Building a Strong Foundation for TRIO in the 119th Congress
January 17, 2025 — by Owen Toomey
The 119th Congress officially began at noon on January 3. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was re-elected Speaker. On January 6, both chambers of Congress certified President-elect Trump’s victory without fanfare.
Republican leadership is still charting the path forward for the 119th Congress. However, priorities for the first few months include passing the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill by March 14 and using the budget reconciliation process to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax cuts. Cuts to discretionary spending will likely offset the tax cuts, so it is key that we continue to engage with all our Members and Senators.
With the new Members sworn in, there are now 63 new Members of the House and 12 new Senators. You can find information about each new Member of Congress here. If you’re unsure whether you have a new Member or Senator, use the House District or Senate lookup tools.
Many new Members have no experience with the Federal TRIO Programs, so sharing information about your programs and students is key. Inviting them to visit your programs and asking them to join the TRIO Caucus are great ways to turn a new Member into a TRIO supporter. You never know who will become a TRIO Champion! The better we engage now and the stronger the foundation we build with a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress and Senators, the better we can protect TRIO Programs and our students’ coming challenges.
On Tuesday, January 14, COE hosted an Advocacy 101 webinar where TRIO advocates discussed key strategies, best practices, and allowable costs. Watch the recording here.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact COE Director of Congressional Affairs Owen Toomey at [email protected].
Get in Touch
Questions? Contact COE Vice President for Public Policy Diane Shust.
Diane Shust
Vice President, Public Policy [email protected]
Owen Toomey
Director, Congressional Affairs [email protected]
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