November 5,  2026

Leading the News this Week

Join our Upcoming Webinars!

Latest Action in Washington Live

Please join ACCT's government relations team TOMORROW, November 6, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET for our monthly update. You can expect to learn about the latest federal developments impacting community colleges, including the latest accreditation rule from the Trump administration and the political landscape post-midterms. Click here to register. 

Midterm Election Results: Impacts on Congress, the President, and Higher Education

Please join ACCT and our partners at Penn Hill Group on Tuesday, November 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM ET as they dive deep into the 2026 midterm elections and their potential impacts on the future of higher education. The election outcomes are set to shape government funding priorities, ACCT backed legislation, and other Congressional activity through the last half of President Trump's term. Click here to register.

Read on for more top federal news affecting community colleges.

News in Higher Education

2026 Midterm Election Results

Tuesday's midterm election results confirmed Democratic control of both the House and Senate for the last two years of President Trump's term. The change in leadership will bring new priorities, opportunities, and challenges to higher education and community colleges. Join our upcoming Midterm Election Results and LAW Live webinars, and read on for more.

New Leadership on Appropriations Committees

The Senate Appropriations Committee will switch to Democratic control, with Patty Murray (D-WA) as Chair. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) lost to Democratic challenger Troy Jackson. Sen. Collins previously protected TRIO and Pell Grant funding, blocked harmful Trump Administration regulations politicizing federal grants, and prevented attempts from the Trump administration to dismantle Department of Education (ED) offices. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) will likely be the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) will likely switch to Chair of the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee, and Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV) will likely switch to Ranking Member.

The House Appropriations Committee and Labor-HHS-ED Subcommittee will likely again be led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), with Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) switching to the Ranking Member position. Rep. Rob Aderholt (R-AL) will likely switch to become Ranking Member of the Labor-HHS-ED Subcommittee.

New Leadership on Education Authorizing Committees 

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will switch to Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), lost his primary this spring and will be succeeded in the seat by Rep. Julia Letlow (R). Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) may rise to Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, although this has not been confirmed.

With control of the House secured, Democrats are looking to earn key leadership positions, including on the to-be-renamed Committee on Education and Labor. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), the current Ranking Member, has already jumped to action, sending Education Secretary Linda McMahon a letter demanding departmental compliance with the Federal Records Act, warning of potential criminal penalties. Scott’s bid for Chair is currently challenged by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Jahana Hayes (D-CT). Hayes was the first to join the Chair race in September; Bonamici,  the Ranking Member of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, has discussed legislative priorities for the committee, including accountability for Trump administration officials and increasing affordability, citing gradually doubling the maximum annual Pell Grant from $7,395 to $15,000 as a top goal. Bonamici also described her desire to expand the Federal Work Study and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program.  Meanwhile, Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) will stay as the top Republican of the Education and Labor Committee.  Read more from Inside Higher Education here.

Congressional Freshmen and their Community College Ties

ACCT’s government relations team and interns have been monitoring election results and updating our preliminary list of new Senators and Representatives with community college ties, including: 

1. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA): Former trustee of Rio Hondo College.

2. Sen. Barry Moore (R-AL): Attended Enterprise State Community College.

3. Rep. Randy Villegas (D-CA): Earned his associate degree in political science from Bakersfield College; current professor of political science at College of the Sequoias.

4. Rep. Brian Poindexter (D-OH): Earned his associate degree in applied industrial technology from Cuyahoga Community College.

5. Rep. Johnny Garcia (D-TX): Attended St. Philips Community College.

Do you know a recently elected member of Congress connected to community college? Reach out to us at publicpolicy@acct.org!

This Fall: Invite Your Members of Congress to Campus!

ACCT's Toolkit to Host Congressional Visits

With dozens of new members of Congress set to join in January, community college leaders have an optimal opportunity to establish, strengthen, or renew relationships with new and continuing lawmakers that represent their campuses and advocate for community college legislative priorities.

Take a look at ACCT’s new Toolkit on How to Host Your Member of Congress, which offers strategies to strengthen relationships with congressional lawmakers. On ACCT Now, read the blog, Community College Advocacy Continues All Year Round: Invite Your Member of Congress to Meet Back Home!

Remember -- you can use this time to:

• Invite your Member of Congress to visit your community college.
• Meet your Member of Congress at the congressional district office.
• Attend a congressional town hall, parade, BBQ, or other event that features your Member of Congress.
• Host a nonpartisan candidate forum, town hall, or tour with your Member of Congress or candidates seeking election for that congressional seat. If you invite a candidate that is not yet in office, you must invite all candidates for that seat and provide equal time, without endorsement.
• Invite your Member of Congress to speak at a program graduation or annual commencement.

