Bonamici Confronts Sec. Betsy DeVos About Failure to Protect Defrauded Students
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about her decision to continue to demand loan repayment from students who were defrauded by for-profit institutions.
“The Secretary’s answers about the Education Department’s failure to protect students from deceptive for-profit institutions were deeply unsatisfactory, as is her plan to provide only partial relief to some borrowers,” Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici said after the hearing. “It is not justice if students who were defrauded are denied full student loan forgiveness. The actions of Secretary DeVos are contrary to the Education Department’s mission, which is to help students and foster educational excellence. I will continue my oversight responsibility to hold her accountable and make sure students receive a quality education.”
Video of Bonamici’s questions at the hearing can be found here.
Bonamici noted that hundreds of thousands of students, including thousands in Oregon, were left with burdensome loans and useless degrees after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges and other for-profit institutions that engaged in deceptive practices. The Department of Education has repeatedly delayed implementation of the Borrower Defense rule, and just recently instituted a new formula for processing Borrower Defense claims that will result in loan forgiveness for only a fraction of borrowers.
It also violated a court order by illegally demanding repayment from Corinthian borrowers. The Department originally reported seeking repayment from more than 16,000 Corinthian borrowers, but we now know that this number is 45,000.
“I’m a former consumer protection lawyer for the Federal Trade Commission, and I know fraud when I see it,” Bonamici said during the hearing. “These students were misled and cheated. And the fact that some of them may be making money doesn’t mean they weren’t defrauded. If someone went into one of these programs hoping to become a nurse, for example, and now they’re selling clothes at a department store, it doesn’t mean that they weren’t defrauded.
“I hope you can put yourself in the shoes of some of these borrowers. I know it’s challenging. They went to try to find a better life for themselves and instead of getting a good education they got collection notices and wage garnishments.”
When Bonamici questioned DeVos about how many times the Department illegally billed borrowers who were applying for Borrower Defense in violation of a court order, the Secretary failed to provide specifics.
Congresswoman Bonamici is an outspoken advocate for student loan borrowers and has led efforts to protect students and taxpayers from predatory for-profit colleges. She has supported the gainful employment and borrower defense rules, which are aimed at reining in predatory for-profit colleges, and has spoken out following efforts by this Department to weaken these and other consumer protections for borrowers.
"There were errors made." Yes, she should never have been confirmed as Sec of Education.
Your Preaching to the choir! "SCRATCH A LIE, FIND D A THIEF" MESSAGE!
"The devo" had no educational qualifications, and still has no strategic planning training, so this mess was to be expected. You or I would be fired and possibly sued, but this is "the devo," so there are no consequences.
8 million in political donations will get you a job where you can destroy the education system.
Usually you can't get away with something this blatant. This is the donald dump administration, so anything goes. Meanwhile, it seems "the devo" couldn't even manage a potholder loom.
Yes, her appointment to the position, that was the error.
Shes hopeful, but not responsible? A real boss would fire her!
trump is not a real boss.
She's rich. It's only the middling and poor who should be "responsible" for under preforming or being incompetent in their job performance.
Her God is money. That's why she acts like God's always with her and she's such hot shit.
@@ILOVEMYWIFEAMIL Agree.
@@lexyswope thanks :)
Funny how these humans errors are never in favor of the students.
Yeah why can there never be an error for students.(p.s. I am from the philippines just saying).
Why can there never be an error where we get High Grades. No school for a month extended vacation summer break etc.
Why!!!!
@@GenmGamer well it is about students loans.
@@samoryTure yeah that too. Why dont we get a human error where we get money xD
And they've been able to keep making those same *human errors* for 2 years with no consequences. I will give her the first year since she was new.
@@zj100 Not all students have jobs.
She's not fired by design. She's in her position still because she's doing the bidding of those in power.
Eric von Wald 💯
No, she paid her way in to do her own bidding. The crazy religious right are desperate for power, they want to overhaul the education system and infusion Xtianity any which way they can. Devos paid her way in to do just that.
