Trump Administration
Trump Administration
ICYMI: Graduates of U.S. Institutions Exempt from $100,000 H-1B Fee, Questions Remain
In September, a White House proclamation, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, was issued stating, āthe entry into the United States of aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation under [the H-1B visa program], is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000.ā The fee applies to petitions filed after September 21, 2025. The announcement caused concern and confusion across the higher education and research communities, including whether the fee is intended for private sector employers or if it would also apply to U.S. colleges and universities who rely…
Latest from the White House (October 28)
Universities Reject Trumpās Higher Education Compact As previously reported, nine of the nationās leading research universities received letters from the White House earlier this month urging that they agree to the Administrationās Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. The Compact lays out several conditions that align with the Presidentās agenda and ideology. In exchange, universities that sign on would perceive preferential treatment for federal funding, including research grants. The original nine universities were given until October 20 to respond with feedback. Since then, MIT was the first university to officially reject the offer, stating āIn our view, Americaās leadership in science and innovation…
Latest from the White House (October 14)
9 Universities Asked to Sign White House Compact in Exchange for Funding Earlier this month, nine of the nationās leading research universities received letters from the White House urging that they agree to Trump Administration priorities in exchange for federal funding. The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education lays out several conditions, such as freezing tuition rates for five years, capping international student enrollment, agreeing to the Administrationās definitions of gender, and ātransforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spart violence against conservative ideas.ā In return, institutions that sign the compact will be guaranteed: ā(i) access to…
NIH Senior Officials Terminated After Administrative Leave
Five senior officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been officially terminated after having been placed on administrative leave earlier this year. These include: Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Diana Bianchi, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Eliseo PĆ©rez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Shannon Zenk, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research; and Tara Schwetz, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. The affected institutes have been led by acting directors since March.
ICYMI: Trump Rescinds BLS Nomination
On September 30, the Trump Administrationās nomination for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), EJ Antoni, was rescinded. As previously reported by COSSA, President Trump fired Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after the initial release of the August jobs report and accused her of falsifying the released data. While the agency has continued operations in the absence of a commissioner, BLS will not be releasing the monthly jobs report during the government shutdown (see related article). It is currently unclear who President Trump intends to nominate in Antoniās place. Follow COSSAās continued coverage on BLS here.
Latest from the White House (September 30)
Potential Government Shutdown is Taken to New Levels All eyes are on Congress this week as lawmakers face a potential government shut down starting October 1 (see related article). Government shutdowns, depending on how long they last, can be incredibly disruptive and damaging to federal agencies, programs, and workers, not to mention Americans who rely on them. Last week, the White House threatened to impose additional pain on the federal workforce if Congress is unable to agree to a temporary funding measure. In a recent email to agency heads obtained by Politico, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed…
CDC Director Fired After Clash with HHS Secretary Kennedy Over Vaccines
On August 28, Director Susan Monarez was fired by the Trump Administration. Monarez, who was confirmed to the role in July after serving as Acting Director since January, came under scrutiny by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (see previous COSSA coverage). The New York Times reported that she clashed with Secretary Kennedy over vaccine policy, and her removal was later confirmed by the agency in a social media post. At least three other CDC officials have resigned following her termination. A statement published on Twitter by Monarezās lawyers claimed the dismissal was illegal and politically motivated, stating: āFirst it was independent advisory…
ICYMI: Trump Nominates E.J. Antoni for BLS Commissioner
President Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) after abruptly firing and baselessly accusing Commissioner Erika McEntarfer of deliberately reporting false numbers in the latest Employment Situation report (see previous COSSA coverage). Antoni comes from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, where he served as a Chief Economist and contributed to Project 2025. He holds a masterās and PhD in economics from Northern Illinois University. The Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) is rumored to hold a confirmation hearing for Antoni sometime this month. While the role does require Senate confirmation, itās…
Trump Fires BLS Commissioner After Accusing Her of Falsifying Data
On August 1, President Trump abruptly fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer after baselessly accusing her of deliberately reporting false numbers in the Employment Situation report released that morning. The White House released an accompanying statement in which the Administration accused McEntarfer of having a ālengthy history of inaccuraciesā that harmed the publicās trust in the agency. This unprecedented removal of a Congressionally-approved agency head greatly undermines the credibility of the federal economic statistical enterprise, which has been the gold standard for U.S. labor data collection for almost 150 years. COSSA joins the Friends of the Bureau of…
Mark Calabria Appointed as New Chief Statistician
On July 10, Dr. Mark Calabria was appointed as the new Chief Statistician at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), replacing Dr. Karin Orvis. Calabria currently serves as the Associate Director for Treasury, Housing, and Commerce, a role he will continue in during his tenure as Chief Statistician (see White House announcement). Before his appointment, Calabria was a Senior Advisor at the Cato Institute, and during the first term of the Trump Administration, Calabria served as the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). He also previously served as the Chief Economist to Vice President Mike Pence. Orvis,…
