Good morning,
The goal of this email is to provide a regular source of useful information to staff and faculty of the Â鶹Éç regarding the federal government and higher education. We have put together a list of news articles that will keep you informed of the actions taken by the executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government. These articles are meant to be informative and are not a reflection of the views or stance of the system regarding these issues.
If you would like more information regarding any of the stories we share, or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to contact Dusty Schnieders schniedersd@umsystem.edu and/or Emily Lucas el59bz@umsystem.edu.
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Appropriations News
House Appropriations – June 11, 2026
The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee advanced its FY27 Defense Appropriations bill, with Chairman Ken Calvert emphasizing that the measure provides the resources needed to keep the U.S. military prepared for modern and future conflicts. The bill sets a $1.072 trillion topline for the Pentagon and prioritizes munitions, weapons production, advanced technology, defense innovation programs such as the Defense Innovation Unit and APFIT, and efforts to strengthen the defense industrial base. Chairman Tom Cole said the legislation reinforces deterrence by investing in readiness, modernization, warfighter capability, and quality of life for servicemembers and their families, sending a clear message that the United States intends to maintain military superiority. The topline aligns with the administration’s broader push for a record $1.5 trillion defense budget when paired with the $350 billion being pursued through a potential third reconciliation package. The bill funds the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at $5.1 billion, a $722 million, or 16 percent, increase from FY26 enacted levels, while funding Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs at $916.5 million, a $353.5 million, or 27 percent, decrease from FY26 enacted levels.
A summary of the bill is available .
Bill text is available .
House Appropriations – June 9, 2026
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by a 34-28 vote, advancing a $189.3 billion discretionary funding bill that is $5.6 billion, or 3 percent, below the FY26 enacted level. The bill maintains key investments in biomedical research, biodefense, rural health, public health preparedness, mental health and substance abuse programs, while also streamlining duplicative programs and returning more education authority to the states. The bill includes $48.8 billion for biomedical research, increases funding for medical countermeasures, domestic production of critical medicines, CDC readiness programs, the 988 Lifeline, and adoption programs, school accountability, federal workforce reforms, and limits on certain health and social service spending.
Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available .
Bill report, before adoption of amendments, is available .
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available .
Higher Ed Dive – June 10, 2026
The House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill that would designate graduate nursing programs as professional degrees, meaning students in those programs would have higher loan limits. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education released regulations that excluded graduate nursing programs, among other programs, from its list of professional degrees. The designation allows students to take out up to $200,000 in federal student loans — double that for other graduate programs. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have argued the Education Department’s final list of professional degrees was too narrow and would worsen shortages of healthcare workers. The regulations have already spurred at least three lawsuits.
Capitol Hill News
Congress faces a packed and increasingly complicated week as lawmakers wrestle with a looming expiration of FISA Section 702, growing divisions over defense spending, and a stalled FY27 appropriations process. House and Senate Democrats are opposing even a short-term extension of the warrantless surveillance authority, which expires Friday at midnight, amid concerns over President Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
At the same time, Trump is urging Republicans to advance a new $350 billion defense-focused reconciliation package (Recon 3.0) as part of his push for a much larger $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, even as GOP leaders face skepticism from appropriators and uncertainty over whether the package can survive Senate rules or secure enough votes. The debate is unfolding against the backdrop of ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran and Venezuela, with lawmakers in both parties still seeking cost estimates from the White House.
Meanwhile, the FY27 appropriations process remains strained, with House Republicans advancing a $1.07 trillion defense bill and Senate appropriators still far apart on overall spending levels, raising broader questions about whether reconciliation is continuing to weaken the traditional appropriations process.
Delegation News
The Hill – June 11, 2026
Sen. Eric Schmitt earned a memorable highlight this week after making ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Top 10 plays for a diving catch during the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park. The Missouri Republican laid out along the left field foul line to haul in a fly ball, then got up with a bloody nose as the crowd cheered. Schmitt’s catch helped energize the GOP team, which went on to defeat the Democrats 11-2 and secure its sixth straight win in the annual charity matchup.
Congressman Mark Alford – June 10, 2026
Congressman Mark Alford praised the FY27 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill after its passage out of the House Appropriations Committee, highlighting its focus on biomedical research, rural health care, workforce training, biodefense, domestic manufacturing, mental health, and skilled trades. The bill includes $2.8 million secured by Alford for Fourth District health care projects, including $1 million for Jordan Valley Community Health in Lebanon to help build a new 25,000-square-foot facility, $1 million for Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar to modernize its emergency medical service system, $500,000 for Compass Health in Nevada to support a new integrated health care clinic and 24/7 Behavioral Health Crisis Center, $100,000 for Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler for a new HVAC system, $100,000 for Mercy Hospital in Lebanon to upgrade mammography imaging equipment, and $100,000 for Preferred Family Healthcare in Columbia to consolidate three FQHC clinic sites into one community clinic.
Congressman Wesley Bell – June 9, 2026
Representative Wesley Bell (D-MO-01) announced his appointment to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The announcement follows the House Democratic Caucus’s unanimous support of his appointment to the committee. Congressman Bell currently serves and will continue to serve on the House Oversight and Government Reform and Armed Services Committees. Foreign Affairs subcommittee assignments are yet to be announced.
Senator Josh Hawley – June 9, 2026
In his op-ed, Sen. Josh Hawley argues that artificial intelligence is not inherently good or bad, but that its impact will depend on whether the federal government sets clear rules to protect American workers, families, and communities. Using local concerns over a proposed AI data center in Festus, Missouri, as a starting point, Hawley says policymakers must address three major issues: job disruption, the strain data centers place on energy and water resources, and the safety risks AI products can pose to children. He criticizes Silicon Valley for prioritizing profit and technological control over community interests, and calls for binding legal requirements to protect workers, prevent families from bearing the costs of AI infrastructure, and hold companies accountable when AI products harm minors. Hawley frames the broader debate as a question of self-government, arguing that Americans must decide now what kind of country AI will help build.
Congressional Calendar
House Appropriations Committee Releases FY27 Markup Schedule
The House Committee on Appropriations Chair Tom Cole released the markup schedule for FY2027 appropriations bills.
Defense
- at 11am on Wednesday, June 24