She's not fired because she's orchestrating a $2million repayment to Trump University/DJT for the fine he had to pay!
Her and her family gave millions of dollars to the Trump campaign, that's how she got where she is today!
She also has stock in some of these fraudulent private schools. She is a disgusting creature, I don't believe she is human.
I have waited soooo long to see that smirk wiped off her face.
She has millions but she wants even more. Her greed has no bounds.
Actually, her family is worth 2 billion as of 2019
They’re snakes
Repeat after me and say. Hi my name is Betsy DeVos and I'm a idiot
@jimmy jimmy don't project the activities of your mother onto others. Ask your mommy of she wants knee pads for Christmas?
@jimmy jimmy My name is Betsy Dumbvos and I'm a dumb *itch.
Betsy DeVos is not responsible for the stupid decisions made by students.
@@davidlafleche1142 I don't believe students knew that the universities were scams.
@@winiolivache1774 They should have been more discerning. Besides, these scams had been going on long before DeVos was hired, so she is not at fault.
How is she still in this position after all these hearings that display her incompetence?! How?! I don’t get it!!
Ask her boss
Because the Prez is still in his position..
trump *wants* her there to destroy the Department of Education.
@Ike Vr We seem to still be waiting on the politicians to fix things.
money talks---bs walks----its sad for us who put up with her bs
You know full well that DeVos cannot put herself in the shoes of affected loan borrowers
Devos is a slick snake. Get rid of her, Trump. Oh, forget it, she's like you.
What's slick about her? She is baldly incompetent. Unfortunately, she is protected by a crime syndicate known as the GOP.
@@andrew_owens7680 things covered in slime are often slick
b1sayan She’s slick? When?
Thank you Secretary Devos for showing up to blame everyone but yourself.
Can you also impeach her for corruption and incompetence? Serious question, not joking.
My dream is eventually for Trump's 2016 to be invalidated, meaning all his appointees including judges are likewise invalidated. And all his criminal co-conspiritators like DeVos, Pence, Pompeo, Barr, et all be jailed for their betrayal of oaths and criminal activities. I separate my hopes from my expectations, however. This frees me to hope for what I want to . . . . expectations are another matter. Dream on . . .
Thank you for standing up to the viper that is Betsy DeVos.
Good job. Not my Congresswoman but doing what she’s supposed to. These types, like Devos are like metal. You can’t shape it unless you keep it under fire. Keep up the good work of fighting for the downtrodden
3:08 - "And I WAS here I just didn't find the answer satisfactory" !!! Best response to her passive aggressive bs!
ITT Tech Victim here. I wish I never went here. I graduated in 2014. Coming right out of HS, ITT had a welcoming facade. Here is a short story. I was the president of the student body at one point (which is not a real thing). I was encouraged to do so so that the school could claim presidential leadership funding of sorts . I was given nothing, no funds to work with. So I sold cookies, and ice cream out of pocket to help my student body. Unbeknownst to me, that during my years there, the school was under investigation. My BD has been summited since October 2016 (thats right, 4 years ago) when they abruptly closed in September. I have been in forbearance since, accruing interest. 70k dollars in debt.... I call every six months and only now, am I told it is under review. However, according to this timeline, I should have been forgiven under the Obama administration yet, they (Trump's administration) really refused to move forward with the findings. Interesting, to see this now, now that I am older and have worked hard to be where I am without my degree, living paycheck to paycheck. Patience is a virtue, I guess.
Keep fighting my fellow peers!
Thank you Suzanne for exposing DeVos for her cynical crusade to withhold aid from defrauded borrowers..
The error was in putting this corrupt person in charge
The error was in letting the Electoral college put trump in office.
Wow... "I was here, I just didn't find the answer satisfactory"
go mam!
Thank you Rep.Bonamici for holding Secretary DeVos accountable for allowing this criminal activity to continue unchecked. I am a resident of Massachusetts but would be proud to have you as a representative in Washington.
