ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - September 29, 2025

Shutdown Threat Looms Ahead of White House Meeting​

Washington Update

Appropriations

On Monday, September 29, Congressional leaders are scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House as government funding is set to expire within hours. The meeting includes Senate Majority Leader John Thune (SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) and comes ahead of an expected Senate vote on a continuing resolution (CR) to avert a government shutdown. Earlier this month, House Republicans narrowly passed a CR that funds the government through November 21, but the Senate rejected it. Before leaving for recess, House GOP leaders requested a formal conference with the Senate on the three funding bills appropriations leaders are working to solidify — Agriculture-FDA, Military Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch. Bipartisan, bicameral talks are already underway for full year funding for these measures, though the scope and structure of negotiations remain in flux. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (OK) is hoping the bills will go to a conference committee — saying it would ensure the final bills are the product of bottoms-up negotiations and could help protect the bills from add-ons and deep spending cuts. 

Policy differences remain on broader spending priorities. Democrats are seeking to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end and to reverse certain health care cuts enacted earlier this summer. Republicans are prioritizing passage of a short-term funding measure before addressing additional policy items. 

On Wednesday, September 24, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to federal agencies instructing them to prepare for a potential shutdown with the guidance outlining contingency steps, including permanent workforce reductions, if funding lapses. The memo directs agencies to consider firing employees whose positions could be eliminated if discretionary funding lapses and their work lacks alternative funding or is not aligned with administration priorities.

Congress returns today with mere hours left before the funding is set to expire at midnight tomorrow. 

Click here to read the OMB memo.

Department of Education

On Thursday, September 25, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced two new proposed supplemental priorities for her agency’s discretionary grants — Meaningful Learning and Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness. These additions, which bring the total number of supplemental priorities to seven, will guide grant competitions to strengthen instruction, expand personalized learning opportunities and support career and technical education integrated into K-12 and higher education.

The Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness supplement emphasizes aligning education with workforce needs by supporting industry-recognized credentials, building the skilled trades, promoting sector partnerships, expanding pre-apprenticeships and work-based learning, and fostering talent marketplaces.

The Meaningful Learning supplement focuses on improving core instruction in mathematics, expanding high-quality instructional materials, implementing competency-based model, supporting interventions, tutoring, staffing innovations, and developing new assessment models.

Following the proposals’ 30-day public comment period in the Federal Register, the Department of Education will issue final priorities. 

Click here to access the press release and the supplemental priorities in the Federal Register. 

Workforce Legislation

On Tuesday, September 23, Congressman Lloyd Smucker reintroduced the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (HR 5494) and the USA Workforce Investment Act (HR 5493).

The bipartisan Essential Workers for Economic Advancement (EWEA) Act aims to address workforce shortages while safeguarding employment opportunities for American workers. It would create a new H-2C nonimmigrant visa for employers that can prove a job opening has gone infilled for three consecutive months in an area where the unemployment rate is 7.9 percent or less. The temporary visas will be valid for three years with two potential three-year visa renewals. The EWEA would offer 65,000 visas during the first year and would vary between 45,000 and 85,000 in subsequent years, depending on economic and market conditions.

The USA Workforce Investment Act encourages charitable donations for community-based apprenticeship initiatives, career and technical education, workforce development, and K-12 educational preparedness. It would provide a tax credit of up to $1,700 annually for cash donations to eligible nonprofit organizations that offer workforce development or apprenticeship training programs. Currently, 40 percent of business leaders say college graduates are unprepared to enter the workforce, but the federal government only spends $28.2 billion on career and technical college and training.

Click here to access the full press release on both bills.