Please contact the ACCT Government Relations team with information and pictures of your visit: publicpolicy@acct.org. We would like to uplift your member of Congress’s engagement with your community college to inspire others.

Grant Opportunities

Please view ACCT's new resource highlighting top competitive grant opportunities for community colleges. These below are the top highlights:

Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Small Research Grant (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are accepting proposals for small research grants on the ethical, legal, and social implications of human genetics and genomics. The NIH is seeking to fund small projects (i.e. those with a single investigator) which directly involve key stakeholders in single or mixed methods research. Funding can be used for the collection of preliminary data or the analysis of existing secondary data, and particular interest is paid to projects engaging in normative or conceptual analyses, including legal, economic, anthropological, philosophical, and/or historical analyses of existing or emerging issues in the field of human genomics. The award ceiling is $50,000 and the application deadline is Monday, November 16, 2026. Learn more and apply here. 

Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting proposals for its Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program. This grant aims to facilitate multi-state partnerships to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through competitively funded initiatives and projects. The grant is intended to address regional and/or national specialty crop issues, including, but not limited to: food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crops-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion. USDA anticipates about 20 awards ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000. Cost sharing is required, and applicants must demonstrate 25%. The application deadline is Friday, December 4, 2026. Learn more and apply here.

Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Lifelong Learning is accepting proposals for the Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes grant programs. This grant provides institutions of higher education with funding to design and host residential professional development summer programs for faculty to develop their scholarship and teaching abilities in specific humanities subjects. Successful applicants will design and host the same program in the summers of 2028 and 2029, recruiting new participants each summer. NEH estimates 17 expected awards – proposed 1-week summer programs are eligible for up to $300,000 in funding; 2-week programs are eligible for up to $410,000 in funding; 3-week programs are eligible for up to $460,000 in funding. The deadline is Wednesday, December 9, 2026. Learn more and apply here.  

Collections Stewardship

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Collections & Infrastructure is currently accepting proposals for the Collections Stewardship, a program that aims to advance the preservation and availability of physical and digital collections crucial for research, education, and public engagement in the humanities. Projects may include conservations and preservation, digitization and description, enhancement of existing digital resources, and preservation services & education training. All public and private institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. NEH anticipates around 50 awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. Awards are available in three tiers: tier 1 consists of planning projects that range from $50,000 to $100,000; tier 2 consists of individual implementation projects ranging from $100,001 to $350,000; and tier 3 consists of implementation projects involving more than one organization ranging from $350,001 to $500,000. The application deadline is Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Learn more and apply here.

• Friday, November 6, 1-2 PM ET - ACCT LAW Live 
• Tuesday, November 10, 12:30-1:30 PM ET - Midterm Election Results: Impacts on Congress, the President, and Higher Education Webinar
• Tuesday, November 10, 2-3 PM ET - FSA FVT/GE, STATS Webinar #2
• Monday, November 16  - ELSI Small Research Grant Application Due
• Friday, December 4, 1-2 PM ET - ACCT LAW Live
• Friday, December 4 - Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program Application Due
• Wednesday, December 9 - Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes Application Due
• Tuesday, December 15 - Collections Stewardship Application Due
• Sunday-Wednesday, February 7-10, 2027 - National Legislative Summit

Outreach Efforts

Is your institution meeting or hosting an event with federal elected officials?

We created a Congressional Contact Form that will help us track outreach efforts of community college leaders across our membership. By filling out the form, you are better informing ACCT's advocacy efforts and our advocacy team is able to continue those conversations with congressional staff in DC. 

ACCT NOW is the go-to resource for issues affecting community colleges. Our new website features original reporting and research, as well as of-the-moment legislative updates. ACCT NOW also includes articles, reports, and research from outside sources that benefit the ACCT community. Read the Latest Articles on ACCT NOW:

Would you Like a Federal Update Session for Your Team?

Both this new presidential administration and new Congress have brought with them a flurry of developments in the federal landscape that can make keeping up a monumental task. ACCT's Government Relations team is here to help by offering a 45-minute to an-hour federal update session to community college leadership teams who are ACCT members. To request a session, fill out this form and please email publicpolicy@acct.org with any questions.

Have a Question?

Contact us with any questions or concerns about public policy and ACCT's advocacy on behalf of two-year colleges and two-year college trustees. ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts are sent to interested ACCT members to keep you up to date on important legislative activities that impact community colleges.

If you no longer wish to receive ACCT's Latest Action in Washington alerts, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. For more information about ACCT's advocacy services, visit acct.org/advocacy

Spread the Word.

Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the Latest Action in Washington (LAW) Alert network. To join, simply register here. 

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