Federal Friday
- Department of Education: Victories for American Taxpayers: Trump Administration Reveals Top States Impacted by Federal Student Aid Fraud
- Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rule to Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Low Earning Outcomes
Hearings on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request
This week, both the House Budget Committee and the Senate Budget Committee held hearings on President Trump’s FY27 Budget Request. Each committee heard testimony from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought. If interested in reviewing the hearings, you can watch the archived broadcasts at the links below.
House Budget Committee Hearing
- Air Date: April 15, 2026
- How to Watch: Hearings and markups are available on the Committee’s website or YouTube pages.
Senate Budget Committee Hearing
- Air Date: April 16, 2026
- How to Watch: Hearings are available on the Committee’s website.
In the background of these hearings, both the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Appropriations have begun to notice hearings on agency budgets and release the initial FY27 appropriations markup schedule.
For more, you can review the House Appropriations Committee Schedule and the Senate Appropriations Committee Schedule.
Political Activity Guidance Reminder
As a reminder, as uncertainty continues around the federal landscape, Universities of Wisconsin employees should be mindful of political activity and public advocacy guidelines.
Activities such as sharing a petition or contacting a legislator for political purposes using your university email address or state resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time or engaging in political activities during work time are prohibited.
In your capacity as private citizens, on non-work time, and without use of university resources (including the use of university email addresses) employees may circulate or sign a petition or letter of support advocating for public policy or a political candidate. However, if using your name and official title, it should be made clear that an individual’s endorsement indicates neither support nor endorsement by the university of a particular policy position or candidate, and that you are acting solely in your role as a private citizen.
For more information, you can read the Guidance on Political Activities Frequently Asked Questions document. Importantly, these FAQs should be treated as general guidelines and not legal advice.
Please direct specific questions regarding political campaign issues to the Office of General Counsel or your university’s Office of Legal Affairs.