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Good afternoon,  

The goal of this email is to provide a regular source of useful information to staff and faculty of the 91ԭ�� 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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Capitol Hill News

The federal government entered a shutdown on October 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET after Congress and the White House were unable to agree on a continuing resolution. Non-essential federal operations are affected. Helpful resources for institutions:

• AAMC guidance on anticipated impacts:
• White House OMB agency contingency plans:
• OMB FAQs on government shutdowns:

Axios – September 29, 2025

Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are introducing an AI risk evaluation bill. The Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act would house an evaluation program at the Department of Energy for advanced AI systems. Blumenthal and Hawley in July introduced a bill to protect content creators from AI, and last Congress they backed a bipartisan legislative framework to establish guardrails for AI.

Washington Examiner – September 27, 2025

Op-Ed – By Roy Blunt: The FAIR model, developed by the Joint Associations Group led by Trump’s former science adviser, Kelvin Droegemeier, offers a far better alternative that addresses long-standing concerns while preserving American research excellence. The FAIR model reflects input from scores of experts from across the research community, including those from private industry, nonprofit research foundations, and former Trump administration officials.

KTTN – September 24, 2025

Congressman Sam Graves’s office reports that congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump have advanced new resources aimed at strengthening health care access in rural communities across Missouri and the nation. The initiative stems from the Tax Cuts for Working Families law, which established the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. States are eligible to apply for funding intended to expand and stabilize health care services, improve delivery systems, and support the recruitment and retention of clinical professionals in underserved rural areas.

The Atlantic – September 29, 2025

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), introduced the . The SAFE Act includes amending the Sports Broadcasting Act to allow schools and conferences to pool media rights, an idea touted by some as a way to fund the rising costs facing athletic departments. Cantwell and other critics of the SCORE Act, have said it allows the Big Ten and SEC to accrue too much power and wealth. The SCORE Act would codify and bolster a new revenue-sharing system that was agreed upon by the NCAA and power conferences as part of a $2.8 billion settlement of three antitrust lawsuits this past summer. For the first time, schools are now permitted to directly pay athletes, with a cap of about $20.5 million this year.

ABC 17 News – September 16, 2025

Fort Leonard Wood was founded in 1941 and named after a former Army chief of staff. The base includes 5,400 active duty members and more than 12,000 of their family members, according to a U.S. military website. ICE has expanded its role in detaining illegal immigrants for deportation under the Trump administration, including lucrative bonuses for new recruits.

Federal News

Reuters – October 2, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture furloughed about half of its 85,907-person staff. The plans show the USDA will continue some operations deemed mission-critical, like administration of nutrition programs and food inspections. But much of its other work will cease, such as processing of farm loans and making payments to farmers, including billions of dollars in disaster aid contained in President Donald Trump's tax-cut and spending bill.

The Wall Street Journal – October 1, 2025

Nine initial schools are invited to join ‘compact’ banning use of race or sex in admissions, freezing tuition, capping international enrollment and more. The Trump administration is laying out a set of operating principles that it wants universities to agree to in exchange for preferential access to federal funds. The expansive 10-point memo, dubbed the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” puts forth a wide-ranging set of terms the administration says are intended to elevate university standards and performance. Universities that sign on will get “multiple positive benefits,” including “substantial and meaningful federal grants,” according to a letter addressed to university leaders.

Politico – September 29, 2025

The Trump administration is considering a proposal to divert plutonium that plays a central role in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile to fuel a new generation of power plants. The proposal calls for the department to alter the plutonium so it can be used by civilian power companies, including startups pitching advanced reactor designs. The initiative would involve harvesting plutonium on a large scale.

Executive Office of the President – September 29, 2025

OMB Director Russel Vought and OSTP Director Michael Kratsios issued a memo to federal agencies highlighting the administration’s FY27 research and development priorities. The memo identifies five key areas:

1. Maintain American leadership in critical and emerging technologies, including AI, quantum information, semiconductors, advanced communications, future computing, and advanced manufacturing.
2. Advance American energy dominance and explore new frontiers.
3. Strengthen American security.
4. Enhance and protect American health and biotechnology.
5. Ensure continued American space dominance.

It also outlines five cross-cutting priorities: implementing gold-standard science, building the S&T workforce of the future, expanding world-class research infrastructure, strengthening the U.S. science and technology ecosystem, and focusing on high-value research initiatives.

US Department of Energy – September 30, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environment Management Office (EM) and Office of Science (SC) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking proposals from companies to build and power AI data centers at DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation. This is a solicitation is aligned with executive orders, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and Unleashing American Energy, which leverage federal land assets to quickly deploy data centers and energy generation projects. Additional information on the RFP can be found on .

US Department of State – September 21, 2025

President Trump signed a that increases fees on new H-1B visas to $100,000. The proclamation, which went into effect Sunday at midnight, was accompanied by a . According to a on the proclamation, the increased fees only apply to H-1B visas petitions that have not yet been filed. Beneficiaries of petitions filed before the effective date, beneficiaries of approved petitions and those will valid H-1B visas are exempt from the fee, as well as for those workers whose presence is in the national interest. Whether the fee applies to cap-exempt employers remains unclear.

2025 Congressional Calendar

Tentative 2025 congressional calendar, subject to change.