Parents Defending Education sued the Education Department on Thursday for Biden-era records that were not handed over during the previous administration, according to a copy of the lawsuit shared with The Daily Wire. 
The parental rights group <a href="https://defendinged.org/lawsuits/pde-files-complaint-against-the-u-s-department-of-education-to-compel-compliance-with-ignored-foias/">filed a suit</a> in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to compel cooperation with several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed during the Biden administration. According to the suit, the Biden administration did not make a good faith effort to comply with numerous FOIA requests filed by PDE seeking information on the department&#8217;s activities. 
“The lawsuit is a culmination of PDE’s long-standing document requests that were not honored by the previous Department of Education’s leadership during the Biden Administration,” PDE Vice President Sarah Parshall Perry told The Daily Wire. 
&#8220;In pursuit of its stated mission to prevent the politicization of K-12 education, PDE is looking forward to finally providing the public with information relative to the discriminatory aims of the prior Education Department, and where its taxpayer dollars were being spent,” Perry added. 
Specifically, the suit seeks answers to FOIAs filed looking for records related to the National Parents and Family Engagement Council (filed July 2022), the communications of Education Department Employee Kristina Ishmael (filed December 2022), documents related to Biden’s assistant secretary of education for civil rights Catherine Lhamon (June 2023), documents related to then Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (June 2023), and any usage of the term “from the river to the sea” by multiple Education Department employees (February 2024).
The search for communications from Ishmael asked for references to terms like “white supremacy,” “BIPOC,” “folx,” “colonizer,” and “evangelical.”
The suit says that the department has violated FOIA law by refusing to make timely responses to the requests. 
“The Department has made no ‘determination’ as to PDE’s FOIA requests, made no reasonable effort to search for responsive documents, and produced no documents responsive to PDE’s FOIA request,” the suit says. &#8220;The Department’s failure to make promptly available the records sought by PDE violates FOIA and the Department’s corresponding regulations.&#8221;
Parents Defending Education would like a judge to order the department to produce the documents in question by a certain date and detail specifically why, if any, records were ruled exempt. 
The lawsuit comes amid massive expected changes at the Department of Education. President Donald Trump is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-expected-to-sign-order-thursday-dismantling-education-department?topStoryPosition=undefined">expected</a> to sign an executive order Thursday at 4:00 p.m. that will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to start taking steps to dismantle the department.

President Biden Marks The 12th Anniversary Of DACA At The White House

EXCLUSIVE: Parent Group Sues For Biden-Era Education Department Communications

Biden Administration

Courts

Department of Education

Education

Joe Biden

Miguel Cardona

Washington D.C.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> said Friday that it would cancel another $4.28 billion in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/student-loans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">student loan</a> debt for nearly 55,000 people, bringing the total amount of student debt forgiven by the administration to around $180 billion. 
The Department of Education <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/biden-harris-administration-approves-additional-428-billion-student-debt-relief-nearly-55000-public-service-workers-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it was canceling the debt of 54,900 borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Although the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-delivers-defeat-to-biden-admin-on-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck down</a> President Joe Biden&#8217;s broad student loan cancellation program last year, Biden has continued to cancel chunks of student loan debt through other programs. 
“Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. 
The loan cancellation is the latest last minute leftist policy move from Biden as he approaches the final days of his administration. Biden is also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-races-to-sell-off-border-wall-parts-before-trump-takes-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">racing</a> to sell off border wall materials and move them away from the southern border and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-look-to-hire-up-to-1200-new-dei-bureaucrats-before-trump-takes-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looking</a> to hire up to 1,200 employees to work in diversity, equity, and inclusion positions.
The PSLF Program allows borrowers working in education, public health, law enforcement, and emergency response to have their debt canceled after making 120 monthly payments. 
&#8220;The U.S. Department of Education’s successful transformation of the PSLF Program is a testament to what’s possible when you have leaders, like President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are relentlessly and unapologetically focused on making government deliver for everyday working people,&#8221; Cardona added.
Republicans have challenged Biden’s student loan cancellation initiatives, saying they are an unconstitutional redistribution of wealth and a burden on the American taxpayer. 
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Earlier this month, 23 Republican attorneys general sent a <a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024-12-2-Student-Loan-NPRM-Interested-States-Comment-Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Cardona warning the administration about another proposed<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/17/2024-07726/student-debt-relief-for-the-william-d-ford-federal-direct-loan-program-direct-loans-the-federal"> rule</a> that would expand the Secretary of Education’s authority to “waive” debts to the department. 
“Everyone from the Supreme Court, to President Joe Biden, to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has publicly acknowledged that you do not have the authority to forgive debt except in the limited ways Congress clearly outlined. You must adhere to these warnings and follow the law,” the attorney generals wrote on December 3. 
In June 2023, the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s attempt to use the COVID-era HEROES Act to unilaterally forgive federally subsidized loans. 
“The Secretary asserts that the HEROES Act grants him the authority to cancel $430 billion of student loan principal. It does not,” the court majority wrote in a 6-3 opinion. “We hold today that the Act allows the Secretary to ‘waive or modify’ existing statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to financial assistance programs under the Education Act, not to rewrite that statute from the ground up.”

