Republican Leadership Firms Up
As Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress in 2027 after the midterm elections, leadership changes are already beginning on Capitol Hill. This week, congressional Republicans decided who will lead their party in the new Congress.
In the House, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) defeated Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to become the next minority leader after current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced he would be stepping down from his current leadership role. In addition, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) will serve as Minority Whip while Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) will remain Republican Conference Chair. In the Senate, Republicans reelected Senator John Thune (R-SD), who will transition from the majority leader role to the minority. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) will remain Republican Whip, and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) will continue as Republican Conference Chair.
Final leadership decisions for Democrats will be forthcoming in both the House and the Senate, and are expected to take place in the coming weeks. Advance CTE will continue to monitor and report on leadership developments that will impact the Career Technical Education (CTE) community.
FY27 Appropriations Remain a Top Priority
Following the midterms, the path forward for federal fiscal year 2027 (FY27) appropriations still remains uncertain. As previously reported, Congress faces a December 11 deadline to complete the appropriations process or pass another continuing resolution (CR) to extend current funding levels for a specified period of time. This week, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) indicated interest in a shorter-term CR that would extend current funding levels into the new Congress. This would give the incoming, Democrat-controlled Congress a greater role in negotiating full-year spending bills, including the Labor-HHS-ED funding measure which supports the federal investment in CTE made through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) and other related education and workforce development programs.
Advance CTE is monitoring these developments closely and will continue to advocate for a strengthened federal investment in CTE through Perkins V as part of this wider process.
Senate HELP Committee Leadership Takes Shape
This week, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) shared expectations to become the next Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the 120th Congress. The announcement signals a transition from his current role as the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the current HELP Committee Ranking Member, is widely expected to become chair when Democrats take control of the chamber in January.
Advance CTE will continue to report on this transition as it will bring new perspectives to the committee’s oversight of federal education and workforce policy.
Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Regulations Could Expand CTE Opportunities
Earlier this fall, the U.S. Department of the Treasury proposed regulations for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) that outline requirements for the new tax credit established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). Advance CTE and ACTE are currently circulating a sign-on letter, calling on the Treasury Department to ensure this program’s implementation provides meaningful opportunities for public school CTE students.
The letter is open to national, state, and local organizations and can be joined using this link.
The letter recommends explicitly allowing scholarship funds to cover expenses related to work-based learning, dual and concurrent enrollment, industry-recognized credential attainment, and Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) activities. Additionally, it calls for greater flexibility in student eligibility verification and improved data use to make these determinations, particularly to improve access for rural and low-income communities. Comments on the proposed regulations are due December 1, 2026.
Odds & Ends
- This week, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed a national minimum work search requirement of five qualifying activities per week for unemployment insurance claimants, including training and skills assessments. This would be the first national requirement of this nature. Comments on the proposal are due January 11, 2027. Read the proposal here.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed expanding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements to more adults and removing exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth. This expansion was expected following the passage of last year’s OB3 reconciliation package. Comments on the proposal are due December 10. Read the proposal here.
