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Several key Republican lawmakers today pushed back against the Obama administration’s proposed regulations governing student loan debt relief and providing the Education Department with new tools to crack down on financially-troubled colleges. The proposed regulations are largely focused on the for-profit college industry.

Rep. John Kline, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, and Rep. Virginia Foxx, who heads the higher education subcommittee, said in a statement that the administration had opted for an “extreme, partisan approach” in proposing the new rules.

“This vague and subjective regulatory scheme — which totals more than 500 pages — threatens to ensnare institutions that are following the law and serving the best interests of their students,” Kline and Foxx said. “Taxpayers will be on the hook for billions of dollars in discharged loans, and ultimately, students will have a harder time accessing the education they need to succeed in life"

Sen. Lamar Alexander, the chair of the Senate education committee, meanwhile, had a more measured response to the administration's proposals. He said in a statement that he was "carefully reviewing" the department's proposed regulations, though he said he was concerned the loan forgiveness provisions went "too far and will result in significant cost to taxpayers."

“If your car is a lemon, you don't sue the bank that made the auto loan — you sue the car company — and if students feel they were defrauded by their college, the legal system exists for them to seek justice," Alexander said.

https://www.politicopro.com/education/whiteboard/2016/06/gop-lawmakers-criticize-obama-administrations-student-loan-debt-relief-proposal-073218