President Biden Hosts Hanukkah Holiday Reception At The White House

Biden Announces Cancellation Of Another $4 Billion In Student Loans

Executive

National Debt

Politics

Student Loan Cancellation

Student Loans

Supreme Court

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> is blocking funding for school hunting and archery programs approved under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Education Department</a> has cut off funding for school hunting and archery programs because of its interpretation of a provision in legislation passed last year, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The law included an amendment to the ESEA that bans taxpayer funds from being used on “training in the use of a dangerous weapon,” according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-withholding-key-funding-schools-hunting-archery-programs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>.
Earlier this month, GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina wrote to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona concerned with the Department of Education’s interpretation of the amendment. Cornyn and Tillis <a href="https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2022/6/tillis-statement-on-senate-passage-of-the-bipartisan-safer-communities-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> the BSCA last year alongside Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
“We were alarmed to learn recently that the Department of Education has misinterpreted the BCSA to require the defending of certain longstanding educational and enrichment programs — specifically, archery and hunter education classes — for thousands of children, who rely on these programs to develop life skills, learn firearm safety and build self-esteem,” Cornyn and Tillis wrote, according to Fox News.
“The Department mistakenly believes that the BSCA precludes funding these enrichment programs,” the senators said. “Such an interpretation contradicts congressional intent and the text of the BSCA.”
The Education Department’s decision to cut funding for school hunting and archery programs has sparked pushback from shooting clubs, hunting industry groups, and others.
“It is ironic that the U.S. Department of Education is actively denying young Americans the chance to educate themselves on basic firearm and hunting safety so that they can go afield knowing how to keep themselves, their friends, and family safe,” <a href="https://twitter.com/SafariClubIntl/status/1684962225981726732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Ben Cassidy, executive vice president at Safari Club International.
The National Rifle Association <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1684956532687925248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “No surprise! This is another example of an anti-gun, anti-hunting administration abusing an ambiguous law filled with undefined and overly broad provisions to push their radical agenda.”
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The controversy over the BSCA follows a move last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Administration to ban the use of lead ammunition and tackle from eight national wildlife refuges. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, <a href="https://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413510" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the regulation would depress hunting and fishing on public lands.
“As this proposed rule brings an increase in cost for sportsmen and women, we can inevitably expect a decrease in the number of individuals who can afford to enjoy the outdoors,” Westerman said in a statement. “Hunters and anglers are without question the Americans with the greatest interest in conservation and they contribute millions of dollars to conservation efforts each year.”