"And I was here, I just didn't find the answer satisfactory."
Curb stomp her, sis.
Oregon has some good Representatives.
"And I was here. I just didn't find your answer satisfactory." Brilliant, if we had more government workers like this, our republic would be glorious.
James Moses - Agreed. Proud she’s from my state.
Betsy DeVos - incompetence in action.
It amazes me how hard it is to prosecute and convict rich people. Its clear they broke the law why is no one going to jail?
Proud of her from my prior home state. Oregon is a state that highly values education.
Since then, there were human errors that ALWAYS swung against the interests of the borrowers and we have kept all of the ill-gotten gains earning interest in massive accounts while we look into it. Then we are going to divert all that money into government contracts with private contractors that I know. Win-win!!!
I'm happy to have voted for Bonamici. I'm glad to have a representative who isn't an international embarrassment.
Thank you madam Congresswoman!
There should be no methodology. If the person went to that school, their debt should be forgiven. If they make money, so what. The money they are making did not come from the "education" they received. They were scammed. DeVos's financial interests lay in for profit schools and she will always be on their side.
After 2 or 3 yrs and still no answers, she didn't go to court when summonsed ! Yet no jail time. Now if you were summoned to go to court and refuse, where would you be today ?
I still can't get over the fact that if a person becomes disabled their student loans are not forgiven...They need to pass a law that if you become legally disabled your loans can be forgiven...They do have something but the requirements are ridiculous, and you have to literally apply to renew every year, and they don't remind you to reapply...You have to remember to reapply the same date every year...Also, they don't completely dismiss the loan, it remains...So if you forget to reapply or if you work even part time, the loan is reinstated and they proceed with collection action...Another downside is the interest does not stop accruing...Totally obsurd!!
"if you were here earlier" my butt!!! Somehow she thinks that statement is going to get her out of the hot seat.
It's her go to response now... Her passive aggressive comeback to anyone who dares to call her out on her continued defiance of court orders.
Errors made? Bloody well fix it & forgive the loans that you were ordered too. And the fine, you pay it since you violated the injunction. Take responsibility for once in your life.
What exactly does her department do, other than annoy all and sundry.
Still waiting on them to sort my ITT disaster. They closed 3 semesters before my bachelors and now I’m stuck supporting my fiancée and son on my own with a low paying job, my taxes taken, $30k debt, and wasted a big portion of my life going to school and working full time which took away a lot of time I could of spent watching my newborn son grow up. I’ve done everything, school closure application, borrowers Defence etc..and have not heard back from anyone. So frustrating 😡
"I'm sorry you weren't here when I answered this before." Weeeewwww. Passive aggressive much?
Talking to Ditzy DeVos is like talking to a Scarecrow, that is trying to figure out why it gets wet when it rains!
I don't think she knows what she doing! Taxpayers ALWAYS have to pay FOR THE FRAUD THAT THAT OCCURS IN GOV'T.
She knows that she was trying to make a point but as usual devos doesn't answer the question
Reminds me of Sarah Palin a bit- you betcha. Word salads all around.
Except Palin didn't destroy nearly as many lives as DeVos. I never imagined I would be defending Palin, but here we are. Palin was also a lot funnier, but I am not disputing your comparison. I stand behind my comments here, but your point is nonetheless still well taken. But it is your fault if I don't enjoy my salad tonight. Maybe if I try the Russian dressing . . . I can see it from here . . .
What will happen when all these graduates can’t afford homes or a family or a future. Thousands upon a thousands who borrowed tax payer money and ended up in debt with worthless degrees. Retaliation is eminent. We were robbed. Plain and simple; and the people who are supposed to catch the criminals failed. So it’s up to us to make the criminals pay. Blacklist every teacher and every staff member who was involved. Take away their jobs and their future.