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing for CDC Director
On Wednesday, June 25, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a nomination hearing to consider Dr. Susan Monarez as Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This comes after the previous nominee was pulled just hours by the Administration before their first hearing (previous COSSA coverage). Prior to her nomination, Dr. Monarez served as the acting Director of the CDC from January to March 2025 and the Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). During the hearing, Dr. Monarez faced extensive questioning about her priorities and goals for the agency if…
Dr. Matthew Soldner Appointed Acting Commissioner of NCES
On July 7, the Department of Education announced that Dr. Matthew Soldner will serve as Acting Commissioner of the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), the statistical arm of the agency that develops key surveys such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). He is also currently serving as the Acting Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Soldner previously served as IESās Commissioner of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. He will replace Dr. Peggy Carr who was abruptly placed on administrative leave earlier this year…
Dr. Amber Northern Tasked with Reforming IES
On May 30, the Department of Education welcomed Dr. Amber Northern as Senior Advisor, announcing that she will be tasked with reforming the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In the departmentās announcement, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was quoted: āAs we return education to the states, itās essential that educators have access to accurate data to inform their work and develop best practices. Dr. Northernās deep expertise in education statistics and years of experience in the classroom will be an asset as we re-envision the work of IES.ā Northern serves as Senior Vice President for Research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute…
NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan Tenders Resignation
On April 24, Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan tendered his resignation as Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Earlier this month, NSF announced the termination of 400 grants, targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, research on misinformation and disinformation, as well as other areas that did not align with the agencyās new priorities (see related article). His resignation also comes after reports that the White House directed NSF to slash its budget by 55 percent. During his term at NSF, Dr. Panchanathan, who was nominated to lead the agency by President Trump in 2020, led the agency through many advancements, including the bipartisan Congressional reauthorization of…
NIH Director Bhattacharya Gives First Public Remarks at NIH Council of Councils
On April 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya presented his vision for NIH during a meeting of the NIH Council of Councils. The Council consists of approximately 30 members, selected from the various NIH Institute and Center (IC) Advisory Councils, representatives nominated by the Office of the Director program offices, and broad lay representation. It advises the NIH Director on matters related to the policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI). As previously reported by COSSA, Bhattacharya was confirmed as NIH Director in late March. During his first public remarks since being confirmed,…
ICYMI: Trump Nominates Susan Monarez to Lead CDC
Earlier this month, President Trump nominated Dr. Susan Monarez to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been serving as the acting Director of the CDC following the departure of Dr. Mandy Cohen. As COSSA previously reported, President Trump initially nominated Dr. David Weldon for the role only to abruptly withdraw the nomination hours before his first Senate confirmation hearing. Previously, Monarez served as the deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and has held roles at the White House of Office of…
Senate Confirms Bhattacharya as NIH Director and Kratsios as OSTP Director
On March 26, the Senate voted to confirm Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a 53-47 vote (see previous COSSA coverage). In his confirmation hearing, Dr. Bhattacharya confirmed that he would prioritize chronic disease research over infectious disease research, aligning with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as investing in cutting edge research. The Senate also confirmed Michael Kratsios as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in a bipartisan 74-25 vote (see previous COSSA coverage). Kratsios served…
NIH Director Nominee, Dr. Bhattacharya, Voted Through HELP Committee; CDC Nomination Pulled
On March 13, the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya advanced through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in a 12-11 vote along party lines, overcoming the first hurdle for being confirmed as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director (see previous COSSA coverage). The next step is a confirmation vote by the full Senate, which has not yet been scheduled. During his confirmation hearing on March 5, Bhattacharya stated an intent to refocus NIHās research efforts on addressing chronic diseases, aligning with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, as well as investing in cutting…
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing on OSTP Director Nominee Michael Kratsios
On February 25, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a confirmation hearing on the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director nominee, Michael Kratsios, and the Federal Trade Commissioner nominee, Mark Meador. As previously reported by COSSA, Kratsios served as Trumpās Chief Technology Officer and later as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in the Department of Defense (DOD) during the first Trump term. During the hearing, Kratsios affirmed that he would āprioritize emerging technologiesā if confirmed. Further, when Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) questioned Kratsios about the recent firings of federal…
Ron Jarmin Appointed as Acting Census Bureau Director
On February 20, the U.S Census Bureau appointed Dr. Ron Jarmin as Acting Director. This follows the resignation of former Census Bureau Director Rob Santos on January 30, three years into his five-year term (see previous COSSA coverage). Dr. Jarmin, a career employee of the Census Bureau since 1992 and elected fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), previously served as Acting Director of the Bureau from January 2021 to January 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). Dr. Jarmin is also the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer at the Census Bureau. This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Sarah Wang.