Archery

Biden Admin Cuts Funding For School Hunting, Archery Training Programs

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) filed a federal complaint with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Education</a>’s civil rights division after a teenage girl said that her school <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/18-year-old-male-identifying-as-female-enters-high-school-girls-locker-showers-naked-next-to-14-year-old-students-conservative-org-alleges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed a male who identified as female to shower</a> alongside four teenage girls in a locker room. 
The complaint comes after WILL said that an 18-year-old male showered naked alongside four 14-year-old girls earlier this year at Sun Prairie East High School (EHS) in Sun Prairie, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a>. The <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/06/2023-06-14-SPASD-OCR-Complaint-FINAL-w.-Exhibits-A-E.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a>, filed to the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education, was made on behalf of the parents of one of the girls by WILL, a Wisconsin-based conservative law firm. 
“Parents and students should feel safe and have peace of mind when kids go back to school this fall. But, the Sun Prairie Area School District has frankly been dismissive in how it has handled the alleged sexual harassment towards these four freshman girls. The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights should promptly investigate the allegations made in this complaint, then act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices,” said WILL Associate Counsel Cory Brewer.
The complaint argues that Sun Prairie Area School District’s locker room policy violates Title IX, a policy that prohibits sex and gender discrimination. It says that the locker room policy is harmful to all girls in the school district. 
According to WILL, the incident prompting the complaint occurred on March 23 when several girls were showering after swim class. 
“As the girls began to shower, the male student approached them, entered the shower area, announced ‘I’m trans, by the way,’ and then fully undressed and showered next to the girls. He was initially turned towards the wall but turned and fully exposed his body to the four girls,” the complaint says. “He had not transitioned medically and had the physiological appearance of an adult male. Understandably, the girls closed their eyes and tried to hurry up and leave the showers.”
The complaint says that the assistant principal of the school did not inform a Title IX coordinator after learning of the incident. The girl says that she was never interviewed about the incident by the district Title IX coordinator. 
WILL, which has requested information on the school’s locker room policies and its handling of the incident, says that the school has been stonewalling the inquiry and demanded a payment of about $11,000 in order to cover the costs of the organization&#8217;s Freedom of Information request. 
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“These troubling events are occurring across the country, and by no means what happened in Wisconsin is an isolated incident. It’s imperative that the Biden Administration responds to our complaint — while sending a clear message that common sense and the rule of law will prevail in schools across America,” said WILL Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington. 
The Biden administration has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/04/06/1168460726/biden-title-ix-transgender-sports-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously proposed</a> expanding Title IX sports protections to gender identity, meaning that prohibiting a male who identified as a female to participate on a women’s sports team would be a violation of that student’s civil rights. 
However, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona appeared to say last month the department would oppose males showering alongside females. 
“We absolutely — as a father and as an educator— absolutely support making sure that boys and girls use different showers. That’s common sense,” <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMaryMiller/status/1658533210869882892" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he told</a> Illinois Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL).

Bench in Locker Room

Wisconsin School District Facing Civil Rights Complaint After Allegedly Allowing Male To Shower Alongside Teen Girls

Social Issues

Transgender

U.S.

Wisconsin

House Republicans are questioning Education Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miguel Cardona</a> over the potential for waste and fraud in aspects of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Education Department</a>’s student loan repayment plan. 
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) and House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to Cardona on Friday asking how the department planned to deter potential fraud since it was pursuing an income-based repayment plan without verification measures in place for income.
&#8220;In light of the Oversight Committee’s observations about self-certification in multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, we are concerned about the extent to which the Department is leaving taxpayers vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse,&#8221; they wrote in a letter <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/news/house/comer-gop-demand-answers-cardona-student-loan-repayment-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first obtained</a> by the Washington Examiner. 
While student loan payments have not yet resumed, the current plan in place stipulates lower monthly payments for those with lower incomes. The Republicans are concerned because of they say the income is self-verified, potentially exposing the program to abuse. 
&#8220;The Biden Administration’s student loan bailout scheme leaves taxpayers holding the bag,&#8221; Comer told the Examiner. &#8220;Biden’s Department of Education has now kicked the door wide open to waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating verification measures designed to prevent fraud in student loan repayments. We need Secretary Cardona to provide answers about why the Department is taking actions that make hardworking taxpayers liable when student loan borrowers misrepresent their income.”
The letter referenced the large amount of fraud that occurred with the Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID pandemic because of similar self-certification measures. Foxx said that the department was showing that it was not ready to restart the payment process. 
&#8220;When borrowers initially enrolled in an [income-driven repayment] plan, they provided tax return information,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It’s ridiculous for the Department to not enforce the program requirements. This decision calls into question the department’s motives and its overall preparedness to handle the return to repayment for millions of borrowers.&#8221;
The letter comes as the department is getting ready to resume student loan payments, something that has been <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/federal-student-loan-repayments-restart-education-secretary-confirms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paused</a> for three years. 
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&#8220;We&#8217;re preparing to restart repayment because the emergency period is over, and we&#8217;re preparing our borrowers to restart,&#8221; Cardona told senators during a hearing on Thursday. 
Some payments could be impacted by how <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-conservatives-cool-to-bidens-student-loan-cancellation-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Supreme Court decides to rule</a> on Biden’s student debt cancellation plan, which would unilaterally cancel up to $20,000 in unpaid loans for 40 million borrowers.
“We recognize that during the pandemic, it was very difficult for borrowers,” Cardona <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/student-loan-payments-to-resume-7497260" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We are committed to making sure that once a decision is made, that we&#8217;re going to resume payments 60 days after, but no later than June 30. We&#8217;re going to begin that process.”

