Below is the latest news from the offices of Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey and Congressman Seth Moulton.
Senator Elizabeth Warren
Bipartisan Group of Senators Urges Education Department Not to Use Unsolicited Robocalling for Student Loan Debt Collection Without Evidence of Benefits for Borrowers and Taxpayers
Washington, DC – In a bipartisan letter sent to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) today, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) raised concerns about the newly-authorized use of unsolicited “robocalling” to collect student loan debt. Federal law has generally protected individuals from automated, unsolicited robocalling by debt collectors and others, but this consumer protection recently was eliminated as it pertains to the collection of debts owed to or guaranteed by the federal government.
“We are concerned that this provision will subject student loan borrowers to a barrage of unsolicited calls – and possibly leave them with no refuge to stop the calls,” the senators wrote. They noted that ED has offered no evidence that robocalling will help borrowers choose the right repayment plan and avoid default, or that it will help the federal student loan program by generating meaningful revenue.
“The Department has an obligation to demonstrate with data that the use of this authority will provide net benefits for both student loan borrowers and taxpayers and will not result in potentially abusive debt collection practices. In the absence of such data, the Department should not direct anyone, including third party debt collectors, to use robocalls to collect student loan debt,” the letter states. The senators ask ED to explain the steps it will take to generate data on this issue, and request information about the Department’s interpretation of its authority under the new law.
“The federal government should focus on giving students the tools they need to repay their debts and to avoid default – not on squeezing them even harder,” Senator Warren said. “The new robocalling provision raises real concerns, and the Education Department should not use this authority without evidence that it would benefit borrowers and taxpayers.”
“Our higher education system is in desperate need of reform,” Senator Lee said, “but allowing debt collectors for the federal government to harass distressed borrowers is not the way to do it. Instead of doubling down on a failing student borrowing program, we should be looking for new ways to increase education competition, and bring down prices for everyone.”
“The Education Department is exempting itself from important protections afforded to citizens, the protection that they will not be unnecessarily harassed by collection agencies, all without any concrete evidence that this will help reduce defaults on federal student loans. We need more clarity about whether this will actually provide a benefit, rather than cause harm, said Senator Hatch.
“Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to ensure consumers would not be subject to intrusive and unsolicited calls on their mobile phones. Despite the overwhelming popularity of this law, Congress recently passed a provision that removes a key measure protecting students from unwanted robocalls and texts. We need the Department of Education to ensure that cell phones don’t start ringing with intrusive and aggressive robocalls until strong regulations protecting students are put in place,” Senator Markey said.
Additional Press Releases and Statements from Senator Warren’s Office:
Senators Seek Further Information About Federal Efforts to Facilitate Medical Marijuana Research
Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Reid, Schumer Introduce Puerto Rico Emergency Financial Stability Act
Senator Ed Markey
Markey Statement on Senate Passage of Omnibus and Tax Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after voting against the government spending and tax package [last week].
“Everyone wants the government to remain open and working for America. This spending package includes important raises for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and other federal agencies working to support America’s middle class and working families. This funding will help us in our efforts to find cures to Alzheimer’s and other deadly diseases, combat climate change and implement a comprehensive solution to the opioid epidemic. The tax provisions contain important tax credits for hard-working American families that I have long supported for middle class families, college students, and businesses.
“But this bill also contains a massive giveaway to Big Oil that would be a disaster for our economy, our national security and our environment. This spending package lifts the longstanding crude oil export ban and gives the oil industry yet another permanent windfall while the wind and solar industries are left with tax breaks that will phase out and then be gone. This spending bill hamstrings our clean energy future to protect our dirty energy past. It will be consumers in Massachusetts and across the country who pay the price, literally, for decades to come.
“Big Oil, aided by Congressional Republicans, made lifting the oil export ban their number one priority in budget negotiations. Lifting the ban is an oil-drenched Christmas present for the American people wrapped by Big Oil and delivered by Congressional Republicans. Using this must-pass spending bill to jam through this massive, permanent giveaway to the oil industry is just plain wrong.
“This bill also contains a provision that sacrifices Americans’ privacy under the guise of security. The flawed Cybersecurity Act could open a floodgate of information sharing that would jeopardize Americans’ privacy and put their personal information at risk.We need stronger privacy protections that would ensure personally-identifiable information isn’t compromised, personal information doesn’t flow freely to the National Security Agency, and provide more limited liability protections to companies that share information with the government.”
Additional Press Releases and Statements from Senator Markey’s Office:
Markey, Blumenthal Introduce Legislation To Increase Protections For Online Consumers
Sen. Markey Leads Call to Cut Wasteful Nuclear Expenditures, Cancel New Nuclear Air-launched Missile
Senators Introduce Legislation to Honor Amb. Christopher Stevens, Glen A. Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith – Heroes Killed in Libyan Consulate Attack
Senator Markey on Omnibus: Big Oil’s Clean Energy Trojan Horse
Twenty-One Democratic Senators Express Profound Concern over Second Iranian Ballistic Missile Test in Letter to President Obama
Bipartisan Coalition of Senators Hails Senate Passage of Historic Chemical Safety Law
Senator Markey Statement on U.N. Resolution on Syrian Civil War
Bipartisan Group of Senators Urges Education Department Not to Use Unsolicited Robocalling for Student Loan Debt Collection Without Evidence of Benefits for Borrowers and Taxpayers
Senate Unanimously Passes Electrify Africa Bill
Senators Urge Obama Administration to Release Proposed Rules for Internet Access Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Representative Seth Moulton
Representative Moulton’s office has not issued any press releases or statements recently.
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