Senator Hassan Statement on President Trump’s Veto of Bipartisan Measure to Protect Defrauded Student Borrowers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released the following statement after President Trump vetoed a bipartisan measure that would overturn the Department of Education’s “borrower defense” rule, a proposal that will effectively deny students who were cheated or defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges of the debt relief that they are entitled to under law.

“Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when so many students are struggling, President Trump and Secretary DeVos are continuing their efforts to deny students who were cheated by predatory for-profit colleges the debt relief that they deserve. Bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate supported this relief for defrauded students that the President vetoed, and I will keep doing everything I can to protect students from bad actors.”

Senator Hassan has consistently spoken out against efforts from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the Trump Administration to weaken protections for students in favor of for-profit colleges. Last year, she joined with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), to introduce the PROTECT Students Act, which would protect students and taxpayers from predatory higher education practices. Senator Hassan also joined Senator Durbin and a number of colleagues in introducing the measure to overturn the Secretary DeVos’s “borrower defense” rule.

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