It’s been a busy time in Washington with tax reform in full swing and a Senate confirmation hearing for officials at both the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor. Read below to find out more about these updates and a new report from AASA, The School Superintendents Association and The Rural School and Community Trust, a recent op-ed by Rep. Foxx (R-NC) and the remarks from Secretary DeVos at the Future Farmers of America (FFA) National Conference and Expo.
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Tax Reform Bill, Senate Committee on Finance Marks up Senate Tax Reform Bill
On November 16, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” by a vote of 227-205. The Senate Committee on Finance began marking up its tax reform bill on November 13. While a final version has not been enacted, it is important to note that there are provisions in both bills (as currently written) that would have implications for CTE.
OCTAE Assistant Secretary Nominee Withdrawn
The nomination of Timothy Kelly, a Michigan state legislator, for the post of Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the U.S. Department of Education was withdrawn. Education Week reported that Kelly’s blog, which he maintained from 2009 to 2012, included offensive comments about Muslims, women in STEM and Head Start. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee had scheduled Kelly’s confirmation hearing for November 15. Dr. Michael Wooten will remain the Acting Assistant Secretary until another individual is nominated for Assistant Secretary and confirmed by the Senate.
Senate Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for Key Officials at U.S. Departments of Education and Labor 
On November 15, the Senate HELP Committee began the confirmation process for Brigadier General Mitchell Zais, USA (Ret.), who was nominated for Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education, James Blew, who was nominated for Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development at the Department of Education, Kate O’Scannlain, who was nominated for Solicitor at the Department of Labor and Preston Rutledge, who was nominated for Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the Department of Labor. You can find the hearing and written testimony from each nominee here.
In Case You Missed It
On November 15, AASA, The School Superintendents Association and The Rural School and Community Trust released Leveling the Playing Field for Rural Students, a report that highlights recommendations for Congress on how to support students living in rural communities, including leveraging CTE.
On November 7, Rep. Foxx (R-NC), Chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, penned an op-ed, Lyndon B. Johnson’s Vision for Higher Education No Longer Serves Students, that outlines four pillars for reforming the Higher Education Act (HEA).
On October 27, Secretary DeVos spoke at the Future Farmers of America (FFA) National Conference and Expo. Find her remarks online here.
Kathryn Zekus, Senior Associate for Federal Policy