Congressional Hearings Focus on Higher Ed
Published June 02, 2025
By AACOM Government Relations
Federal Policy Higher Education OME Advocate
- Three congressional committees placed higher education front and center during May 21, 2025, hearings, some with contentious discussion.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee covered the rising cost of college and debt among borrowers and how reconciliation cuts impact higher education access.
- The House Education and Workforce Committee, Subcommittee on Higher Ed held a hearing highlighting differing views on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
- Critics raised concerns that DEI programs are unlawful, violate Title VI and that research should not be beholden to ideology.
- Supporters pointed to the importance of access and ensuring every student can succeed, noting the harm cuts have on marginalized institutions and populations.
- The House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHSE) heard from the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Republicans praised the Secretary for her progress eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse” while Democrats reminded the Secretary that she lacks unilateral authority to dismantle the department.
- For more information, see AACOM’s summaries of the Senate HELP Committee, the House Ed and Workforce Committee and the House Appropriations Committee hearings.