FREEZE Act

HR 5095, the FREEZE Act, imposes a hiring freeze at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), prohibiting new appointments or positions starting on the bill's enactment date. It permanently cancels any excess funds in the DOE's unobligated budget balance - specifically, sums beyond what's needed to cover current employees' salaries and expenses. The bill also prohibits using federal funds to violate the hiring freeze, ensuring no new positions or salaries are funded. This directly affects the DOE's staffing and budget operations, redirecting unused funds rather than increasing spending.