ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - June 15, 2026

House Leaves for Recess While Senate Appropriations Process Stalls

Washington Update​

Appropriations

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-Education) funding bill, which includes significant reductions to workforce and education programs, and also approved the Homeland Security appropriations measure. Both bills advanced along party-line votes before the House departed for a scheduled recess.

In the Senate, the appropriations process remains at a standstill. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (ME) postponed full committee markups for a second consecutive week amid disagreements over overall defense and nondefense spending levels. Negotiations continue as lawmakers work to reach a broader funding agreement. 

With budget reconciliation no longer expected to be used for appropriations, Congress will need to reach bipartisan agreement on topline spending levels through the regular appropriations process. Lawmakers face increasing pressure as they work to complete funding bills before the current fiscal year ends and avoid a government shutdown. 

Senate HELP Subcommittee Hearing

On Tuesday, June 16, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Education & the American Family will hold the hearing “The Future of K-12 Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Witnesses for the hearing include QuantHub CEO Joshua Jones, InnovateEDU and EDSAFE AI Alliance CEO Erin Mote, and Delaware Department of Education Secretary of Education Cynthia (Cindy) Marten.

Click here to access a livestream of the hearing.

Head Start Programs

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services closed the public comment period on a proposed rule that would roll back wage and benefits requirements for Head Start programs. The proposal would rescind provisions finalized during the Biden administration that were intended to increase educator compensation, establish salary scales for staff, and move toward pay parity between Head Start and public school pre-K educators.

The Biden-era rule, which programs would have until 2031 to fully implement, was designed to improve recruitment and retention in the Head Start workforce. However, implementation would require significant additional federal funding, and program appropriations have remained relatively flat in recent years. The Trump administration argues that the existing requirements limit program flexibility and could force providers to reduce enrollment or services if additional funding is not provided. Federal officials have cited concerns that compliance costs could result in fewer available Head Start slots nationwide.

On Wednesday, June 10, more than 30 members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus submitted a public comment letter opposing the proposed rule. The lawmakers argued that removing the wage and benefits requirements could further strain the early childhood education workforce and affect the availability of Head Start services for low-income families. 

The proposal is currently under review following the close of the public comment period.

Click here to access the proposed rule.

Click here to access the Democratic Women’s Caucus letter.

Community College Agriculture Advancement Act

On Wednesday, June 10, a bipartisan group of senators reintroduced the Community College Agriculture Advancement Act, which would expand federal support for agricultural education and workforce development programs at community and technical colleges. 

The legislation would establish a competitive U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant program, authorizing $20 million to help community colleges develop and expand agriculture-related workforce training, education, research, and outreach programs. Nearly 1,100 community colleges nationwide would be eligible to compete for funding.

The bill would prioritize institutions that partner directly with local agricultural employers to provide hands-on training and experiential learning opportunities. Eligible activities would include programs in precision agriculture, natural resource management, agribusiness, and farm business management, including finance and accounting. It aims to address growing workforce needs in the agricultural sector by expanding access to career training and modernizing educational programs at two-year institutions, particularly in rural communities. It would amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to provide community colleges with greater access to federal agricultural education funding.

Click here to access the press release on the bill.