Staff Reports
In a recent turn of events, the Education Department has approved millions of applications for President Biden’s now-defunct student loan forgiveness program without bothering to check if the borrowers were even eligible in the first place. Can you believe it? The audacity! They just handed out money left and right without ensuring that the recipients actually deserved it. It’s like giving candy to a kid without making them say “please” first. Outrageous!
Biden’s program would have canceled student loans without verifying eligibility, audit findshttps://t.co/I9egCdK2rt pic.twitter.com/KbdWXZ8gyn
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 20, 2023
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) blasted the Biden administration, comparing their approach to the forgiveness program to the disastrous self-reporting model that was exploited by fraudsters during the pandemic. Sounds like history repeating itself, doesn’t it? The GAO pointed out that the Education Department was all set to rubber-stamp over 2 million applications based solely on borrowers’ self-reported income, with no verification checks whatsoever. Talk about a recipe for disaster!
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Supreme Court had to step in and put an end to the forgiveness program, citing that Biden’s plan went too far and violated the law. But by that time, the Education Department had already given the green light to millions of applications and was gearing up to dish out funds to 2 million cases without bothering to do their due diligence. It’s like they were playing a game of hot potato with taxpayers’ money, and now the American people are left holding the bag.
Congress members on the conservative side were not shy about expressing their outrage at the debacle. North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx slammed the Education Department, accusing them of taking a “nap” instead of cracking down on potential fraud. And Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy didn’t hold back either, calling the department’s approach “unconscionable.” Can you blame them? It’s like watching a bank robber waltz into a vault and the security guards just stand there twiddling their thumbs.
The Education Department tried to defend their blunder by claiming that they structured the program to minimize burden for borrowers and believed it was a low risk for fraud. Seriously? They thought they could just hand out billions of dollars without even breaking a sweat and not expect any shenanigans? The GAO wasn’t buying it, though, pointing out that even with the supposed safeguards in place, the potential for fraud was still alarmingly high. It’s like trying to plug a leaky dam with a piece of gum—totally ineffective!
But wait, there’s more! The GAO revealed that the Education Department was planning a scaled-down version of the forgiveness program despite the Supreme Court shutting it down. It’s like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole! And to add insult to injury, the department insisted on keeping certain information from the public, claiming it was too “secret” to be released. What are they hiding? The recipe for their secret sauce? Senate Republicans were on the case, calling out the administration for trying to sweep their failures under the rug.
This whole fiasco has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. The GAO pointed out that the Education Department’s handling of the forgiveness program was a “work in progress,” but let’s be real—this was a disaster in the making. With millions of taxpayer dollars at stake, it’s clear that the Education Department dropped the ball on this one. This is a textbook example of what happens when you try to rush through a program without proper oversight and accountability. It’s like trying to bake a cake without following the recipe—sure, it might look okay on the outside, but inside, it’s a hot mess.
In the end, it’s crystal clear that the Education Department needs to step up their game and learn from their mistakes. The American people deserve better than to have their hard-earned money handed out like free candy on Halloween. The GAO must continue to hold the department accountable and resist any attempts to hide the truth from the public. Let’s hope that this whole mess serves as a wake-up call for the Education Department to get their act together and do right by the American people.