President-Elect Joe Biden And Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Announce Miguel Cardona As Hhe Nominee For Education Secretary

Biden’s Education Secretary Under Fire Over Potential For Fraud In ‘Student Loan Bailout Scheme’

Congress

House Republicans

James Comer

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> (D) Secretary of Education said during a White House event Tuesday afternoon that college students needed to have access to abortions to be able to be successful in life.
The remarks from Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miguel Cardona</a> came during the second meeting of the administration&#8217;s Task Force on Reproductive Health Care Access.
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-set-new-us-guidelines-reproductive-rights-100-days-after-roe-v-wade-2022-10-04/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the meeting centered around how some women &#8220;cannot access abortion services&#8221; along with other issues surrounding the issue of reproduction.
&#8220;As I share your grave concerns about maintaining access to contraception and reproductive health services on our college campuses and ensuring there&#8217;s accurate and reliable information for students and for educators,&#8221; Cardona said as he sat next to Biden. &#8220;Students need access to health care to thrive in school and in life, and that includes reproductive health care.&#8221;
&#8220;Thank you also to Vice President Harris. In August, we met with college leaders grappling with new sweeping restrictions to their states. Our work together is ongoing,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s clear the Dobbs ruling has sown fear and confusion on our college campuses.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona: 
&quot;Students need access to [abortions] in order to thrive in school and in life.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Je4io2U5tp">pic.twitter.com/Je4io2U5tp</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1577388311647293443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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During the meeting, Biden <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/04/politics/joe-biden-kamala-harris-reproductive-health-task-force/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> colleges not to add additional restrictions on students, saying, “My message to any other colleges considering enacting policies like this: Don’t. Please don’t.”
“Folks, what century are we in? What are we doing? I respect everyone’s view on this, personal decisions they make, but my Lord, we’re talking about contraception here,” Biden claimed. “It shouldn’t be that controversial, but this is what it looks like when you start to take away the right of privacy.”
At the end of the press conference, Biden appeared to be annoyed by reporters who were trying to ask him questions as they were being shuffled out of the room.
&#8220;Among the only press in the world that does this,&#8221; Biden smirked as his staff talked over reporters. &#8220;Seriously.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden smirks as the press is pushed out of his abortion task force meeting:
&quot;Among the only press in the world that does this. Seriously.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/j7Qb2599zC">pic.twitter.com/j7Qb2599zC</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1577392207723696132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Screen Shot 2022-10-04 at 2.32.33 PM

Biden’s Education Secretary: ‘Students Need Access To’ Abortions ‘To Thrive In School And In Life’

Biden's Education Secretary: 'Students Need Access To' Abortions 'To Thrive In School And In Life'

Abortion

Education Secretary <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miguel Cardona</a> conceded on Wednesday that borrowers who had repaid their student loans would get no benefit from President <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> planned cancellation of up to $10,000 in student debt for many borrowers.
Cardona spoke briefly with Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, who asked him to weigh in on those who had worked to repay their debts — and Cardona admitted that the mass cancellation would provide nothing for them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Doocy: &quot;The people that already paid their student loans, they don&#39;t get anything out of this deal.&quot;
Ed Sec Cardona: &quot;Right.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/w6YQotUaAK">https://t.co/w6YQotUaAK</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1562531964456173568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Just the final one on this: The people that already paid their student loans, they don&#8217;t get anything out of this deal,&#8221; Doocy prompted.
&#8220;Right,&#8221; Cardona agreed.
&#8220;That&#8217;s right, okay,&#8221; Doocy confirmed.
Critics of the plan have argued that taxpayers will get something out of the mass cancellation of student debt — <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/bidens-student-loan-cancellation-would-cost-330-billion-and-largely-help-the-wealthy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">namely the bill</a>. Because the federal government creates budgets that depend on predicted income — student loan payments included – the cancellation of a large chunk of that debt in one fell swoop would result in a lesser amount coming in. The government would then have to compensate for that shortfall by reducing spending or increasing taxes — and the latter happens with more regularity than the former.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a longtime proponent of student debt cancellation, had a similar reaction when she was asked whether people who had paid off their own student loans might qualify for some kind of reimbursement.
&#8220;My daughter is in school,&#8221; a man <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/479608-warren-confronted-by-man-at-campaign-event-over-tuition-reimbursement/">asked</a> Warren at a 2020 campaign event. &#8220;I saved all my money just to pay my student loans. Can I have my money back?&#8221;
&#8220;Of course not,&#8221; Warren replied.
&#8220;So you want to help those who don’t save any money and the ones that do the right thing get screwed?&#8221; he asked.
Doocy also asked Cardona about comments from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — who said weeks earlier that President Joe Biden did not have the authority to unilaterally cancel student debt — and Cardona argued that a post-9/11 law allowed him to do so under certain conditions.
https://twitter.com/KevinTober94/status/1562529606938161152
&#8220;Speaker Pelosi said last year, she thought this was something a president could not do. It would require an act of Congress. So is this legal?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;The HEROES Act, page 637 &#8230; gives me the authority to provide a waiver to ensure Americans are not worse off after an emergency — a national emergency — which the pandemic was.&#8221;

