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Volume 3, No. 97, September 30, 2025 |
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Federal Government Funding—Keeping the Government Open
On Sept 19, The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act
on a largely party line vote of 217-212. Later that day, the U.S. Senate took up the measure, and it was defeated by a vote of 44-48, with two Republican Senators voting “No” and eight Republicans absent from the vote. Then both chambers recessed in honor of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
The Senate returned this week and could take additional action, but the House does not plan to return until after the end of the new year. If Congress does not pass legislation extending the government’s spending authority and the President does not sign the bill, most departments and agencies will cease operations until such authority is restored. At this writing, it is unclear what the outcome will be. ADEA is closely monitoring events and will report any relevant updates.
In a related concern, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget has told agency heads to prepare for reductions-in-force, which would amount to “mass firings” of federal government personnel.
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Presidential Proclamation Imposes $100,000 Fee on New H1-B Visa Applications
On Sept.19, President Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation. The proclamation entitled, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, imposes a $100,000 fee on all new H-1B visa petitions—a dramatic increase from the current $2,000–$5,000 range. The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign professionals, such as university faculty, researchers and specialized clinicians.
The White House has clarified that this fee applies only to new applicants, not to individuals who already hold H-1B status.
According to Bloomberg News, the administration is considering exemptions for physicians.
A White House spokesperson said, “The Proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,” while emphasizing that any decisions will follow the specific language of the proclamation.
The official proclamation provides discretionary authority for exemptions, stating that, “The restriction… shall not apply… if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines, in the Secretary’s discretion, that the hiring of such aliens… is in the national interest and does not pose a threat to the security or welfare of the United States.”
ADEA is closely monitoring how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will interpret these exemptions, and we are working with coalition partners in the higher education and health care space to advocate for dental educators to be granted an exemption to the new $100,000 fee.
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President Trump Taps Ben Carson to Help Support the “Make America Healthy Again” Initiative
Ben Carson, Sr., M.D., former Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and retired neurosurgeon, has been appointed
by President Donald Trump and Brooke Rollins, Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as a senior nutrition and housing adviser at the USDA.
In this temporary role, Dr.
Carson will support Health Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, focusing on nutrition, health care quality and rural housing.
Dr. Carson will help shape U.S. dietary guidelines set to be updated by year-end, and he will weigh in on state requests to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases of junk food like soda and candy.
He emphasized that SNAP should provide nutritious meals, not unhealthy foods.
As national adviser for nutrition, health and housing, Dr.
Carson will attend MAHA-related events and guide investments in rural health.
His appointment reflects his prior Cabinet experience as HUD Secretary in Trump’s first administration.
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ADEA Pushes Back on Student Loan Forgiveness Rule Changes
A coalition of thirteen national dental organizations, including ADEA, has formally urged the U.S. Department of Education to revise a proposed rule
that could significantly alter access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The draft regulation would disqualify entire employers from PSLF eligibility if they are deemed to have engaged in a “substantial illegal purpose.” The coalition warns that this language is overly broad and could unfairly jeopardize the eligibility of dentists who work in public service settings, such as community health centers, hospitals or academic institutions.
In our comments, the dental organizations recommended key safeguards to protect borrowers.
These include a six-month grace period to allow employees to transition if an employer is disqualified, reinstatement of PSLF eligibility if a court later overturns a disqualification decision and greater clarity about how determinations will be made.
Without these protections, dentists who have dedicated years of service toward PSLF requirements could suddenly lose eligibility through no fault of their own, undermining the program’s intent to encourage health professionals to work in public service.
The implications are clear: Student debt is already one of the greatest barriers for dental graduates considering public service careers.
If PSLF access becomes uncertain, it could discourage new dentists from pursuing faculty roles, public health positions or community-based practice, which are already facing workforce shortages.
It would also make it harder for dental schools and residency programs to recruit and retain faculty.
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White House Releases Make America Healthy Again Strategy
Earlier this month, the White House released a follow-up to its May 2025 Make America Healthy Again Commission report
by releasing a planning document, Make Our Children Health Again Strategy
to guide the steps it plans to take to achieve the Commission’s goal.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who chairs the Commission, and the other members made reference to fluoride in several places in the report:
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On water quality, the strategy discusses “water contaminants,” stating that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will assess ongoing evaluations and update guidance of certain “contaminants” appropriately. EPA “will review new scientific information on the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water to inform” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.
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Later, it states that NIH and EPA will update “recommendations regarding fluoride and PFAS in water.”
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In the section on “Increasing Public Awareness and Knowledge,” the strategy states, “Following the completion of studies on fluoride, CDC and USDA will educate Americans on the appropriate levels of fluoride, clarify the role of EPA in drinking water standards for fluoride under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and increase awareness on the ability to obtain fluoride topically through toothpaste.”
ADEA is closely watching the further steps the administration takes in this strategy, report them and may recommend actions that can be taken to ensure the best science is followed in preventing oral disease and recommending appropriate use of fluoride.
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