On the recordJanuary 16, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 76. I do agree with my colleagues across the aisle that as Members of Congress it is our job to ensure accountability over how taxpayer dollars are spent, and that is a very important aspect of our job here. And when tax dollars flow to an institution of higher education that has not lived up to its promises made to students, then defrauded individuals do deserve a transparent process to seek relief and have their student loans discharged. Under Secretary DeVos' leadership, the U.S. Department of Education's new borrower defense rule replaces a flawed process with one that is fair for taxpayers and is fair for students. The new rule establishes a defined standard for borrower defense to repayment, clearing up years of confusion that has left students in financial hardship and schools exposed to increased risk of closure despite no intentional misrepresentation. The Trump administration's rule also strengthens opportunities for relief for students who were misled by a school by expanding the window of time that students have to discharge their loans. But most importantly, this process, which was developed over many months and with stakeholder engagement through every step of the way, strengthened accountability on all institutions of higher education by ensuring that each and every school is held to the same standard, not just the taxpaying for-profit institutions.…





