President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative agenda has a somewhat clearer pathway to enactment now that Democrats have secured majority control of both chambers of Congress.
While gridlock — stemming from the incredibly narrow party divide in both chambers — is likely to curtail some of Biden’s most ambitious proposals, those that have bipartisan buy-in, including a number of higher education issues, are far more likely to see movement than they would have in divided government.
NASFAA previewed Democrats’ higher education plans prior to the 2020 elections. Those efforts include additional pandemic relief, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), expansion of the Pell Grant program, college affordability, and debt relief — as well as a change of course at the Department of Education (ED) by revoking a host of regulations promulgated by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Here are a number of dynamics to be aware of when it comes to implementing these agenda items:
Senate Majority Leader
Control of the Senate chamber means that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will likely be replaced by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and that the Democrats will take control of committee leadership.