Al Drago/CQ Roll Call
- GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx wants answers from the Education Department on potential student-loan relief.
- She said in a letter she has "serious doubts" the department can carry out the plans smoothly.
- Biden is reportedly considering $10,000 in relief for borrowers making under $150,000 a year.
A top Republican lawmaker joins millions of student-loan borrowers in wanting to know what kind of relief President Joe Biden plans to carry out.
On Wednesday, GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx — top Republican on the House education committee — wrote a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona requesting more information on the broad student-loan forgiveness Biden is considering. Cardona told reporters last week that he is "ready to roll" on whatever decision Biden makes, but Foxx wrote that she has "serious doubts" that is, in fact, the case.
"While you indicated that the Department is prepared to act on an unconstitutional decision to forgive student loans, I remind you that acting is not just releasing a press statement: action is a comprehensive, smooth operation that follows careful planning and thoughtful consideration about all aspects of an initiative, from communications to implementation," Foxx wrote. "I am gravely concerned the Department will further harm borrowers and taxpayers if it acts on student loan forgiveness, in part because of its inability to follow through on its grandiose proposals."
Biden is reportedly considering $10,000 in relief for borrowers making under $150,000 a year, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the decision will likely not be made until July or August, closer to when student-loan payments are set to resume after August 31. Given that details of plans have not been publicly confirmed by the White House, Foxx requested Cardona answer a series of questions within one week, including:
"You said you are ready to act on student loan forgiveness, but you can only be ready if you know the plan; therefore, please describe, what is this plan?"
She also wants to know who else is aware of the plan, how the plan will be communicated to borrowers, and how the department plans to execute income thresholds on relief, saying that "these are questions that all borrowers and taxpayers deserve to have answered."
Foxx has long criticized the potential of broad student-loan forgiveness. Following relief for former Corinthian Colleges students defrauded by the for-profit chain, Foxx wrote in a blog post that Biden "operates as if he can issue any decree he wants" on the matter.
Some of her Republican colleagues have also attacked the idea of student-loan relief, arguing it will cost taxpayers while serving as a method for Democrats to win votes at the midterm elections. On the other hand, many Democratic lawmakers and advocates continue to push for Biden to enact expansive relief for all federal borrowers, with major union leaders most recently joining the fight for "robust student loan forgiveness" without income caps.
source https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-response-student-loan-forgiveness-plans-biden-unprepared-foxx-education-2022-6