Westbank Louisiana News

Washington – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has criticized President Biden's latest student loan scheme, as reported on April 8, 2024.

Cassidy expressed his concerns stating, "These loan schemes do not forgive debt. They transfer the debt from those who willingly took it on to the 87 percent of Americans who decided to not go to college or already worked to pay off their loans." He further criticized the administration's handling of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program, highlighting delays that hinder students and families from accessing crucial financial aid information when choosing colleges.

In his statement, Cassidy pointed out the impact of the administration's focus on student loan schemes, stating, "This is an unfair ploy to buy votes before an election and does absolutely nothing to address the high cost of education that puts young people right back into debt." He also criticized the Department of Education's implementation of FAFSA, stating, "It seems the reason students don’t know what schools they can afford this year is because Biden’s Department of Education is spending its time concocting student loan schemes instead of fixing the mistakes they’ve already made on FAFSA."

The latest announcement by the Biden administration is part of the income-driven repayment (IDR) scheme, which Cassidy highlighted will allow a majority of bachelor’s degree student loan borrowers to not pay back even the principal on their loans, potentially costing taxpayers as much as $559 billion. This move comes after the Supreme Court previously struck down Biden’s original student loan cancelation program as unconstitutional.

For more information and updates from HELP Republicans, visit their website or follow them on Twitter at @GOPHELP.