Education Secretary Says The Quiet Part Out Loud: People Who Paid Their Student Debt Get Nothing

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Admits That People Who Paid Their Student Debt Get Nothing

Fox News

Peter Doocy

President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administration</a> has developed a convoluted way to &#8220;legally&#8221; cancel student debt thanks to a law intended for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/9-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9/11 heroes</a>, but it also undermines his boast touting the strongest <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American</a> economy ever.
While folks like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have argued that the president has no legal authority to wipe out said debts, Biden apparently thinks he found a way under a law passed after 9/11 — which was intended to assist first responders and other Americans impacted during national emergencies.
According to a legal memo <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/secretarys-legal-authority-for-debt-cancellation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Tuesday, the Biden administration&#8217;s legal counsel claims that the “Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (‘HEROES’) Act of 2003 grants the Secretary authority that could be used to effectuate a program of targeted loan cancellation directed at addressing the financial harms of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The memo claimed, “The HEROES Act, first enacted in the wake of the September 11 attacks, provides the Secretary broad authority to grant relief from student loan requirements during specific periods (a war, other military operation, or national emergency, such as the present COVID-19 pandemic) and for specific purposes (including to address the financial harms of such a war, other military operation, or emergency).”
The Biden administration also pointed that the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations have used the HEROES Act to provide economic relief to borrowers in connection with “a war, other military operation, or national emergency.” That included the “ongoing moratorium on student loan payments and interest,” which began during the pandemic under President Donald Trump.
In 2020, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos used the HEROES Act to place a hold on student loan interest and payments. However, prior to leaving office, her legal counsel decided in a memo that the education department was limited in its authority as it related to the pandemic and student debt, something that the Biden administration disagrees with.
“The January 2021 memorandum’s interpretation of ‘modify’ would read the Act to authorize the Secretary to waive entirely or to make non-major changes in the relevant statutory or regulatory provisions, but not authorize the Secretary to do anything in between,” the Biden administration claimed.
“That interpretation is illogical, and nothing in the HEROES Act’s broad grant of authority supports such a reading,” the education department&#8217;s legal counsel added.
Regardless of the legal implications — which will undoubtedly be played out in the courts and debated by constitutional scholars — the logic behind the move at this point in the COVID pandemic makes little to no sense.
Biden has spent the summer bragging that the American economy was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/huh-white-house-claims-biden-has-sparked-a-historic-economic-boom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthened</a> by his bills like the American Rescue Plan, as well as the recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-740-billion-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> Inflation Reduction Act. His team consistently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-press-secretary-the-economy-is-in-a-better-place-than-it-has-been-historically" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasted</a> about the supposed historic economy under his watch. He has even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-on-the-right-path-biden-claims-economic-success-as-nation-enters-recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> that we will come out of the pandemic better than when we went into it.
If that is the case, then why is student debt forgiveness needed?
If this cancellation wasn&#8217;t warranted before COVID hit American shores, then it certainly wouldn&#8217;t be needed after it has already swept through if we really are better off under Bidenomics.
Of course, the economy is not as great as the president has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-claims-america-had-zero-percent-inflation-in-the-month-of-july">claimed</a> — obviously.
Yet Biden is trying to have it both ways with his debt cancellation. The American worker is both so saddled by the impact of the coronavirus yet so prosperous thanks to his policies.
It makes no sense. The justification does not have to make sense. It just has to satiate the Democratic Party&#8217;s base right before the midterms.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Biden Is Using A Law Intended For 9/11 Heroes To ‘Legally’ Cancel Student Debt. It’s Pretty Convoluted.

Biden Is Using A Law Intended For 9/11 Heroes To 'Legally' Cancel Student Debt. It's Pretty Convoluted.

