High Country Times

Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is advocating for students nationwide as the U.S. Department of Education continues to resist Congressional inquiries regarding the flawed implementation of the 2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Chairwoman Foxx issued a subpoena today for the Department of Education’s communications and documents related to the FAFSA rollout. This action follows months of delays from Secretary Miguel Cardona and other department officials.

"Enough is enough. Millions of students are relying on accurate information in order to determine their next steps, but the Biden-Harris administration is too concerned with hiding their incompetence to provide applicants with the certainty they need," said Chairwoman Foxx. "From refusals to update staff to blocking a GAO investigation, it’s clear that the Department of Education isn’t going to give its co-equal branch the relevant information willingly, so today’s subpoena is the only logical next step."

The cover letter accompanying the subpoena outlines numerous oversight attempts: "On January 24, 2024, I, U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy and 26 other Senators and House members transmitted a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the 'rollout' of the simplified FAFSA.

"Subsequently, on May 31 Senate HELP Ranking Member Cassidy and I wrote to you expressing our concerns about how the Department’s failure to provide GAO full and complete information and documents is hindering GAO’s ability to perform its FAFSA-related work for Congress…Further, Comptroller General Dodaro wrote two letters to you on May 20 providing great specificity about GAO’s many meetings with the Department (dating back to February 28, 2024), its requests, and its offer of accommodations to the Department—all for the purpose of obtaining the requested information and documents. Though GAO has received some information and documents, many pending requests remain with the Department over four months later."

Read the full subpoena here.

BACKGROUND:

Earlier this year, Chairwoman Foxx and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee criticized the Biden administration for allegedly obstructing a GAO investigation into issues surrounding implementing a new FAFSA program.

On July 5, U.S. Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN), a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce introduced legislation requiring DeptEd to make FAFSA forms available each year on October 1. Senator Cassidy introduced companion legislation (S. 4632) in the U.S. Senate. On July 10, H.R. 8932 passed in committee with bipartisan support by a vote tally of 34-6.

On July 11, Chairwoman Foxx, Senator Cassidy, and colleagues sent a letter demanding an update on an OIG investigation into Biden’s handling of FAFSA rollout.

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