Delivered via email: December 13, 2024
As a new year and new Congress quickly approach, one of the Republican majorities stated priorities will be to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire in 2025. That effort may include a school choice tax credit, similar to H.R. 9462, the Educational Choice for Children Act. H.R. 9462 would allow individuals or businesses to get a credit of up to 10% or $5,000 of their taxes for making donations that provide education scholarships for students in households of income 300% of the medium gross income level. H.R. 9462 passed the House Ways and Means Committee in September with a vote of 23-16.
President-elect Trump is a proponent of school choice and recently nominated Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education. McMahon led the Small Business Administration in the previous Trump term and was the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). She is also the chair of the America First Policy Institute, a non-profit research institute that advocates for expanding school choice. Trump has stated that expanding school choice would be a top priority for the Department of Education under his administration.
Proposal to Eliminate the Department of Education
President-elect Trump has pledged to close the Department of Education. The Department of Education has numerous responsibilities, including overseeing the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) which is charged with protecting students’ civil rights. The Department also distributes all Title funds, including Title I, and funding for the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) which helps students with disabilities.
Eliminating the Department of Education would require an Act of Congress. Last month, Senator Rounds (SD) introduced legislation to eliminate the Department of Education and redistribute its work to other federal agencies. This is a complex issue and IASB will continue to monitor and update members.
Earlier this month, Senate Democrats re-elected Senator Chuck Schumer to serve another two-year term as leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus and re-elected Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for another term as Caucus Whip, which is the second-ranking leadership position in the caucus.
On November 13, House Republicans re-elected Representative Mike Johnson to be Speaker, and the Senate Republicans elected Sen. John Thune (SD) to serve as Senate Majority Leader. The House Democrats re-elected Hakeem Jeffries last month to be their caucus leader for the new Congress.
Interested in attending? Contact Alie Wagner at awagner@iasb.com to be notified when registration opens. We look forward to serving you and amplifying your voices in our federal advocacy efforts!
December Lame-Duck
After its Thanksgiving recess, the U.S. Congress is back in session this month with a priority of passing, before the December 20 deadline, new spending legislation to keep the federal government running. In September, Congress passed a temporary resolution to continue to fund the federal government until December 20. Members of the House and Senate have not come to an agreement on the federal budget for the current fiscal year. House Speaker Mike Johnson has made clear that he opposes an omnibus package to fund the government and has indicated that there will be another continuing resolution in the upcoming year.Hot Education Topics in 2025
School Choice Tax CreditAs a new year and new Congress quickly approach, one of the Republican majorities stated priorities will be to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire in 2025. That effort may include a school choice tax credit, similar to H.R. 9462, the Educational Choice for Children Act. H.R. 9462 would allow individuals or businesses to get a credit of up to 10% or $5,000 of their taxes for making donations that provide education scholarships for students in households of income 300% of the medium gross income level. H.R. 9462 passed the House Ways and Means Committee in September with a vote of 23-16.
President-elect Trump is a proponent of school choice and recently nominated Linda McMahon to lead the Department of Education. McMahon led the Small Business Administration in the previous Trump term and was the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). She is also the chair of the America First Policy Institute, a non-profit research institute that advocates for expanding school choice. Trump has stated that expanding school choice would be a top priority for the Department of Education under his administration.
Proposal to Eliminate the Department of Education
President-elect Trump has pledged to close the Department of Education. The Department of Education has numerous responsibilities, including overseeing the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) which is charged with protecting students’ civil rights. The Department also distributes all Title funds, including Title I, and funding for the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) which helps students with disabilities.
Eliminating the Department of Education would require an Act of Congress. Last month, Senator Rounds (SD) introduced legislation to eliminate the Department of Education and redistribute its work to other federal agencies. This is a complex issue and IASB will continue to monitor and update members.
House and Senate Leadership Update for Upcoming Congress
Earlier this month, Senate Democrats re-elected Senator Chuck Schumer to serve another two-year term as leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus and re-elected Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for another term as Caucus Whip, which is the second-ranking leadership position in the caucus.On November 13, House Republicans re-elected Representative Mike Johnson to be Speaker, and the Senate Republicans elected Sen. John Thune (SD) to serve as Senate Majority Leader. The House Democrats re-elected Hakeem Jeffries last month to be their caucus leader for the new Congress.
Looking Ahead: 2025 COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference
Mark your calendars! The 2025 COSSBA Federal Advocacy Conference will take place September 7-9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. More information will be available by May 2025, and we encourage IASB members to attend. Your participation is crucial for advocating for the future of education in Illinois.Interested in attending? Contact Alie Wagner at awagner@iasb.com to be notified when registration opens. We look forward to serving you and amplifying your voices in our federal advocacy efforts!