9/11

Nancy Pelosi

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Sunday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Biden administration</a> would announce in the next ten days whether or not the nationwide pause on federal student loan payments and interest accrual that went into effect two and half years ago would extend or expire.
During an appearance on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-cardona-student-loan-announcement-within-the-next-week-or-so-146667589858">Meet the Press,</a>&#8221; Cardona told host Chuck Todd that the administration knows &#8220;many people are waiting to hear something&#8221; about the Aug. 31 deadline on the current moratorium, which began under the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been extended several times.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve been talking daily about this, and I can tell you the American people will hear within the next week or so,&#8221; Cardona said.
Cardona said the administration had already relieved over $10 billion of student debt for 1.6 million borrowers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which includes government organizations at any level.
&#8220;Public Service Loan Forgiveness was broken,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We fixed it so that our teachers or nurses can get loan forgiveness right away.&#8221;
Cardona said the administration has focused on ensuring it would protect students and borrowers from day one. Since taking on the previous administration&#8217;s pause, the Biden administration has forgiven approximately $32 billion in student loans, many of whom attended schools that went bankrupt or faced litigation for misleading students and fraudulently conducting business.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it would cancel about $4 billion in the remaining 208,000 federal student loans for borrowers who attended ITT Technical Institute from 2005 until the for-profit college chain dissolved in 2016. Officials also formally notified DeVry University to pay back $24 million of approved borrower defense claims.
Forbes Advisor <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/average-student-loan-statistics/#:~:text=Federal%20student%20loans%20make%20up,by%20about%2043%20million%20borrowers." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that about 92% of federal loans make up the vast majority of American education debt, totaling $1.6 trillion owed by 43 million borrowers.
In a separate <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/who-pays-for-student-loan-forgiveness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, the publication said that 2.7 million borrowers had their federal loans in forbearance at the beginning of 2020. By the end of 2021, that number hit nearly 24 million borrowers.
Biden suggested that he consider forgiving $10,000 of student loan debt for most borrowers earlier this year. With the freeze still in place, the administration has faced mounting pressure from advocates for student loan forgiveness and Democrats to cancel up to $50,000 in debt per borrower.
However, canceling federal student loans for millions of Americans struggling to fulfill their end of the deal would end up costing the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars, and the general public would eventually financially suffer the consequences of that decision.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/what-does-student-debt-cancellation-mean-federal-finances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that canceling up to $50,000 of debt per borrower would cost around $950 billion, and canceling up to $10,000 would cost roughly $245 billion.
Tara Miller, a student loan consultant at GradFin, which offers personalized student loan advice, told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnbc.com/select/student-loan-repayment-is-set-to-resume-unless-forbearance-continues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> she believes the administration would likely continue halting payments based on reports from loan advisers that said borrowers wouldn&#8217;t begin repayment as the moratorium&#8217;s deadline approaches.
&#8220;I do think that they will announce another extension, likely next week,&#8221; Miller said.

Student Loan Borrowers Gather To Tell President Biden To Cancel Student Debt

Nationwide Pause On Student Loan Debt Set To Expire, Biden Officials Expected To Update Borrowers Soon

First Lady <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jill-biden">Jill Biden</a> dismissed a man who yelled criticisms of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">President Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> performance in office, namely the sky-high <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-takes-victory-lap-as-gas-prices-inch-downward-still-nearly-twice-as-high-since-his-first-day">gas prices</a> across the country.
The incident seems to have taken place Wednesday, when Jill and U.S. Secretary of Education <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona">Miguel Cardona</a> <a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/jill-biden-arethusa-ice-cream-ct-17318148.php">visited</a> New Haven, Connecticut, to review learning programs.
&#8220;Your husband is the worst president we&#8217;ve ever had,&#8221; an unidentified male yelled as Jill Biden walked into a building.
&#8220;Thank you! Thank you for your support,&#8221; Biden yelled back, waving and smiling. Cardona, on her left, seemed to be smiling and laughing, too.
&#8220;You owe us gas money!&#8221; the man shouted.
&#8220;Thank you,&#8221; Biden again responded, a smile still on her face.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Your husband is the worst President we ever had, you OWE us gas money&quot;
Jill Biden: THANK YOU <a href="https://t.co/PV3VieDsJX">pic.twitter.com/PV3VieDsJX</a>
&mdash; PatrioticBabe 🇺🇸 (@PatrioticBabe_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrioticBabe_/status/1550178781922349056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Americans are certainly feeling the sky-high gas prices and inflation under the Biden administration, polling shows.
Earlier this month, for example, a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22088874/cnn-poll-biden-approval-rating.pdf">CNN/SSRS poll</a> found that a stunning 82% of Americans called the economy &#8220;poor.&#8221;
Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that inflation and rising costs were the biggest economic issue for them, while 29% said gas and energy prices were the biggest issue. Another 18% said the cost of food was their biggest problem. The general issues of “personal financial concerns” and “income/employment” were the biggest concern for 12% and 10% of Americans, respectively. No other issue, in general or specific, was cited by more than 10% of respondents.
Though the first lady has been the object of <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/first-lady-dr-jill-biden-profile">breathless promotion</a> in the mainstream media, Biden found herself having to issue an apology last week when she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-first-lady-compares-hispanic-people-to-tacos-at-latinx-incluxion-luncheon">compared Hispanic people to tacos</a>.
Attending a “Latinx IncluXion Luncheon,” hosted by UnidosUS, Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-first-lady-compares-hispanic-people-to-tacos-at-latinx-incluxion-luncheon">told</a> her audience that the diversity of the Hispanic community is &#8220;as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami, and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio, is your strength.&#8221;
The same day, Biden&#8217;s press secretary and special assistant to the president Michael LaRosa issued an apology on Twitter. “The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community,” LaRosa posted.
Notably, at the same conference, the First Lady mispronounced the word “bodegas,&#8221; which are popular corner stores found throughout many cities.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/john-rigolizzo">John Rigolizzo</a> contributed to this report
 Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-americans-say-economy-doing-poorly-biden-focused-on-the-wrong-things-poll">Most Americans Say Economy Doing Poorly, Biden Focused On The Wrong Things: Poll</a>

