Education Secretary Betsy DeVos endured a withering barrage of questions on Thursday about her handling of a program meant to provide debt relief to federal student loan borrowers who say they were defrauded by for-profit colleges.
“Madame Secretary, your refusal to process claims is inflicting serious harm on students,” Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said in his opening statement. “These defrauded borrowers have been left with piles of debt, worthless degrees and none of the jobs that were promised.”
DeVos testified before the House education committee one day after NPR published internal memos showing that the secretary overruled her own department’s findings that borrowers deserved full relief from their loans, because their college credits are essentially worthless. Hundreds of thousands of borrowers are in limbo, and several members referred to the memos in their questioning.
The questioning got heated and personal at times. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., in her trademark cowboy hat adorned with purple glitter, stated that the secretary was “out to destroy public education.” Wilson told DeVos, “You are the most unpopular person in our government. … When many people vote in 2020, they will vote to remove you.”