Week of July 27, 2020

• This week, both the U.S House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are in session for legislative business. Later this week, the House is expected to consider H.R. 7617, the Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The funding package includes the legislative text of H.R. 7614, the Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which includes $73.5 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education, an increase of $716 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $6.9 billion above the President’s budget request. Today, Senate Republicans are expected to release a series of COVID-19 relief bills that are expected to provide a second round of economic stimulus checks for individuals who make up to $75,000 a year; liability protections for businesses, hospitals, healthcare workers, and schools; additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program; and funds for elementary and secondary schools to help them reopen in the fall. On higher education, the bill is expected to include $30 billion for institutions of higher education based on full-time enrolled Pell Grant and non-Pell Grant students and the text of S. 4247, the Student Loan Repayment and FAFSA Simplification Act, to create two student loan repayment plans, down from the current nine plans: an income-based repayment option and a “10 year mortgage-like option.”
  

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