ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - October 19, 2026

Midterm Elections Could Shape FY27 Funding Battle

Appropriations/Midterms

On Monday, November 9, lawmakers are scheduled to return to Washington following the November 3 midterm elections, with completion of FY27 appropriations expected to be a primary focus of the lame-duck session. In September, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government through December 11, but none of the 12 regular appropriations bills have passed. The House has passed three spending bills, while the Senate has yet to advance any of its versions.The election results could shape whether lawmakers seek to complete appropriations during the lame-duck session or defer some funding decisions to the next Congress, which convenes in January. 

Senator Bernie Moreno (OH) has urged Republicans to consider canceling the Thanksgiving recess if they lose their congressional majorities, arguing for a more aggressive lame-duck agenda. If Congress does not enact full-year appropriations or another CR before December 11, federal agencies could face a funding lapse beginning December 12.

Department of Education

On Tuesday, October 13, Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (WA) and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Ranking Member Tammy Baldwin (WI) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon urging her to reverse the administration’s practice of awarding multiple years of grant funding upfront, a process known as “frontloading.” 

In the letter, the Senators said the approach reduces the number of schools and students receiving federal support and could have prevented more than 1,000 additional grants from being awarded. The Department of Education (ED) awarded 40 new Child Care Access Means Parents in School grants in FY26, compared with an estimated 148, and four Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants, compared with an estimated 25–35. ED also awarded 16 Supporting Effective Educator Development grants, approximately half of the 30 initially anticipated. 

The Administration said the changes support its effort to return education responsibilities to states and wind down the Department of Education. Murray and Baldwin also raised concerns about a separate proposal that would allow the education secretary to terminate multiyear grants “for convenience,” arguing that it could undermine grantees’ ability to plan, hire staff and provide congressionally funded services.

Click here to access the full letter.

Advanced Manufacturing Jobs in America Act of 2026

On Thursday, October 15, Representatives Norma Torres (CA) and Chuck Fleischman (TN) introduced the bipartisan Advanced Manufacturing Jobs in America Act of 2026 to expand workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities in advanced manufacturing. The legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to establish pilot projects bringing together community colleges, state and tribal colleges, workforce development boards, advanced manufacturers, Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers and other eligible organizations to provide classroom instruction, hands-on learning, on-the-job training, and registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. 

The programs would prioritize dislocated and unemployed workers and help participants earn recognized postsecondary credentials. Inspired by the InTech Center at Chaffey College in Fontana, California, the bill builds on a public-private partnership that provides technical training at no cost and works with more than 70 regional employers. The legislation would amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to support similar partnerships and strengthen the pipeline of skilled workers for advanced manufacturing careers.

Click here to access the full press release and learn more about the bill.

House Education and Workforce Committee Field Hearing

On Friday, October 23, at 10:00 a.m. ET, the House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a field hearing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania titled “More Choices, Brighter Futures: Expanding Educational Freedom.”

Click here to learn more about the field hearing.