Few major political appointments have been made below the level of cabinet secretary in any federal agency. This is especially true at the Department of Education, where the key positions of deputy secretary and assistant secretary for postsecondary education remain vacant. Until these positions are filled, no real action can be taken on any of the funding initiatives outlined in the past several weeks by President Bush, such as increased funding for Pell Grants. These key vacancies, as well as the short amount of time allowed for the transition between administrations, also mean that the FY 2002 budget cycle will be delayed several weeks. Until then, much of the activity in Washington will involve political posturing for the news media.
Tax policy is high on the Washington policy agenda since the election.
This proposal would expand the SLID enacted in 1997 by raising income limits and eliminating the 60-month restriction. Proposals under consideration would make this a permanent part of the tax code and provide graduate course work with the same eligibility. These are only a few of nearly a dozen education-related tax proposals in the policy mix. Taken together, they represent a tremendous boon for both students and schools. Action to determine the size and scope of a final tax package will, like many other things, probably not occur until after the president's full budget is submitted to Congress in April.