Second Shipment From “Operation Fly Formula” Arrives At Dulles Airport

Jill Biden Gives Snarky Response When Heckled About Gas Prices, Biden Performance

Connecticut

Gas Prices

Inflation

Jill Biden

The U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education">Department of Education</a> proposed new regulations on Wednesday to cancel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/student-loans">student loans</a> for individuals whose schools closed or who are permanently disabled.
According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-department-releases-proposed-regulations-expand-and-improve-targeted-relief-programs">press release</a> from the agency, the policy would also apply to students whose schools “lied to them” and “public service workers who have met their commitments” under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which is <a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service">defined</a> as making payments for 120 months while working full-time for a government entity or nonprofit organization.
The move comes after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Biden administration</a> canceled roughly $26 billion in student loans, including for students who attended for-profit colleges that have shut their doors, according to the press release.
“We are committed to fixing a broken system. If a borrower qualifies for student loan relief, it shouldn’t take mountains of paperwork or a law degree to obtain it,” Education Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona">Miguel Cardona</a> said. “Student loan benefits also should not be so hard to get that borrowers never actually benefit from them. &#8230; These proposed regulations will protect borrowers and save them time, money, and frustration, and will hold their colleges responsible for wrongdoing.”
The proposed regulations would let borrowers make group claims more quickly and “curb predatory behavior” from schools by “recouping the costs of such discharges from the college, running for at least six years following the borrower’s last date of attendance at the school.”
Indeed, the Department of Education <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-government-agrees-to-cancel-student-debt-for-200000-people?%3Futm">settled</a> a class-action lawsuit last month after advocacy groups said the agency ignored students’ loan cancellation claims. Cardona greenlit the elimination of $6 billion in loans for 200,000 borrowers. Likewise, the Department of Education recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-education-department-issues-largest-single-student-debt-cancelation-in-agency-history">canceled debt</a> from former attendees of Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit entity that filed for bankruptcy in 2015, nixing $5.8 billion in debt among 560,000 borrowers.
“As of today, every student deceived, defrauded, and driven into debt by Corinthian Colleges can rest assured that the Biden-Harris administration has their back and will discharge their federal student loans,” Cardona <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/education-department-approves-58-billion-group-discharge-cancel-all-remaining-loans-560000-borrowers-who-attended-corinthian-colleges">remarked</a>.
Leading Democrats have argued for the past two years about possibilities for large-scale, one-time loan cancellation policies. The Biden administration is reportedly considering a plan to cancel $10,000 in student loans per borrower after making a <a href="https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/joe-biden-outlines-new-steps-to-ease-economic-burden-on-working-people-e3e121037322">similar promise</a> on the campaign trail. However, Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-cpac-footage-is-nuts-progressives-blast-pelosi-for-saying-student-debt-forgiveness-is-a-bad-idea">argued</a> last July that “all President Biden has to do is flick his pen” and erase up to $50,000 per borrower, with no need for legislative action.
Two weeks ago, Schumer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-slams-fat-cats-who-dont-want-to-cancel-student-loans">sought</a> to dispel the “awful myth” that student loans are “not a problem that concerns the wealthy or the Ivy League,” arguing that “all of these fat cats, and people who never want to see help for working people and poor people come up with these myths.”
In response, Cato Institute policy scholar Neal McCluskey directed The Daily Wire to Brookings Institution <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/student-loan-forgiveness-is-regressive-whether-measured-by-income-education-or-wealth/">data</a> showing that almost one-third of student debt is owed by the wealthiest 20% of households, while 8% is owned by the bottom 20%. “Wealthy people do take on debt, and a lot of that debt is for graduate school,” McCluskey remarked, adding that “wealthier people are more likely to go to college and in particular, more likely to go to graduate school than lower-income families.”

