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Good afternoon,  

The goal of this email is to provide a regular source of useful information to staff and faculty of the ӣ������ regarding the federal government and higher education. We have put together a list of news articles that will keep you informed of the actions taken by the executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government. These articles are meant to be informative and are not a reflection of the views or stance of the system regarding these issues.  

If you would like more information regarding any of the stories we share, or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact Dusty Schnieders schniedersd@umsystem.edu and/or Emily Lucas el59bz@umsystem.edu.

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Capitol Hill News

The federal government entered a shutdown on October 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET after Congress and the White House were unable to agree on a continuing resolution. Non-essential federal operations are affected. Helpful resources for institutions:

• AAMC guidance on anticipated impacts:
• White House OMB agency contingency plans:
• OMB FAQs on government shutdowns:

Congressman Mark Alford Press Release – October 20, 2025
Mark Alford (R-MO-04) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) introduced bipartisan legislation on October 20, 2025, directing the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its “Small Business Development Centers” (SBDCs) to expand guidance, training, and outreach that will help small businesses evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence (AI). The bill responds to the risk that large firms are advancing rapidly in AI adoption while “Main Street” businesses lack comparable support; it aims to close that gap by leveraging existing SBA SBDC infrastructure (such as the “America’s SBDC AI U” program) to provide national access to AI-resources. For small business stakeholders, the legislation signals heightened federal attention to AI capacity-building and may shape future grant/outreach opportunities in the SBA network.

Startland News – October 16, 2025

Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) stressed that the United States’ advantage over China in artificial intelligence hinges on mid-sized and smaller tech firms — especially those in the KC Tech Council ecosystem — and called for cohesive federal regulation to avoid a fragmented state-by-state landscape. He voiced support for developing the workforce via lifelong learning models, strengthening domestic processing and energy infrastructure (notably small modular nuclear reactors), and ensuring smaller players are not locked out by large tech incumbents. Schmitt argued that regions such as the Kansas City area possess a “competitive advantage” with engineering and construction heritage and should leverage that to lead in the AI/data-economy space.

Federal News

The Hill – October 29, 2025
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island have ordered that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) must be funded using contingency or emergency reserves during the ongoing government shutdown, rejecting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to suspend payments to millions of recipients. The rulings highlight that even in a lapse of appropriations, the agency must draw on existing discretionary funds to avoid disrupting food-aid benefits, underscoring both the legal limits of executive discretion and the urgency of Congressional action to restore full funding.

Axios – October 29, 2025
As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Defense (DOD) identified roughly $5.3 billion in unallocated or earmarked funds to ensure service members receive their pay. These funds were drawn from three sources: $2.5 billion from a military housing fund tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, $1.4 billion from the Army/Air Force Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) account, and $1.4 billion from a Navy ship-building procurement account. With many other federal employees and programs facing funding lapses, this maneuver preserves troop pay while the broader shutdown continues. Legal and constitutional experts argue the redirection of funds bypasses Congress’s exclusive power of the purse under the Anti-Deficiency Act, setting a potentially concerning precedent.

CNBC– October 30, 2025
After a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea, China agreed to delay for one year the rollout of new export controls on critical rare-earth materials, causing U.S.-listed rare-earth mining and processing stocks to rally. Markets interpreted the deferral as a sharp reduction in immediate supply-chain risk for industries dependent on those materials, including defense systems, electric vehicles, and high-tech manufacturing. While the delay eases short-term concerns, analysts caution that China’s earlier restrictions remain in place and that the long-term structural dependence of the U.S. and its allies on Chinese rare-earth processing persists. The move underscores the strategic importance of diversifying mineral supply chains and strengthening domestic production and processing capabilities.

White House Briefing – October 27, 2025

The United States and Japan announced a new cooperative framework on October 27, 2025, to strengthen the supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements through coordinated mining processing and value chain development. The nonbinding agreement outlines shared goals to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers promote fair and transparent markets accelerate permitting technology cooperation and coordinate strategic investments. It also establishes a US-Japan Rapid Response Group led by the Department of Energy and Japan’s METI to monitor and address supply disruptions. For industry and policy stakeholders the framework signals heightened allied focus on securing end-to-end mineral supply chains and may drive future opportunities in joint ventures processing projects and government supported financing as both nations seek to expand resilient domestic and allied mineral capacity.

The White House – July 23, 2025
This executive order directs federal agencies to expedite permitting for large-scale AI and data center projects, defined as facilities with more than 100 megawatts of new electric load and related infrastructure. It prioritizes projects with capital investments exceeding $500 million or those tied to national security, streamlines reviews under the FAST-41 process, and expands NEPA categorical exclusions to reduce delays. The order also encourages the use of federal lands, including Department of Defense installations, and authorizes financial tools such as loans, tax incentives, and offtake agreements to accelerate deployment. Implementation will depend on how individual agencies apply the new provisions within existing regulatory frameworks.

2025 Congressional Calendar