POCKET RESCISSION, AFFORDABLE-CARS RULE, TITLE IX RESET, SAVE STAY, AND FLOCK HEARING

Pocket rescission — about $810 million

On Friday, Sept. 26, the White House moved to cancel about $810 million in already-appropriated funds near the end of the federal fiscal year (Sept. 30). That timing is why people call it a “pocket rescission”: under the Impoundment Control Act, a normal rescission request usually gives Congress 45 days; when the ask lands so late that the money can expire first, Congress may never finish that clock. The package targets large HHS refugee/asylee and related accounts plus Education programs for immigrant students and other line items. GAO and appropriators of both parties say pocket rescissions are not allowed; the administration says the ICA does not forbid them. Watch whether the funds lapse and what the courts do. Read CNBC and Roll Call reporting.

“Freedom Means Affordable Cars” — CAFE / EV-mandate rollback

DOT and NHTSA finalized a rule Monday resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars and light trucks (model years 2022–2031), rolling back Biden-era mileage targets the administration calls a green agenda and EV mandate. DOT says the change cuts the average new-vehicle cost by about $1,300 and claims roughly $138 billion in consumer savings over five years; critics say drivers will burn more gas and face higher fuel costs. In practice, much of the effect starts with later model years already in the pipeline. Expect legal challenges. See Roll Call and Reuters reporting.

SCOTUS SAVE stay (26A308)

On Friday, Sept. 25, the Supreme Court stayed a June 22 D.D.C. injunction that had blocked DHS’s SAVE citizenship-check tool. Justices Jackson, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented. The order notes the NVRA’s 90-day limit on systematic purges close to a federal election; individualized inquiries can still proceed. Watch the docket and what states actually do with SAVE. See the SCOTUS docket and opinion.

Senate Flock hearing — “Always Watching”

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Flock’s nationwide AI surveillance network. Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple testified. Press reported Flock’s CEO did not appear. Education Watch on what Congress does next with ALPR / mass-surveillance oversight. Read the Senate Judiciary hearing page.

Education Dept. resets Title IX guidance (sex-based protections)

On Monday, Sept. 28, the U.S. Department of Education said it formally rescinded the Biden-era Title IX interpretation that treated sex-based discrimination protections as covering sexual orientation and gender identity. Schools are directed back to the 2020 Title IX framework under the prior Trump administration; Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the published regulations should reduce confusion and protect women’s sports and privacy. The Biden-era rule had already faced major court losses. Opponents say the change harms transgender students and weakens survivor protections. Education Watch — what schools actually change in policy.

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