The DC Digest-February 3, 2026

February 3, 2026

• Appropriations Update
• House Committee to Take Up NASA Reauthorization Act
• DOE Announces Realignment of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Programs
• Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Strengthen U.S. Leadership in Robotics
• House Education and Workforce Hearing

The DC Digest-January 30, 2026

January 30, 2026

• Appropriations Update
• Department of Energy Repeals Policy Capping Indirect Cost Rates
• Department of Defense to Merge Innovation and Science Boards
• Department of Education Takes Another Step Toward Finalizing Loan Limits
• H-1B Visa Pauses Advance in Florida, Texas

Winter 2026 Government Shutdown Updates

January 30, 2026

Tuesday, February 3rd–3:00pm

The federal government’s partial shutdown is close to ending after the House voted 217-214 on bipartisan lines to advance a funding package this afternoon. The measure funds most of the federal government through Sept. 30, while providing the Department of Homeland Security with short-term funding for two weeks. The House Rules Committee advanced the package yesterday upon its return from recess. Now, the bill heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign and officially end the partial shutdown. Congress has until Feb. 13 to reach a deal on funds for DHS.

Monday, February 2nd–1:00pm

The House returns to Washington today to take up a revised funding package aimed at ending the partial government shutdown that began at midnight Friday. Lawmakers will consider a five‑bill package passed by the Senate on Friday that would fund the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, and several others, along with a two‑week extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS remains the central sticking point as Democrats push for reforms to immigration enforcement practices at agencies such as ICE.

The two‑week DHS stopgap was a key Democratic demand, giving both parties until Feb. 13 to negotiate changes to immigration enforcement.

The House Rules Committee meets at 4:00pm Monday to begin moving the legislation to the floor, with final votes expected Tuesday.

Currently, the shutdown impacts nine federal departments, including those on the list in our previous update.

Friday, January 30th–3:30pm

The Duke Office of Government Relations (OGR) and Duke Health Government Relations are closely monitoring budget negotiations in Washington to assess the implications of a possible partial federal government shutdown for Duke and its activities. If such a shutdown occurs, it will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
 
To date, six of the twelve annual appropriations bills have been signed into law, and federal agencies funded through those bills would operate under normal circumstances should a shutdown occur. The agencies without a final appropriation for FY 26 that a partial shutdown could impact include:

• Department of Education
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of State
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Defense

The OGR is closely coordinating with several key offices, including the Offices for Research and Innovation and Finance, to provide updates to the Duke community and to outline contingencies in place should a shutdown occur. We will continue to monitor developments and communications from the federal agencies. Still, it is possible that official guidance will not be available until after the shutdown begins. As information becomes available, it will be accessible through Duke Today, the Office of Government Relations blog, and the live updates page of myRESEARCHpath. The current expectation is that any partial shutdown would be short-term. Duke Health Government Relations will inform health system leadership about the implications of a shutdown for patients, clinical trials, hospital operations, and medical and nursing education. As with previous shutdowns, we anticipate that Social Security and Medicare checks, as well as Medicare payments to hospitals, physicians, and other providers, will continue to be distributed. However, there is a patchwork of temporary statutory waivers for telehealth services under Medicare that, unless further action is taken, will expire on January 30. Duke Health Government Relations continues to advocate for the extension of telehealth waivers and any retroactive payments that may be due. 

Below are some additional resources that will be helpful if a shutdown occurs:

From Duke University on Research Projects:

https://myresearchpath.duke.edu/impact-federal-government-shutdown-academic-research

From the American Immigration Lawyers Association:

https://www.aila.org/advo-media/aila-practice-pointers-and-alerts/government-shuts-down

OGR and Duke Health GR will continue to monitor the situation and update the Duke community as further information becomes available.

The Duke Digest-January 29, 2026

January 29, 2026

• Duke Launches Global Higher Education Network
• A Nuclear Lab Turns 60
• A New Vision for Lymphatic Imaging
• And Much More…

The DC Digest-January 27, 2026

January 27, 2026

• Appropriations Update
• Department of Education Announces Plan to Launch Rulemaking on College Oversight System
• Department of Education Seeks More Time on Student Loan Forgiveness Decision for Students Impacted by Fraud

The DC Digest-January 23, 2026

January 23, 2026

• House Approves Remaining Funding Bills
• Education Department Drops Appeal of Court Order Blocking Anti-DEI Guidance
• New Education Department Status Report Shows Gradual Processing of IDR, PSLF Backlog
• Post of the Week!

The Duke Digest-January 22, 2026

January 22, 2026

• Backpacks Full of Hope, in Honor of MLK
• New Sensor Shows How Cells Keep Division on Track
• Why Exercise Doesn’t Burn More Calories — And Why That’s Not the Point 
• And Much More…

The DC Digest-January 20, 2026

January 20, 2026

• New Minibus Text Released
• Education Department Pauses Wage Seizures for Unpaid Student Loans
• NEH Announces $75M for Humanities Projects

The DC Digest-January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026

• Senate Advances Minibus
• Education Department to Send Higher Education Staff to Labor Department
• State Department Pauses Processing of Immigrant Visas from 75 Countries
• Trump Administration Has Revoked More than 8K Student Visas
• Post of the Week!

The Duke Digest-January 15, 2026

January 15, 2026

• Pain Relief Gets an Energy Boost
• Using the Physics of Radio Waves to Empower Smarter Edge Devices
• New Partnership between Duke, National Education Opportunity Network to Bring College Courses to Low-Income High Schools
• And Much More…