Weekly Update: 3/9/20
Coronavirus
President Trump on Friday, 3/5, signed a bill providing $8.3 billion in emergency funding to combat the coronavirus outbreak….
The Department of Education launched a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information and resources web page for schools and school personnel…
School closures stemming from the coronavirus have begun escalating in the United States, with the 24,000-student Northshore district in Washington state announcing Thursday, 3/5, that it will close and shift to online learning for up to 14 days….
President and Administration
President Trump on Thursday, 3/5, said his administration will begin withholding funding from self-described sanctuary cities after a federal court ruled on 2/26 that the Department of Justice (DOJ) could withhold funding from cities and states that refuse to cooperate with the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants….
Today, 3/9, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced two new rules that are aimed at giving patients more secure access to and control over their health data…
Education
The Secretary of Education announced six priorities for discretionary grant programs that the Secretary may use in fiscal year (FY) 2020….
The Department of Education’s latest “Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA)” shows the number of students receiving special education services is on the rise….
The Department of Education announced opportunities for individuals to participate in the Department’s peer review process for reviewing applications for competitive grant funding….
On Monday 2/24, the Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced upgrades to StudentAid.gov, which now features new tools, providing students with detailed information about the grants and loans they have received and guiding them to a personalized recommendation for a loan repayment plan….
Congress
This week Congressional appropriations subcommittee begin their annual member days, which provided members and the public an opportunity to submit comments on appropriations priorities for the record….
Congressional leadership offices said there has been no change in the congressional schedule at this point, although numerous lawmakers are contacting party leaders with questions, concerns and suggestions for responding to the growing crisis….
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for a host of measures to help the economy: paid sick leave, enhanced unemployment insurance, expanding SNAP and WIC, increase medical response systems, reimbursement for coronavirus health costs, protections for frontline workers and widespread testing….
2020 Candidates
Although 102 national delegates are still to be awarded, on Super Tuesday Joe Biden won 10 states, including Texas, while Bernie Sanders won California. Since Tuesday, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg have dropped out of the race, leaving Biden, Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard still in the running….