Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Virtual Events
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    Hands-On Career Preparation
    An AI-Driven Work Force
    Alternative Pathways
Sign In
Policy and Politics

A Democratic-Controlled Senate ‘Will Change Everything’ but ‘Guarantee Nothing’ for Higher Ed

By Eric Kelderman January 7, 2021
Democratic candidates for Senate Jon Ossoff (L), Raphael Warnock (C) and US President-elect Joe Biden (R) stand on stage during a rally outside Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 4, 2021. - President Donald Trump, still seeking ways to reverse his election defeat, and President-elect Joe Biden converge on Georgia on Monday for dueling rallies on the eve of runoff votes that will decide control of the US Senate. Trump, a day after the release of a bombshell recording in which he pressures Georgia officials to overturn his November 3 election loss in the southern state, is to hold a rally in the northwest city of Dalton in support of Republican incumbent senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Biden, who takes over the White House on January 20, is to campaign in Atlanta, the Georgia capital, for the Democratic challengers, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — who won their runoff elections in Georgia this week — and President-elect Joe Biden stand on stage during a rally in Atlanta on January 4.JIM WATSON, AFP via Getty Images

A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate spells some good news for the higher-education agenda of President-elect Joseph R. Biden as well as more emergency money for colleges to offset the financial losses of the pandemic.

But a closely divided Congress will make it hard for the majority party to pass any major legislation, like a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, or push through enough money for widespread student-loan forgiveness or a federal free-college program.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate spells some good news for the higher-education agenda of President-elect Joseph R. Biden as well as more emergency money for colleges to offset the financial losses of the pandemic.

But a closely divided Congress will make it hard for the majority party to pass any major legislation, like a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, or push through enough money for widespread student-loan forgiveness or a federal free-college program.

Two Democratic candidates for the Senate have won their runoff elections in Georgia this week, which would mean both parties will hold 50 seats. Control of that chamber, however, will go to the Democrats because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, also a Democrat. The party also has a narrow majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“If the Democrats take control of the Senate, it will change everything, but it will guarantee nothing,” said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education.

One clear advantage of having a Democratic majority in the Senate, Hartle said, is that they should be able to confirm all of Biden’s cabinet choices and other positions that require the chamber’s approval. The president-elect is nominating Miguel A. Cardona, currently Connecticut’s commissioner of education, to be the U.S. secretary of education.

Senate Democrats will also name the leadership of the chamber’s committees and set the legislative agenda choosing what bills will advance to the floor for a vote. That means Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, will be the likely leader of the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Murray is considered a staunch ally of higher education and more welcome than the likely Republicans who would have held that post if the GOP retained control of the chamber.

“Community-college leaders eagerly anticipate Senator Murray as incoming HELP Committee chair, as she thoroughly understands our students’ needs and has been a stalwart supporter of the institutions,” David S. Baime, senior vice president for government relations and policy analysis for the American Association of Community Colleges, said in an email.

Higher-education organizations have a long wish list for Congress, including more stimulus money to offset the economic damage of the pandemic, doubling the amount of the Pell Grant, a program to provide some sort of tuition- or debt-free college, and passage of the Dream Act to protect the residency of undocumented minors.

But higher-education leaders shouldn’t expect a wide raft of higher-education legislation to breeze through the chamber, said Rebecca S. Natow, an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at Hofstra University. The filibuster, which allows senators to indefinitely delay a final vote on a bill, is still in place in the Senate, Natow said, and Democrats are unlikely to get the 60 votes needed to limit debate on most bills.

ADVERTISEMENT

In many cases it will be difficult to unify all 50 Democrats on a single piece of legislation, she said, such as a full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that deals with complex issues like Title IX enforcement.

Tamara Hiler, director of education at Third Way, said there are some ways that Congress can enact higher-education policy through other bills, including another stimulus package and the budget process. “There will be some sort of conversation about reauthorization [of the Higher Education Act], but the fact that reconciliation is back on the table means we could see smaller pieces of legislation get through,” she said.

The stimulus bill that passed in December, for example, included significant changes to the student financial-aid programs along with nearly $23 billion for colleges and students.

A special kind of legislation, called budget reconciliation, is not subject to the filibuster and could also be used to push through some policy changes that would have trouble gaining 60 votes in the Senate, Hiler said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Julie Peller, executive director of Higher Learning Advocates, a bipartisan group that advocates for policies to improve student success, said that reconciliation is a possibility for some policy and spending changes, but the rules around that legislation also have strict limits. No new programs can be created, so that would probably rule out spending for a free-college program, she said.

And Democrats will have to deal with rules that require spending increases to be offset by cuts in other areas, she said. “So a broad package that includes student-loan forgiveness, for example, may be difficult to achieve through reconciliation,” Peller said, “unless those rules are sidestepped or spending cuts are found and agreed to.”

Hartle, of the American Council on Education, also expects Democrats to use reconciliation for the next economic-stimulus package. But even without the possibility of filibuster, the process will be laden with big expectations and difficult negotiations to keep all the Democrats unified.

“Budget reconciliation could be used if they can agree what they want to put in it,” Hartle said, “but there will be a pressure to put everything they want into a single bill.”

A version of this article appeared in the January 22, 2021, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Tags
Law & Policy Political Influence & Activism
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
Eric Kelderman
About the Author
Eric Kelderman
Eric Kelderman covers issues of power, politics, and purse strings in higher education. You can email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com, or find him on Twitter @etkeld.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Graphic vector illustration of a ship with education-like embellishments being tossed on a black sea with a Kraken-esque elephant trunk ascending from the depth against a stormy red background.
Creeping concerns
Most Colleges Aren’t a Target of Trump (Yet). Here’s How Their Presidents Are Leading.
Photo-based illustration of calendars on a wall (July, August and September) with a red line marking through most of the dates
'A Creative Solution'
Facing Federal Uncertainty, Swarthmore Makes a Novel Plan: the 3-Month Budget
Marva Johnson is set to take the helm of Florida A&M University this summer.
Leadership & governance
‘Surprising': A DeSantis-Backed Lobbyist Is Tapped to Lead Florida A&M
Students and community members protest outside of Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Campus Activism
One Year After the Encampments, Campuses Are Quieter and Quicker to Stop Protests

From The Review

Glenn Loury in Providence, R.I. on May 7, 2024.
The Review | Conversation
Glenn Loury on the ‘Barbarians at the Gates’
By Evan Goldstein, Len Gutkin
Illustration showing a valedictorian speaker who's tassel is a vintage microphone
The Review | Opinion
A Graduation Speaker Gets Canceled
By Corey Robin
Illustration showing a stack of coins and a university building falling over
The Review | Opinion
Here’s What Congress’s Endowment-Tax Plan Might Cost Your College
By Phillip Levine

Upcoming Events

Ascendium_06-10-25_Plain.png
Views on College and Alternative Pathways
Coursera_06-17-25_Plain.png
AI and Microcredentials
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin