Letter from President Rothman to Congressional Delegation on Federal Budget Impact
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman sent a letter to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation expressing concern related to the proposed cuts to federal financial aid and federal research agencies contained within President Trump’s FY26 Discretionary Budget Request. The letter asks for Congress to keep these concerns in mind as they draft and consider their FY26 appropriations legislation.
Senate HELP Committee’s Reconciliation Bill Text
On June 10, Chairman Cassidy released the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee’s reconciliation legislation. You can view the, news release, legislative text and a section by section review of the legislation if interested in reading more.
At the time of the release, Chairman Cassidy said, “American higher education has lost its purpose. Students are graduating with degrees that won’t get them a job and insurmountable debt that they can’t pay back. We need to fix our broken higher education system, so it prioritizes student success and ensures Americans have the skills to compete in a 21st century economy. President Trump and Senate Republicans are focused on delivering results for American families and this bill does just that. While Biden and Democrats unfairly attempted to shift student debt onto taxpayers that chose not to go to college, Republicans are taking on the root causes of the student debt crisis to lower the cost of tuition and improve Americans’ access to opportunities that set them up for success.”
As Congress continues to debate reconciliation and a path forward becomes clearer, details on the legislation and our sustained advocacy will continue to be shared with your designated university legislative liaison.
Federal Updates Website Refreshed
The Federal Updates website has been updated to incorporate changes based on user experience information. The site features the weekly Federal Friday Updates and UW Communication on the federal issues. The site includes information on some key areas of focus: International and Immigration, Financial Aid, and Research and Grants and includes a quick link to the Universities of Wisconsin Litigation Update.
Recent Federal Actions
- Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Welcomes Trump-Vance Appointees
- Committee on Education and Workforce: Chair Walberg Leads Letter Investigating Discrimination in Harvard Hiring
- Committee on Education and Workforce: Education and Workforce Committee Deepens Sarah Lawrence Investigation Amid Reports of Hostile, Antisemitic Environment