Biden’s Education Department Releases Plan To Cancel Student Debt For Certain People

Department Of Education Suggests Canceling Student Loans For Certain People 

The U.S. Department of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education">Education</a> settled a class action lawsuit arguing that the agency was ignoring students’ <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/student-loans">loan cancellation</a> claims — a move that resulted in the nixing of $6 billion in debt.
The case — Sweet v. Cardona, formerly Sweet v. DeVos — represented 264,000 people constituting the “current borrower defense backlog,” according to a press release from the <a href="https://predatorystudentlending.org/news/press-releases/landmark-borrower-defense-settlement-to-cancel-over-6-billion-in-student-loans-for-200000-borrowers-release/">Project on Predatory Student Lending</a>. The group’s 2019 <a href="https://predatorystudentlending.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Complaint.pdf">lawsuit</a> contended that for-profit schools such as Corinthian Colleges and DeVry University “delivered worthless products that left students with thousands of dollars in debt, damaged credit, and depleted access to further student aid” while lying about prospects for high-paying jobs.
Education Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/miguel-cardona">Miguel Cardona</a> lauded the settlement, which the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will independently review before approval.
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address longstanding issues relating to the borrower defense process,” Cardona said in a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-us-secretary-education-miguel-cardona-sweet-settlement">statement</a> about the settlement. “We are pleased to have worked with plaintiffs to reach an agreement that will deliver billions of dollars of automatic relief to approximately 200,000 borrowers and that we believe will resolve plaintiffs’ claims in a manner that is fair and equitable for all parties.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Education <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-education-department-issues-largest-single-student-debt-cancelation-in-agency-history">canceled debt</a> from former attendees of Corinthian Colleges, which filed for bankruptcy in 2015. The move forgave $5.8 billion in debt among 560,000 borrowers.
More broadly, the Biden administration is weighing various proposals to nix student debt for citizens at large. Last month, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-plan-to-cancel-10000-in-student-debt-would-not-be-enough-for-black-borrowers-naacp-chief-says">The Washington Post</a> reported that the White House was weighing a plan to scrap $10,000 per borrower earning up to $150,000 per year. However, several Democratic lawmakers — such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) — have repeatedly pressed Biden to cancel student loan debt of up to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-spars-with-biden-over-canceling-student-debt">$50,000 per borrower</a>.
Schumer has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-cpac-footage-is-nuts-progressives-blast-pelosi-for-saying-student-debt-forgiveness-is-a-bad-idea">argued</a> that “all President Biden has to do is flick his pen” to erase the $50,000 sum. Earlier this week, Schumer <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/22/bidens-mind-is-open-on-student-loan-forgiveness-schumer-says-.html">sought to dismiss</a> the “awful myth” that student debt “concerns the wealthy or the Ivy League” rather than “working-class people.”
However, data suggest that student loan cancellation tends to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-groups-who-lose-if-joe-biden-forgives-college-loans">benefit wealthy Americans</a>. Almost one-third of student debt is owed by the wealthiest 20% of households, while 8% is owed by the bottom 20%, according to a paper from the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/student-loan-forgiveness-is-regressive-whether-measured-by-income-education-or-wealth/">Brookings Institution</a>.
Meanwhile, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has characterized the student debt crisis as a “racial justice issue.”
“African-Americans borrow more money to go to school, more money while they’re in school, and have a harder time paying it off when they get out of school,” she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/warren-says-that-canceling-50000-in-student-loans-is-a-racial-justice-issue">told</a> CNN anchor Don Lemon last year. “Canceling $50,000 of student loan debt would help close the black-white wealth gap for people with student loan debt by twenty-five points. And for Latinos, by twenty-seven points.”
Likewise, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President Derrick Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-plan-to-cancel-10000-in-student-debt-would-not-be-enough-for-black-borrowers-naacp-chief-says">argued</a> last month that $10,000 in student loan cancellation is not enough for black borrowers, since black Americans “are the only people who have student debt higher than their median annual income.”
As of the first quarter of 2022, Americans owed $1.75 trillion in student loans, according to the <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SLOAS">Federal Reserve</a>.

President Biden Hosts National Teacher Of The Year Ceremony At The White House

Federal Government Agrees To Cancel Student Debt For 200,000 People

Education Department Nixes $6 Billion In Debt For 200,000 People

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