Westbank Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, have spearheaded a group of 129 lawmakers in urging the Department of Education to withdraw its latest proposal to transfer student loan debt onto American taxpayers. The proposed rule is expected to cost Americans an additional $147 billion and increase the total student loan debt transferred to taxpayers to as much as $1 trillion.

The lawmakers stated in their letter, “The latest Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) proposed by your Department of Education on April 17, 2024, represents the latest in a string of reckless attempts to transfer as much as $1 trillion of student loan debt from those who willingly borrowed to those who did not or have already repaid their loans.” They criticized the administration for using borrowers as political pawns and pointed out that such actions were deemed illegal by the Supreme Court last June.

In addition to Senators Cassidy and Foxx, numerous other lawmakers joined in opposition including U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO) among others. They were also joined by 90 lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives.

The lawmakers also criticized the Biden administration for failing to properly implement the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program, which they claim has resulted in students and families being unable to access crucial financial aid information.

The full letter sent by the lawmakers can be read here.