(TruthAndLiberty.com) – Senate and Congress GOP members have been accusing the Department of Education of attempting to block the probe into the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee ranking member Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and House of the Education and Workforce Committee chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) argued that the department was “illegally obstructing” the investigation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) into the rollout of FAFSA. In a letter sent to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the lawmakers have pointed out that FAFSA is stonewalling the investigation and that the department was trying to interfere with the office’s ability to conduct its oversight work, which is mandated by the Constitution.
The lawmakers have argued that the department has not yet had the documents they had been requested by the GAO turned over, effectively blocking them from completing the investigation within the year.
The probe was initiated after the Republicans called for an investigation into the several delays after the FAFSE rollout, which were the result of a number of issues, including technical problems and issues with the way in which aid per student is calculated by the department. Due to the issues, there has been a decline in the average completion rate of applications, and the parties invested are hurrying now to bring up the numbers ahead of the upcoming school year.
The letter specifically noted that it was unacceptable for the department to not comply with the request as the GAO is a part of the Legislative Branch and its work should not be interfered with.
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