News: Student debt relief surfaces in campaign TV ads as legal battle heats up

Monday, October 24, 2022

Student debt relief surfaces in campaign TV ads as legal battle heats up

Oct 24, 2022

Presented by the American Heart Association

STUDENT DEBT RELIEF SURFACES IN 2022 CAMPAIGN ADS: President Joe Biden's student debt relief program was dealt a legal setback late on Friday when a federal appeals court temporarily halted the administration from discharging the loans . The legal battle is far from over, and we're likely to see key developments this coming week.

But in the meantime, the politics of student debt relief continue to ripple on the campaign trail heading into the final two weeks until the election:

— Biden on Friday, speaking at Delaware State University a few hours before the court decision, touted the nearly 22 million borrowers who already signed up for debt relief. He blasted GOP critics of the plan as hypocritical. "Republican members of Congress and Republican governors are doing everything they can to deny this relief, even to their own constituents," he said, adding that "their outrage is wrong and it's hypocritical."

Joe Biden speaks.

President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Delaware State University, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Del. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo

— Building Back Together, a pro-Biden outside political group, is running digital ads — featuring the Dark Brandon meme — to promote student debt relief in several battleground states.

— Fodder for GOP attack ads: Republicans have decried student loan forgiveness as an illegal handout to borrowers who don't need the help — and they're using the Biden policy to hammer Democratic candidates in several competitive races.

— In Wisconsin, a super PAC supporting Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is airing a TV ad attacking Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes as "oblivious" to economic concerns. The ad by Wisconsin Truth PAC says Mandela "supported Biden's student loan forgiveness plan that cost every taxpayer $2,000."

— In North Carolina, a super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is running several versions of TV ads attacking Democrat Cheri Beasley, who is running against Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) for an open Senate seat.

"You made good choices, paid your own bills, avoided going into debt," the Senate Leadership Fund says. "But Cheri Beasley wants to force you to help pay off student loans for doctors and lawyers, even couples making up to a quarter million dollars a year." Another version of the ad says student debt relief is "a question of fairness."

— In Georgia, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D), who is in a tight race with Republican Herschel Walker, is one of the few Democrats running on student loan forgiveness. Warnock's campaign has run digital ads promoting debt relief. And a recent TV ad promoting Warnock's record in the Senate notes that he "pushed the president to relieve student loan debt."

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A message by the American Heart Association:

When will the U.S. Senate act on child nutrition? School meals are a recipe for student success. But the Senate's inaction is a recipe for disaster. Millions of kids no longer have access to healthy school meals at no cost all while soaring food prices cause major hardships for families across the country. Tell your Senators: Act now to ensure every child can get healthy school meals for free.

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On tap this week

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK: The various legal battles being waged over debt relief in courts across the country are set to heat up again this week after the whiplash from several different rulings last week.

— All eyes on the 8th Circuit: The federal appeals court, in which all but one of the judges are Republican appointees, is weighing a request by GOP-led states to block the debt relief program with a preliminary injunction. The court on Friday temporarily halted student debt relief until it rules on that request. The Biden administration is set to file a response by the end of today and the GOP states will respond by the end of Tuesday.

— Separately, a federal district court judge in Fort Worth, Texas is holding a hearing Tuesday morning in another lawsuit on debt relief brought by the conservative Job Creators Network. Judge Mark T. Pittman, a Trump appointee, will hear arguments on the group's request for an order blocking the program. Pittman wrote an order last week that he "recognizes the importance of this case and desires to resolve the dispute in an expeditious manner."

A message by the American Heart Association:

First Look

WATCHDOG URGES BETTER FEDERAL COORDINATION TO PROTECT SCHOOLS FROM CYBERATTACKS: Federal agencies need to improve how they work together on cybersecurity for K-12 schools across the country amid an increase in cyberattacks against educational institutions, a congressional watchdog says.

— The Government Accountability Office, in a new report this morning, criticizes the "limited" coordination on school cybersecurity within the federal government and between officials and education leaders. It urges the Education Department to work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to create a government coordinating council to address the issue.

— Schools in most states reported an increase in cyberattacks between 2018 and April 2022, GAO found, though it notes that the precise number and scale of the threat is unknown because there's no centralized reporting or tracking. The incidents ranged from ransomware attacks to disruptions of key administrative computer systems and technology platforms used by schools. They cost billions of dollars and often days or weeks of lost learning, the GAO said.

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— Education Department officials have questioned whether the agency has the legal authority needed to create a coordinating council, according to the report. But GAO says it believes that the agency has the power to do so.

— In response to the GAO report, the Education Department said it had "already begun informal interagency coordination" on cybersecurity and plans to explore how to better assist K-12 schools prepare, the agency said in response to the GAO report.

—Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee's subcommittee on emerging threats, was one of the lawmakers who requested the GAO study. She said in a statement that the findings underscored previous efforts by lawmakers to convince the Education Department and DHS to create a government coordinating council on cybersecurity for K-12 schools.

JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats' former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for "The Exit Interview," a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE .

Syllabus

— Harvard's insurance blunder in affirmative action case may cost the university $15 million: The New York Times .

— Companies lure hourly workers with college tuition perks: The Associated Press .

— Battle rages in W.Va. over control of public school policy: The Associated Press .

A message by the American Heart Association:

When will the U.S. Senate act on child nutrition?

School meals are a recipe for student success. Since early 2020, every child in America has been eligible for school meals at no cost, regardless of family income level - no forms, no questions asked. The policy has kept millions of children and families from going hungry during the pandemic. But that support has ended just as the new school year has started. The Senate's inaction is a recipe for disaster, as millions of kids lose access to healthy school meals at no cost while food prices soar.

Tell your Senators: Act now to ensure every child can get healthy school meals for free.