The House Committee on Appropriations voted late Wednesday night to advance an appropriations bill funding the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for federal fiscal year (FY) 2027. While the bill would make several significant cuts to education programs and impose new policy conditions, lawmakers also approved a group of amendments that would push back against several administration initiatives.
The Committee adopted two policy changes with bipartisan support as part of a manager’s amendment. The first would block portions of the regulations on federal student loan limits. Those controversial rules, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) pursuant to last year’s reconciliation bill, define the kinds of “professional” degrees with higher loan limits. The exclusion of nursing and teaching degrees, among others, from that definition caused concern among advocates who said they would discourage students from entering the programs. The Committee amendment would prohibit ED from promulgating any rule that does not define nursing as a professional degree.
The second policy change in the manager’s amendment would push back against ED’s reworking of TRIO programs, prohibiting the agency from making new grants that alter the “fundamental purpose” of the program supporting college preparation for disadvantaged students.
Democrats proposed a string of amendments that would undo the bill’s proposed cuts, including to Title I, programs serving English learner and migrant students, subsidized student loans and adult education, among others.
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) offered an amendment that would block the Office of Management and Budget from issuing or implementing its proposed Uniform Grants Regulation, which would prohibit federal grant funds from being spent on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or other “woke” initiatives. Speaking in favor of DeLauro’s amendment, Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said that “regulations being imposed across government are dangerous and misguided, and are meant to deter applicants, discourage grant funding,” calling it an “exercise… in authoritarianism that should have no place under our constitutional republic.” The amendment was not adopted, however.
The bill now goes to the full House for a vote. Lawmakers in the Senate have struggled to agree on total funding levels for their own proposal, suggesting long-term delays in reaching agreement on a final funding bill are possible.
The Bruman Group has updated its FY 2027 appropriations summary to include the funding amounts proposed in the House legislation.
