Good evening,
The goal of this email is to provide a regular source of useful information to staff and faculty of the 樱花动漫 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
Roll Call 鈥 November 12, 2025
The Trump administration signed a short-term spending bill that ended a 43-day partial federal shutdown. The bill, passed by the United States House of Representatives on a 222-209 vote, funds the government through January 30 and includes full-year appropriations for the departments of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs and for the legislative branch. This includes funding for MU projects to include funding to support FAPRI, the Thompson Center, and for the Agricultural Animal Genetic Engineering and Health Facility.
Federal News
E&E News by Politico 鈥 November 10, 2025
The Trump administration unveiled proposed changes to the first-ever PFAS reporting rule, which requires companies to hand over private chemical data. The rule, originally finalized in 2023, marked the first time EPA solicited particular toxicity and use data from manufacturers, a key step to filling knowledge gaps about how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances impact human and environmental health. Under the , companies can avoid submitting data if the chemicals were manufactured in low quantities or for research and development purposes. The other proposed exemptions apply to imported articles, certain byproducts, impurities and nonisolated intermediates.
Inside Higher Ed 鈥 November 2025
The Department of Education鈥檚 Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee reached consensus on how to implement the student loan provisions included in H.R. 1, the reconciliation package signed by President Trump in July. Negotiators focused heavily on defining 鈥減rofessional鈥 and 鈥済raduate鈥 degree programs, since the law establishes new lifetime loan caps of $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for professional students. By the end of the session, ED and committee members agreed to recognize eleven primary professional programs including pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology, and clinical psychology, plus a small set of additional doctorates as eligible for the higher cap. ED will publish the negotiated regulatory language in the Federal Register for public comment before finalizing the rule.
2025 Congressional Calendar
Reviewed 2025-11-14