Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
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 criticized the Biden administration for allegedly obstructing a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program.
Cassidy and Foxx had previously requested GAO to investigate reported issues with the Department of Education’s information technology systems that contributed to delays in implementing the new FAFSA program. According to GAO, despite numerous meetings and offered accommodations, they have not received many of the requested documents from the Department of Education.
GAO stated that these delays have affected their progress and ability to meet their expected timeframe for issuing findings this summer ahead of the fall FAFSA cycle.
A recent report indicated that Department staff had warned President Biden's transition team in 2020 about significant challenges in implementing technical changes required by the new FAFSA program by its original 2023-2024 deadline. The report suggested that senior administration officials did not prioritize these concerns and were instead focused on other initiatives such as student loan forgiveness plans.
Cassidy and Foxx are demanding compliance from the Department of Education with GAO’s requests for documents related to this investigation. "Instead of owning up to its mistake, the Biden administration is hiding evidence relating to its botched FAFSA rollout from Congress and the American people," wrote Cassidy and Foxx. They further emphasized that stonewalling GAO interferes with Congress's oversight responsibilities.
"The Department’s ongoing failure to comply with GAO’s requests is unacceptable," continued Cassidy and Foxx. They demanded all records requested by GAO be produced no later than June 7, 2024.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Cardona, Cassidy and Foxx reiterated their demand for immediate compliance with all GAO record requests related to FAFSA simplification. They referenced commitments made by Secretary Cardona during his confirmation hearing where he agreed to provide any necessary information or documents requested by oversight bodies like GAO.
The lawmakers stressed that ongoing problems with FAFSA could create complications for schools and students over at least two academic years if not fully identified and addressed.
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