ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - November 24, 2025

Administration Continues Transfer of ED Programs to DOL

Washington Update

Appropriations

On Wednesday, November 19, House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (OK) met first with subcommittee chairs and then with the full group of House Republican appropriators to discuss their FY26 funding strategy. Following the meetings, Republican members indicated their desire to advance a smaller funding package before the end of the year and postpone the larger Labor-HHS-Education and Defense bills until early next year. Congressman John Carter (TX) said the goal is to move three smaller bills — most likely Commerce-Justice-Science, Transportation-HUD, and Interior-Environment — since the remaining measures did not clear the Senate committee this summer.

On Thursday, November 20, the top House Republican appropriators met again to discuss finalizing the remaining FY26 funding bills. Cole said negotiators are exchanging allocation proposals for individual bills while awaiting responses from Senate counterparts, though a full package has not yet been settled.

Appropriators from both parties indicated that agreement on “top-line” funding totals is essential for the largest bills. The Labor-HHS-Education and Defense spending measures together account for the majority of discretionary funding, making consensus on overall totals critical before detailed negotiations can proceed. Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, described the current process as a “holding pattern” until top-line numbers are finalized. He said both top appropriators and party leadership will play a role in determining these totals, coordinating with colleagues across the aisle and across the Capitol. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (ME) also emphasized that establishing top-line funding is necessary to begin bicameral negotiations, even as the Senate continues work on other funding legislation.

Department of Education

On Tuesday, November 18, the Trump administration advanced plans to reorganize and reduce the role of the U.S. Department of Education by transferring major programs to other federal agencies. Interagency agreements signed in late September outline the movement of programs across six Education Department offices to the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior, Health and Human Services (HHS), and State. The plan would disperse management of tens of billions of dollars in federal education funding, including postsecondary, workforce, and K–12 programs, and could take months to fully implement.

Earlier this year, DOL began taking over federal career, technical, and adult education funding from the Department of Education as part of a pilot effort to centralize workforce programs. The transition, covering $1.4 billion in Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (Perkins) funds, experienced delays and complications, including technical issues, communication lapses, and bureaucratic hurdles, compounded by the government shutdown. Several states reported difficulties accessing funds under the new system, which replaced the Education Department’s unified grant platform with two DOL systems. As of mid-November, roughly $228 million in Perkins and adult education grants had been distributed, though some states had not yet accessed their funding.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon defended the transfers, saying DOL’s systems are more sophisticated and that grantees have received support. She described the moves as initial steps to demonstrate how the department’s responsibilities could be redistributed ahead of any broader effort to eliminate the agency, which would require congressional approval. Some Republican lawmakers expressed openness to evaluating whether certain functions could be carried out more efficiently in other agencies, while emphasizing that permanent changes would require legislation.

Critics warned that transferring programs to agencies without subject-matter expertise could create confusion, inefficiencies, and reduced program effectiveness. They also raised concerns about oversight and potential disruptions to student outcomes, particularly for special education and student loan programs. Former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings noted that redistributing programs would not reduce federal bureaucracy and could complicate access to services.

The administration has justified some transfers, particularly moving postsecondary and workforce programs to DOL, as a way to better align federal education and workforce systems. DOL is set to manage major K–12 and higher education funding streams, including Title I and programs administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education, though staffing requirements have not been determined. The Education Department is covering some of DOL’s administrative costs for the transition. Lawmakers and stakeholders continue to monitor the process, which is expected to face congressional review and potential legal scrutiny.

Click here to read the Department of Education press release.

Click here to read the Department of Labor press release and fact sheet.

House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, November 19, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held the hearing “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways Through CTE” to examine how Career and Technical Education (CTE) can boost careers. Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (CA) focused on CTE’s role in addressing skills gaps and improving alignment between education and labor-market needs. 

Witnesses described how CTE programs help students progress more efficiently into postsecondary education and careers. Nicole Gasper, CEO of the West Michigan Aviation Academy, detailed how articulation agreements with colleges enable students to earn college credits through CTE coursework, reducing both time and cost. She also noted that operating within a STEM-focused charter school provides flexibility that supports innovation. Witness Kristi Rice, a cybersecurity teacher from Spotsylvania County Public Schools, explained how her program regularly updates course competencies in coordination with higher education and industry partners to ensure alignment with current workforce expectations.

During the hearing, Democratic members raised concerns about the Administration’s recent interagency agreements that transferred major CTE and Adult Education functions — and substantial associated funding — from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor (DOL), along with additional programs moved to the Departments of Interior and Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR) focused her opening statement on the potential consequences of these actions, arguing that the transfers could disrupt long-term education pathways, create administrative inefficiencies for states, and undermine progress made through the Perkins Act. She also noted that CTE’s recent growth and innovation have relied on bipartisan cooperation and state flexibility.

Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses emphasized that effective CTE programs strengthen pathways to employment by equipping students with skills aligned with real job opportunities.

Click here to access a video and recap of the hearing.

House Education and Workforce Committee Member

On Tuesday, November 18, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) announced the committee assignments of recently sworn-in Congressman Adelita Grijalva (AZ). The Arizona Democrat will serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. She won a special election to fill the seat formerly held by her father, former Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who also served on the Education and Workforce Committee and passed away earlier this year. Previously, Grijalva served for about 20 years on the governing board of the Tucson Unified School District.

Jobs Report

On Thursday, November 20, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the September jobs report, showing the economy added 119,000 jobs, exceeding expectations of around 50,000. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.4 percent. The report also revised July and August job figures downward by a combined 33,000, placing August in negative territory. Most of the data was collected before the government shutdown on October 1.

Due to the shutdown, BLS will not release a separate October jobs report. October establishment survey data will instead be included with the November Employment Situation, which will be published on Tuesday, December 16, at 8:30 a.m. ET. Household survey data for October could not be collected, and November survey collection has been extended to allow additional processing.

In addition to the monthly report, DOL resumed publishing weekly unemployment insurance claims data. For the week ending November 15, 220,000 initial claims were filed, consistent with the four-week average of 224,250. Analysts note that the weekly claims provide a more timely view of labor-market trends and indicate only a slight increase in claims, partly due to government furloughs. The release of this data offers context for ongoing concerns about layoffs in the tech sector and other industries.

Click here to access the full jobs report.

Click here to read Secretary of Labor Chavez-DeRemer’s statement on the September jobs report.

H-2A Visas

On Friday, November 21, the United Farm Workers union sued the Trump Administration over a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) wage rule that lowers pay rates for workers in the H-2A agricultural visa program by an estimated $5 to $7 per hour. In the lawsuit they argue that the rule violates federal requirements intended to prevent the guest-worker program from reducing wages for U.S. farmworkers. The Trump Administration implemented the rule in October, projecting that it would lower labor costs for agricultural employers by about $24 billion over ten years. The union contends the changes will reduce wages for both U.S. and H-2A workers, expand employer reliance on the H-2A program, and increase the number of guest workers by more than 120,000 by 2034. The lawsuit further alleges that the rule was issued without the required public comment period. A similar attempt to freeze H-2A wages in 2020 was blocked in federal court.

Labor advocates have long raised concerns about vulnerabilities within the H-2A program, including exposure to wage theft and unsafe working conditions. The Administration has argued that easing access to H-2A labor is necessary due to labor shortages in agriculture, though farmworker advocates dispute that assessment.