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CFR Update, October 29, 2025

 

Government Shutdown Continues, but Pressure Ramps Up

The federal government shutdown is entering its fifth week, with little indication of serious conversations in Congress to reopen the government. However, the coming weeks bring several new pressure points that could force Congress to act.

  • Nov. 1: Americans will begin to feel the impacts of the shutdown much more acutely. The Department of Agriculture will run out of money for SNAP and WIC benefits, resulting in 40 million people losing access to food assistance. Open enrollment begins and Americans who purchase their health insurance on the federal exchange will see increased premiums due to the expiration of the ACA subsidies that Democrats have been urging Republicans to extend as part of shutdown negotiations. Head Start funding also runs out, and programs will close in many states.
  • Nov. 4: Elections in Virginia and New Jersey could show substantial political fallout for either party, incentivizing them to come to the negotiating table.
  • Nov. 21: The end date of the House-passed continuing resolution. The House has not voted since passing its CR more than a month ago, but after this date House leadership cannot reasonably keep the chamber closed.
  • Thanksgiving travel: As air traffic controllers and TSA agents continue to miss paychecks, flight delays and cancellations could become significant during the holiday travel season.

Additionally, the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, called for Congress to end the shutdown, putting new pressure on lawmakers and the president to resolve the stalemate.

AAU is still collecting information from our members about the negative impacts of the shutdown on your campuses; please send examples to [email protected]. AAU is consolidating shutdown resources here (login required).

 

Request Regarding Support for FAIR Model

During this week’s fall AAU membership meeting, AAU President Barbara R. Snyder encouraged presidents and chancellors to continue sending letters to their congressional delegations about the impact a 15% cap on indirect costs would have on their campus. While the release of the guidance on indirect costs from the Office of Management and Budget is delayed due to the government shutdown, letters from campuses are still needed to shore up congressional support for the FAIR model. AAU has created a template letter (login required) that can be adapted and sent to senators.

We ask that institutions copy Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA), chair and vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Senate majority and minority leaders, so they are aware of how strongly our universities support the FAIR model. We also ask that you send copies of your letters to AAU so that we can collect and share them with key members of Congress. Please share any recently sent letters with Meredith Asbury.

Institutions may also wish to sign on to the AAMC-led community letter in support of the FAIR model; as of October 27, the letter has been signed by more than 280 organizations, including several AAU member universities. The letter remains open for endorsement here.

 

AAU Joins Lawsuit Challenging $100,000 Fee on Certain H-1B Visa Petitions

On Friday, AAU joined the United States Chamber of Commerce in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the administration’s $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions. The complaint argued that the new fee is unlawful because it violates the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, exceeds the president’s authority, and is harmful to American businesses and universities.

The Chamber of Commerce and AAU also filed a motion requesting a preliminary injunction on Friday. In light of the ongoing government shutdown, the government requested that briefing on the motion be paused and reassessed when the government reopens.

In a statement explaining why AAU joined the lawsuit, President Snyder noted that the $100,000 fee hurts American colleges and universities that “hire H-1B workers to teach our students, drive cutting-edge technological and scientific research that benefits the nation and our economy, and offer top-notch medical care to all Americans.”

As a reminder, prior to filing the lawsuit, AAU sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asking the administration to reconsider implementing the proclamation or to “consider granting a blanket national interest waiver to the employees sponsored by U.S. institutions of higher education.” AAU also joined ACE and 30 other higher education organizations in sending a letter to DHS last week asking that U.S. institutions of higher education be exempt from the $100,000 fee.

 

House China Committee’s Krishnamoorthi Expresses Concerns Over Administration’s Immigration Policies

Earlier this month, House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sent a letter to the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor, and State expressing concern “over the Trump Administration’s changes to the H-1B, F and J visa process that will affect our competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).”

Krishnamoorthi noted that changes to the H-1B visa process would “harm both American companies and U.S. economic competitiveness,” while changes to the F visa process “would harm American technology” and “American innovation.” Changes to J visas, he said, “will irrevocably undermine American healthcare.” Krishnamoorthi noted that, in response to the administration’s changes, “Beijing is throwing its doors wide open with its newly introduced K visa … designed to lure young STEM graduates with no job offer required, no sponsor, and no employer control.” He added: “By undervaluing immigrants, we risk handing General Secretary Xi Jinping a strategic coup.”

 

AAU Urges DHS to Withdraw Proposed Rule on Weighted H-1B Lottery

On Friday, AAU submitted comments urging the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reconsider and withdraw their proposed rule, “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions.” The rule proposes implementing a weighted selection process for the H-1B lottery system that would favor the allocation of H-1B visas to beneficiaries at higher wage levels.

