Republicans slam Education Department over GAO investigation into FAFSA rollout

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Jun 03, 2024 View in browser   By Bianca Quilantan Presented by  Sen. Bill Cassidy (shown) and Rep. Virginia Foxx said the GAO has been facing delays in its FAFSA investigation. | Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images FAFSA INVESTIGATION WOES — The top Republicans on the congressional education committees are slamming the Education Department over not complying with requests from the Government Accountability Office, which is investigating the agency’s federal student aid application rollout. — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the top Republican on Senate HELP, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), House Education and the Workforce chair, said the GAO has been facing delays in its investigation because it hasn’t received items it has requested. In January, Cassidy and Foxx, along with more than two dozen other Republican lawmakers, urged the GAO to open an inquiry into what they called the Education Department’s “botched” introduction of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. — “Instead of owning up to its mistake, the Biden administration is hiding evidence relating to its botched FAFSA rollout from Congress and the American people,” the lawmakers wrote. “GAO is a part of the Legislative Branch, and by preventing GAO from doing its job, the Department is interfering with our efforts to address concerns with FAFSA and pursue transparency and accountability on behalf of the American people.” — The GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, in letters sent in May to the Education Department, said the government watchdog has met with the agency “numerous times” and offered “accommodations” to allow the agency to gather the information requested. Dodaro wrote that “[t]he continued delays have impacted [GAO’s] progress on the work and [its] ability to meet [its] expected timeframe for issuance [of its findings] this summer ahead of the fall FAFSA cycle.” — Cassidy and Foxx are urging Education Secretary Miguel Cardona produce the records GAO is requesting by June 7. They are also asking that copies of the records be sent to their committees as well. — The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment on the letter. Last month, Cardona announced the department is working to “modernize” the Federal Student Aid Office, including by conducting a full-scale review of the office and finding a new chief operating officer. IT’S MONDAY, JUNE 3. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING OUT FOR THIS WEEK? Drop me a line at bquilantan@politico.com. Send tips to my colleagues Becca Carballo at rcarballo@politico.com, Mackenzie Wilkes at mwilkes@politico.com and Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com. And follow us: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro. A message from Sallie Mae®: Nearly half of undergraduate students on track to graduate say they had a plan to pay for all four years of college before enrolling, according to Sallie Mae’s How America Completes College 2024 report. Learn how Sallie Mae’s free tools and resources help students and families responsibly plan for higher education.   Congress PERILOUS SPENDING PILEUP AHEAD — Congress is slated to hit several crisis points in early 2025 on the debt ceiling, federal spending, tax cuts and budget caps. It could make the past six months of shutdown heartburn look tame, POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma reports. — But the key problem is: Conservatives are pushing to delay spending work into early next year, which would coincide with yet another new deadline to raise the debt ceiling. Trump-era tax cuts are also set to expire next year, along with spending caps that dictate budgets for the military and other federal agencies, and lawmakers in both parties are already eager for a fight over both issues. — House Republican leaders are preparing to start passing its GOP-written funding bills this week and they’re hoping to pass all 12 on the House floor before August. But conservatives have already hinted they'll tank bills if they don't see enough of their priorities addressed. And moderates have said they won’t be bullied into voting for spending bills loaded with contentious provisions that could jeopardize their standing back home. — Meanwhile, House Democrats are gearing up for a turbulent funding cycle. The spending bills GOP leaders are looking to pass currently include divisive Republican policy provisions and cuts. “Fasten your seat belts — it’s going to be a bumpy ride,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.   JOIN US ON 6/12 FOR A TALK ON THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY: As air travel soars again, policymakers and airlines are grappling with a series of contemporary challenges to the industry's future. Join POLITICO on June 12 for a topical and timely conversation with government leaders and aviation stakeholders about the state of the airline industry. From what passengers want to what airlines need amid the high demand for air traffic, workers and technology solutions. What can Washington do to ensure passengers and providers are equipped to fly right? REGISTER HERE.     Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories. IN THE STATES UC STRIKES SPREAD — Academic workers at the University of California will strike this week at UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Irvine in protest of their school's handling of protests against the war in Gaza, POLITICO’s Blake Jones reports. The union has authorized strikes through June 30. — United Auto Workers 4811 employees — undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs — have already walked off the job at UC Davis, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. The UC system has unsuccessfully tried to get the California Public Employment Relations Board to block the strikes. Meanwhile, the 48,000-member union argues that by arresting student protesters and allowing some to face harm from counter-protesters, the university has committed an unfair labor practice. — Union President Rafael Jaime, in a statement, urged the UC to drop all criminal and conduct charges “that have been thrown at our members because they spoke out against injustice.” — The UC’s response: "We are disheartened that UAW continues publicly escalating its unlawful strike in violation of its contracts’ no-strike clause and encouraging its members to disrupt and harm the ability of our students to navigate finals and other critical year-end activities successfully," UC spokesperson Heather Hansen said in a statement. "UAW’s goals of 'maximize chaos and confusion' have come to fruition, creating substantial and irreparable impacts on campuses and impacting our students at a crucial time of their education."   A message from Sallie Mae®:   At the White House First lady Jill Biden reiterated her calls for free community college. | AFP via Getty Images FIRST LADY DELIVERS FREE TWO-YEAR COLLEGE PITCH — First lady Jill Biden on Saturday pushed the president's proposal to make two-year college free during her commencement address at Erie County Community College on Saturday. The president has included the lofty proposal in his latest budget request to Congress, though it is unlikely to be part of a spending package in a divided Congress. — "I teach at a community college for the same reason students go to community colleges," said Biden, who teaches at Northern Virginia Community College. "They’re flexible and meet people where they are. And, as my husband, President Biden, says, they provide the 'best career training in America.'” — The Erie Times-News reported that Biden reiterated: "Community colleges should be free."   JOIN US ON 6/13 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE: As Congress and the White House work to strengthen health care affordability and access, innovative technologies and treatments are increasingly important for patient health and lower costs. What barriers are appearing as new tech emerges? Is the Medicare payment process keeping up with new technologies and procedures? Join us on June 13 as POLITICO convenes a panel of lawmakers, officials and experts to discuss what policy solutions could expand access to innovative therapies and tech. REGISTER HERE.     Syllabus — Unusual mix of possible candidates line up for Chicago’s first school board elections this fall: The Associated Press — No diploma: Colleges withhold degrees from students after pro-Palestinian protests: USA Today — Cardona pledges FAFSA is ‘going to get better’: Inside Higher Ed — Pro-Palestinian CUNY students disrupt City College commencement: POLITICO Pro — DeSantis says Trump can still vote in Florida despite felony conviction: POLITICO A message from Sallie Mae®: Families who have a plan to pay for all four years of college before enrolling are more likely to complete their higher education, according to Sallie Mae’s How America Completes College 2024 report. That’s why we need to set students up for success well before they enroll by helping them maximize scholarships and grants before borrowing. Learn more about how Sallie Mae is helping students plan and pay for college.     Follow us on Twitter Delece Smith-Barrow @DeleceWrites Rebecca Carballo @Becca_Carballo Bianca Quilantan @biancaquilan Juan Perez Jr. @PerezJr Mackenzie Wilkes @macwilkes   Follow us

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