Vehicles for Higher Education Act Rewrite Narrow as Congress Develops More Aid Packages – NASFAA
The novel coronavirus pandemic is forcing Congress to sort through what its daily operations will look like as lawmakers continue to assess the health and safety risks around in-person negotiations, further limiting the legislative route a rewrite of the Higher Education Act (HEA) could take.
Between the members, their staff, and the federal workforce that assists in the daily operations of the legislative branch, Capitol Hill serves as a ripe hotspot for COVID-19 and leadership are taking precautions as they plot out how to reconvene. While members had many legislative priorities for this session, including bipartisan provisions that could have been drafted as a part of an HEA reauthorization, progress on those big ticket items has now become murky as Congress focuses squarely on mitigating the economic damage of COVID-19.
The Senate resumed session this week, but will “modify routines in ways that are smart and safe,” according to a press release from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), that aims to outline the way in which the chamber will operate to adhere to social distancing guidelines.