Why It Matters
Congress is threatening universities with existential funding and operational challenges that demand aggressive federal advocacy. The administration’s proposed cuts would slash NIH funding by 40 percent and NSF by 57 percent, while new restrictions on international research collaboration and endowment taxation create additional institutional risks.
With dozens of peer institutions similarly mobilizing lobbyists, universities are in an arms race for federal advocacy firepower to survive a fundamentally transformed political landscape.
By the Numbers
American University’s $50,000 investment in federal lobbying through Holland & Knight LLP and veteran education lobbyist Lauren M. Maddox reflects an urgent institutional need to defend against funding erosion and navigate new regulatory restrictions.
Maddox has earned more than $20 million in disclosed lobbying income and represented ECMC Group on student lending matters across 47 disclosures totaling $3.27 million.
This marks the university’s return to federal lobbying after a 16-year hiatus.
The university has spent $1.9 million on federal lobbying since 2003. The bulk—$1.54 million—went to Cassidy & Associates Inc. for environmental cleanup appropriations rather than education policy. Holland & Knight previously received $200,000 from the university for education lobbying in the mid-2000s.
The Agenda
American University is lobbying on "higher education-related matters, policy and regulation," according to its Q4 2025 disclosure filing. While the filing doesn’t specify particular legislation, the timing coincides with intense congressional debates over research funding levels, national security restrictions on international collaboration, student financial aid reform, and campus diversity policies.
The current engagement renews a partnership from 2003-2005 when American University spent $200,000 with Holland & Knight on education advocacy. Lobbyist Lauren M. Maddox brings expertise on the Higher Education Act, federal appropriations, and student lending—positioning her to navigate the complex legislative environment affecting universities.
Broader Context
The higher education sector faces unprecedented federal policy headwinds. Between February and June 2025, NIH terminated roughly 2,100 existing grants worth $9.5 billion—the first broad cancellation of awarded grants in recent history.
Congress is considering legislation denying federal funding to scientists collaborating with researchers from China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. The proposals would prohibit joint research and co-authorship, with some versions applying retroactively.
The 2025 reconciliation bill increased taxes on university endowment income, with some institutions facing rates as high as 8% compared to the previous 1.4%. The administration has also used research funding as leverage to compel universities to cancel diversity programs.
Between The Lines
Key legislation includes the Protecting American Research and Talent Act restricting research collaborations with designated countries, and the College for All Act proposing federal-state partnerships for tuition-free public colleges.
Bipartisan opposition to research cuts has emerged. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) labeled proposed NIH indirect cost caps "poorly conceived" and "devastating," while Representative Jason Crow (D-CO) led a bipartisan letter warning of $90 million in annual losses to Colorado.
Competitive Landscape
American University joins numerous peer institutions actively lobbying on overlapping issues. Florida A&M University is lobbying for NSF, NIH, USDA, and DOE grants. Duke University and Wake Forest University retained DLA Piper to lobby on endowment taxation. The University of Florida focuses on graduate medical education funding and student visas.
The Bottom Line
American University’s return to federal lobbying after 16 years signals recognition that sustained professional advocacy is now essential to institutional survival. With Congress pursuing research funding cuts, restricting international collaboration, and using funding as policy leverage, universities view the current environment as fundamentally more adversarial than in prior eras. The $50,000 investment represents a defensive play in an increasingly hostile political landscape.
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