December Federal Policy Update

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What’s Happening in Washington

A summary of recent federal policy actions and a look ahead to the coming weeks

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Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy over November and December, and what’s in store as we wrap up the year.  

​​Closing Out the 118th Congress & Government Funding: The current government funding ends later this week, on December 20, 2024. This was already extended by a Continuing Resolution (CR), passed in September. The House of Representatives and Speaker Mike Johnson (LA – 4) have released a CR draft, aiming for legislators to cast a vote on Friday, December 20th. This stopgap funding measure would extend the FY2025 government funding deadline to March 14. It will include multiple provisions, including disaster relief aid in the wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helen and aid for farmers.  

Congressional Leadership Changes: With Republicans to take the Senate majority in January, Senator John Thune (R-SD) will take over from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in January as the Senate GOP leader. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will take over as Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) will take over as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Education. The Republicans will continue to have the House majority in January. Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-5) will be stepping down as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Representative Tim Walberg (MI-5) will take over as chair. Representative Bobby Scott (VA-3) will continue as Ranking Member of this committee.  

Celebrating 49 years of the IDEA: On November 29, 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. In 2024, we celebrate 49 years of IDEA. In 1990, the Act was reauthorized and renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, commonly known as IDEA. This law was established to protect the rights of children with disabilities, address their individual needs, and improve outcomes for them and their families. Key accomplishments include increased education in neighborhood schools, higher graduation and post-secondary enrollment rates, and improved employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. 

The DIPLOMA Act: Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Developing Innovative Partnerships and Learning Opportunities that Motivate Achievement (DIPLOMA) Act. This will provide states with the federal funding needed to help build strong state coalitions, organized to implement Community Schools, and strengthen school-community partnerships around comprehensive, evidence-based goals for continuous improvement for children and youth. 

IEL Policy Updates 

119th Congressional Policy Agenda: Co-design IEL’s 119th Congress Policy by the People Agenda with members of our network: This policy agenda will reflect the experiences and ideas of the hundreds of leaders we work with across our networks, including you, to tackle the most significant systemic barriers to equity in education. To provide your thoughts on what should be a part of IEL’s 119th Congress Policy Agenda, complete our survey. 

Events & Resources 

Register NOW for our 2025  Washington Policy Seminar (WPS)!  

  • Join us at the 61st WPS on March 17 to 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Started in 1964 by IEL, WPS is your front-row seat to inside the beltway federal policy and national trends. 
  • Open to the public for the first time ever, so register here!  

Webinars and Capacity Building Events 

New Research, Reports, and Analysis 

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