WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and veterans organizations, held a press conference to urge Senate Republicans to support Durbin’s Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution, (S.J.Res. 56) which would overturn the U.S. Department of Education’s 2019 Borrower Defense rule that gutted essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers. Durbin and Schumer were joined by Ohio Army veteran Tasha Berkhalter who was defrauded by ITT Tech; and representatives from the American Legion, Veterans Education Success, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Student Veterans of America, Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors, and National Military Family Association.
“Betsy DeVos is telling our veterans and student borrowers: You’re on your own. Lawyer up,” Durbin said. “The only winners here are the predatory schools that the DeVos rule shields from accountability. Our veterans and service members deserve better than that. I hope when this resolution comes for a vote, that all of those who give great speeches on the floor and back home about how much we honor our veterans can show it with their votes.”
“The Trump administration’s Borrower Defense Rule sends a clear message to predatory institutions: You can cheat students, and get away with it, scot-free.” said Leader Schumer. “Far too often, our brave veterans are targeted by for-profit institutions looking to take advantage of GI Bill funds, and it’s shameful that Secretary DeVos has propped up these institutions at the expense of those who have served. Senate Democrats’ CRA vote will force Republicans to go on the record on this important issue—I urge my colleagues to stand with veterans and students.”
“As I stand here today I currently owe almost $100,000 in student loans for a degree that no one takes seriously. When I told employers where I went, I was shown the door. Out of the 50 students I graduated with, only two I know of are in our field, but those jobs don’t require the degree. Being married with four children – three in school and one at home – has been a hard challenge for me,” said Tasha Berkhalter, an Army veteran and former ITT Tech student. “I have no GI Bill to go back to school and an extreme amount of debt. I have dealt with stress, anxiety and depression over the whole ordeal for years.”
“It’s time to put an end to Secretary Betsy DeVos’ non-stop efforts to prioritize the interests of predatory, for-profit colleges over the interests of student loan borrowers who have been cheated out of a quality education. Republicans will finally have to decide who they are fighting for—corrupt, for-profit colleges or hardworking students. For me, that choice isn’t hard, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure defrauded student loan borrowers receive the relief they are entitled to,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).
“ITT Tech’s unfair and often fraudulent practices left thousands of Ohio students with near-worthless degrees or credits, tens of thousands of dollars in loan debt, and limited job prospects,” said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). “We need strong protections for students to prevent this from ever happening again. This resolution would block Betsy DeVos’ rule, which guts the process that students need to receive debt relief and shields predatory institutions from being held to account.”