AAU’s comment letter noted that the weighted selection process would hurt our nation’s competitiveness by making it very difficult for entry-level and early career professionals, including international students educated and trained in STEM at U.S. universities, to obtain H-1B visas.

The letter pointed out that the proposed rule would raise the median H-1B salary by only 3% but would do so at the expense of significantly hampering “the recruitment and retention of talented professionals in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing that are key drivers of U.S. economic growth.”

AAU also joined ACE and 30 other higher education organizations in submitting a joint comment letter to DHS about the proposed rule. The Compete America Coalition, which includes AAU, also submitted a comment letter arguing that the proposed rule exceeds agency authority and should be withdrawn.

 

ED to Host Second Negotiated Rulemaking Session on H.R. 1

The Department of Education is hosting the second negotiated rulemaking session of the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee from November 3-7; you can register for the session here. The session will be focused on implementing the new loan provisions in the H.R. 1 reconciliation bill passed earlier this year. (The bill imposes a lifetime cap of $100,000 in borrowing for graduate students and $200,000 for professional students.) Additional information about the rulemaking session is available in Inside Higher Ed.

AAU’s CJ Powell will be facilitating daily email threads and debrief sessions to discuss the implications of the negotiated rulemaking on our members. Please reach out to CJ if you would like to join the daily debriefs and daily negotiated rulemaking threads.

 

SASC Holds Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Joseph Jewell for Assistant S&T Defense Secretary

Yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to consider the nominations of several defense-related positions, including the nomination of Joseph S. Jewell to be the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. Jewell is associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University.

In related DOD news, Politico reported (subscription required) that “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is convening a meeting of defense industry executives next month” and is expected to give additional speeches in December “unveiling the National Defense Strategy” and “one on innovation in January.”

In additional DOD news, the administration announced earlier this month that it would pay troops during the shutdown by repurposing “$8 billion of unobligated research development testing and evaluation funds” (RDT&E) from FY25. On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said that military members will continue receiving paychecks during the shutdown and The New York Times reported over the weekend that Timothy Mellon, a billionaire, has donated $130 million to the government to help pay troops during the shutdown.

 

Call for 2026 Golden Goose Nominations

Since 2012, with the support of a continuously bipartisan group of congressional leaders, the Golden Goose Award has honored more than 90 researchers whose federally funded research led to discoveries that have greatly impacted the American people. In 2025, award stories were covered by Politico, Forbes, The Scientist, and more. Previous awardees’ work has also been featured this year inThe New York Times, American Scientist, and Radiolab (an NPR podcast). The Golden Goose Award is now looking for the next story to tell.

If you know of a federally funded research project that has scientific and technical accomplishment; made an impact on society, the economy, and/or a field of study; and is serendipitous or obscure in nature or in name, please submit a nomination today for the 2026 Golden Goose Award.

To be considered for the 2026 award cycle, nominations should be submitted by December 12, 2025. You can find a recorded webinar, nominations toolkit, and additional details about the nominations award cycle on the Golden Goose Award website.

Please also help spread the word by sharing this opportunity across your networks. Every nomination helps us uncover another inspiring story of federally funded discovery.

 

Job Announcements

Rice University is seeking a director of federal government relations to serve in its Washington, DC office. The director will work with federal elected officials, executive branch officials, and their respective staffs; represent Rice in national, regional, and local coalitions and associations; develop strong relationships with the Texas congressional delegation, their staff, and other relevant members of Congress and congressional staff; and facilitate campus-based and D.C.-based events and visits.

Submit job announcements for inclusion in the CFR Update using this form: http://aau.cfr-job-postings.alchemer.com/s3/. 

 

Upcoming Events

NOVEMBER 4 CFR VIRTUAL MONTHLY MEETING; 1:30 – 4:00 p.m. ET; register here.

NOVEMBER 12 CFR HIGHER EDUCATION TASK FORCE MEETING; 3:00 p.m. ET; register here.

NOVEMBER 19 CFR INNOVATION TASK FORCE VIRTUAL MEETING; 2:00 p.m. ET; register here.

JANUARY 11-13 AAU 2026 STRATEGIC PLANNING CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN, TX; Registration and additional information available here.

CFR EVENT CALENDAR: Information about CFR events, including task force meetings and monthly meeting dates, can be found here. 

ICYMI

AAU President’s Report, October 29, 2025 (login required)

AAU Elects University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod as Next Chair

Shutdown Pressures Mount on Research Universities

White House Invites Universities to Provide Feedback on Higher Ed Compact

AAU Joins Lawsuit Challenging $100,000 Fee on Certain H-1B Visa Petitions