As election night wears on, it remains uncertain which party will control Congress for the term starting next year. Although control of the Senate is considered a toss-up, analysts have set Republicans as strong favorites to take over the U.S. House of Representatives. A shift in control of either or both houses of Congress would mean changes for national education policy.
Dr. Kenneth Wong, Professor of Education Policy and Political Science at Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs
A Republican Congress’s prime educational target might be President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness program, which has attracted close to 26 million applicants so far.
“Congress controls the purse, right? So, I think they can certainly slow things down quite a bit in terms of this particular initiative,” said Wong. “There are different ways to do it. I think they could establish a new set of guidelines or procedures that really requires the Department of Education to comply. [That] could slow down the timetable.”
According to Wong, a Republican Congress might also give increased scrutiny to curricula involving racial differences and race relations as well as training on diversity and inclusion at institutions that receive federal funding. However, little substantive legislation is expected because bills that could pass the Senate and House would likely be vetoed by Biden. Rather, Congressional Republicans will wield their power in other ways.
“I think that Republicans, particularly in the House, will hold hearings on things that they want to bring to the public attention,” said Dr. Brendan Cantwell, associate professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University’s College of Education. “That may include sensational hearings on things that we've seen discussed at the state level: questions about critical race theory, transgender student rights, potentially even questions about faculty and staff political allegiances.”
These hearings may contribute to what Wong predicts will be a shift in the political climate that may disfavor those tackling issues of diversity.
