorities. The Senate’s resolution focuses on a slimmer bill, separate from a larger tax cut package.
The House’s fiscal blueprint includes committee instructions for spending cuts and revenue adjustments:
Ways and Means: Enact at least $4.5 trillion in spending to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Energy and Commerce: Cut at least $880 billion, primarily from Medicaid.
Agriculture: Cut at least $230 billion, potentially expanding work requirements for SNAP.
Judiciary, Armed Services, and Homeland Security: Allocate up to $300 billion for border, immigration, and defense priorities.
Education and the Workforce: Reduce the deficit by at least $330 billion, potentially by repealing parts of Biden’s student loan debt relief programs.
Other Committees: Oversight must cut at least $50 billion, Transportation and Infrastructure $10 billion, and Natural Resources and Financial Services at least $1 billion.
House and Senate appropriators, including Chairs Tom Cole (OK) and Susan Collins (ME), are also negotiating a government funding deal ahead of the March 14 deadline. Senate Republicans, frustrated with the House’s slow progress, believe their momentum is pressuring the House to act. They anticipate that Trump will intervene if House leaders stall, increasing pressure to reach a final resolution. Without agreement, reconciliation—and Trump’s broader agenda—remains in limbo.
Click here to access the House FY25 Budget Resolution Total Spending and Revenues.
Click here to access the House FY25 Budget Resolution Discretionary Spending.
Click here to access the House FY25 Budget Resolution Mandatory Spending.
Department of Labor
On Wednesday, February 12, the White House unveiled four nominees for key positions within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), all requiring Senate confirmation. Henry Mack, a close ally of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former higher education and workforce chancellor in Florida, was nominated to head the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Mack’s nomination is significant, as ETA may play a key role under President Trump, handling workforce development grants and employment-based work visas amid the administration's restrictive immigration policies.
Daniel Aronowitz, president of Encore Fiduciary and a critic of excess fee lawsuits in 401(k) plans, was nominated to lead the Employee Benefit Security Administration. David Keeling, a former UPS and Amazon executive with expertise in global health and safety policies, was nominated for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Finally, Wayne Palmer, who previously served as acting head of MSHA during the first Trump administration and later worked at the Essential Minerals Association, was tapped to lead the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
In addition, former Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation hearing for Labor Secretary, was delayed due to winter weather and rescheduled for Wednesday, February 19. Chavez-DeRemer faces mixed support among members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Senator Rand Paul (KY) confirmed he would vote against her due to her support for the union-friendly PRO Act, making him the only known Republican opponent so far. Democrats Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE) and Senator Angela Alsobrooks (MD) also announced they would not support her nomination, citing concerns over the administration’s actions that they believe negatively impact their constituents.
Further complicating Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation, some Democrats, including Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (CT), have expressed hesitation over her stance on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), especially following the department’s attempts to access DOL systems. Senators Tim Kaine (VA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI) have met with Chavez-DeRemer and are awaiting further clarification on her position before making a decision. Chavez-DeRemer also faced scrutiny for her past work with Planned Parenthood. She clarified that it was a brief part-time job and emphasized she does not support abortion or plan to advocate for pro-choice policies as Labor Secretary. This issue had previously impacted her congressional run. If the "no" votes hold or others join them, Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation may be jeopardized, potentially stalling her nomination from moving forward in the Senate.
Department of Education
On February 13, Linda McMahon, nominated by President Trump for U.S. Department of Education Secretary, testified at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee hearing. McMahon is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and led the Small Business Administration (SBA) during Trump’s first-term. She served briefly on the Connecticut State Board of Education and currently sits on Sacred Heart University’s board. McMahon co-chaired the Trump-Vance transition and chaired the America First Policy Institute. She supports alternatives to four-year degrees, such as apprenticeships and expanding Pell Grant eligibility for workforce training.
At the hearing, McMahon reiterated her support for expanding postsecondary education options, including apprenticeships and career and technical education (CTE) and advocated for extending Pell Grants to short-term workforce programs — aligning with her focus on providing more career-aligned pathways beyond traditional four-year degrees. McMahon was questioned on a variety of topics, including school choice, teacher recruitment, Title IX protections, and loan forgiveness. She stated that any efforts to close the Education Department (ED) would require Congressional approval but suggested other agencies could take over ED’s programs, with states deciding how to allocate federal funds. Regarding workforce development, McMahon expressed support for expanding Pell Grants to include short-term certifications for skilled-based learning, particularly for students not pursuing four-year degrees. She noted that Congress is moving towards passing workforce Pell legislation. She also voiced support for Federal TRIO Programs, acknowledging concerns about red tape that hinder participation from first-generation, low-income students. She emphasized the need to streamline regulations to reduce obstacles. Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (LA) plans a committee vote on McMahon’s nomination on Thursday, February 20, with a full Senate vote to follow if approved.
Ahead of the hearing, Senators Andy Kim (NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (MA) submitted a letter with 65 questions about her views, including her stance on Trump’s call to close the department. While some conservatives support this idea, figures like former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and ex-Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam caution against it, advocating for a more limited role for the department. On Wednesday, February 12, teachers unions, lawmakers, educators, and advocates rallied near the Capitol to protest Trump’s proposal to eliminate the department.
Senate HELP Committee Republicans largely support McMahon’s confirmation, citing her SBA experience. At least one Democrat, Sen. John Hickenlooper, is focused on her support for apprenticeship programs, a bipartisan priority.
For the agency, Trump also nominated Kimberly Richey for the Office for Civil Rights, Nicholas Kent for undersecretary of Education, Jennifer Mascott for General Counsel, Kevin O’Farrell for Assistant Secretary for Career and Technical Education, Mary Christina Riley for Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs, and Kirsten Baesler for assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education. These nominations require Senate confirmation.
Kent, formerly Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Education, previously served as Chief Policy Officer at Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) and as Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education.
Mascott, a tenured law professor at Catholic University, founded the Separation of Powers Institute and Litigation Clinic. Previously, she was an assistant professor at Scalia Law School and co-directed the C. Boyden Gray Center. She has served in all three branches of government, including roles at the Department of Justice and the Administrative Conference of the United States. Mascott clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas and then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit.
Richey, a teacher and attorney, has held senior education leadership roles at the state and federal levels, including in the Oklahoma, Virginia, and Florida education departments. She served at the U.S. Department of Education under the Bush and Trump administrations and has consulted for organizations like Parents Defending Education.
Baesler, North Dakota’s elected state superintendent and the nation's longest-serving chief state school officer, is known for advancing personalized competency-based learning, the choice-ready accountability framework, and statewide efforts to improve student achievement.
O’Farrell, Chancellor for Career and Adult Education at the Florida Department of Education, oversees career and technical education, workforce programs, apprenticeships, and adult education statewide. He brings over 18 years of experience as an educator and administrator.
Riley, formerly Professional Staff for the House Education and Workforce Committee under Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC), has spent a decade in education and workforce policy roles in the U.S. House. During the first Trump administration, she served as Senior Advisor in the Department of Education, advancing the president’s higher education agenda.
Click here to watch a video of the hearing.
Click here to read a press release of the Department of Education nominees.
House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing
On Wednesday, February 12, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held the hearing “Career Ready Students: Innovations From Community College and the Private Sector.” Hearing witnesses included American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Preston Cooper; Wallace State Community College President Dr. Vicki Karolewics; Toyota Motor North America Consultant Dennis Parker; and New America Center on Education & Labor Senior Director Dr. Mary Alice McCarthy.
Click here to access a video of the hearing and witness testimony.
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