Providing for Congressional Disapproval of Rule Submitted By Department of Education Relating to ``Borrower Defense Institutional Accountability''--veto Message From the President of the United States

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.J. Res. 76, the veto override.

The Obama administration wrote the original borrower defense rule to provide defrauded students with the debt relief they are entitled to under the Higher Education Act.

Rather than protect students, however, DeVos rewrote the rule to make it nearly impossible for students who are victimized by deceptive institutions to get the relief they deserve. That is not justice.

Mr. Speaker, five months ago, I urged my colleagues to support the resolution to reverse Secretary DeVos' harmful new borrower defense rule. I was glad it passed with bipartisan support.

We are here today because the President has chosen to veto the resolution and stand with Secretary DeVos and unscrupulous institutions that cheated students. This is indefensible.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a challenging time for our country, but this should not be hard. Let's stand with the victims of deception, the students we represent across the country, not with unscrupulous institutions, not with Secretary DeVos, and not with Donald Trump.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join together and override this veto.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution.

As a ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have heard a lot of misinformation about the Department of Education's borrower defense rule and its effects on student veterans.

Here is the truth: The rule does not limit the rights or benefits provided for veterans in the GI bill or servicemembers who use the Department of Defense's Tuition Assistance Program, or the TAP program. Any veteran or servicemember who is defrauded by an institution and took out Federal loans, will have the opportunity to have that claim fairly adjudicated, just like any other student would under the rule.

When I was chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in 2017, I offered the Forever GI bill to make more veterans eligible to receive a GI bill benefit and make veterans eligible to receive this valuable benefit for life.

Mr. Speaker, 45 years ago, this Army veteran, when he left the Army, used the GI bill. I know how valuable it is, personally, Mr. Speaker. It helped me and my family tremendously, and that is why we wanted to make this benefit a lifetime benefit.

Mr. Speaker, just a few months ago, this Congress passed two bills to protect student veterans whose GI bill benefits were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. My record has shown that one of my top priorities is ensuring veterans can receive a quality education, and a large part of that is ensuring that they receive the education they were promised and holding schools accountable for fraud.

Mr. Speaker, the Department's rule does just that. And it sets up a clear process for borrowers to have their claim adjudicated and hold institutions of all types accountable. This rule is fair to borrowers. It is fair to schools. It is fair to taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I support this rule, and I support the President's veto.

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