She was the dean of admissions for Trump U 😂
jimmy jimmy someone’s salty because trump university didn’t turn out to be legit 🤷♂️
Jimmy Jimmy was the director of transportation..specifically the gallant fleet of short buses at Trump U, it appears
People who have been defrauded should be made whole. At the very least.
She (Devos) is proof that monsters are real.
And that creepy asf smile, YIKES!
Get the hell out Betsy!
AMEN!
The people who disliked this video must have gotten great jobs and paid back their loans and feel the other people who haven't are slackers.
Can Devos be charged with lying under oath?
I see she's been demoted back from "Honorable" down to "Secretary."
Honorable was never part of the equation.
Because of how Betsy Devos is handling things, I am now living in my truck with over $250 taken out of my disability benefits. I just had spine surgery last year from a work injury and the case manager from my doctor's office advised me to get my student loans erased because the extent of my injury.
I was in a program with the department of education and I kept in contact with them. I let them know what was going on. Just in the middle of this after explaining to them what is happening to me and what I am trying to do, I got the notice from the Treasury.
I never been so hopeless in my life. I am living in my truck with a bad spine and somehow have to make it on $700 a month now. The prices are rising on everything. I am freezing at night and have nobody. I reached out to agencies in Washington State and they straight up told me they don't care.
Whatever you do, don't give up. You will make it. I have faith that you will. I've been in a similar situation but I didn't even have any vehicle. Just me and the shelter or sidewalk. Please don't give up, your change is coming.
It's her family business that why she illegally collecting money from the students loans program
Trump hired her out of vengeance for what happened at his school...she has no degree for her job or experience...
Wow phenomenal ethics question wow.
Emma Gonzalez had the best phrase that applies to most people in this administration. "I call BS"
Great Job
Betsy you might need a speech therapist. It looks like you rehearsed your answers but forgot them, then remembered them. Hard to watch and sad, just sad that education is in your hands.😢😞😢
Yet ANOTHER example of Ttump hiring "the best people".
This administration reminds me of a large company I worked for many years ago, where its mid-to-lower tiers of management were riddled with incompetent boobs. It didn't take long to realize that these people promoted others who were even more incompetent than themselves.
This management philosophy feeds on its own fears. Don't promote anyone smarter than yourself. And if they happen to also be ass-kissers, so much the better.
THIS is making America better?!?!?
All I hear from Betsy DeVos' answers are um...um...um...blah..blah...blah...blah...blah..I am screwed!!!!!😵
Personally we the people need to be helped. The people were lied to by the government
She is like her family- good at pyramid schemes.
“borrowers that made claims were in foreberance were not accruing interest per my request.”
LIE!!! im in foreberance & i still have to pay interest because the interest keeps going up each month!!!
DeVos should be in prison, not in the department of education.
Grandstanding does nothing. How do we have her removed from office?
Want to smack that smile off DeVos face.
More power to you suzanne
Poor Devos. She gets tossed around like a rag doll in every hearing lol
“I was here, I just didn’t find the answers satisfactory.” - Congresswoman Bonamici
I don’t think Betsy has ever given an answer that was satisfactory to anyone. That’s why they have to ask her questions multiple times without getting answers. My head hurts listening to her try and sweep both her corruption and lack of empathy under the rug while backing private/charter schools like the one her husband owns.
I have the same problem with ITT Tech.
If possible; next time you speak to secretary Devos, ask her about ITT Technical Institute and it's former students who were defrauded.
I cannot agree more about the $100,000 fine. It’s peanuts to her, but DeVos should have to pay it out of her personal funds. Her title should not shield her.
LOVE there are no other witnesses next to her.
Thank you secretary DeVos for being here, now please go and don't come back. Thank you sectretary DeVos.
Impeach Devos too!
Everest Institute victim here! I send my documents so I can get my loan forgiveness and still haven't heard anything back. The only was that I was put in forbearance again and that was it. I did send a letter to them regarding my experience in the institute and how was taught by LVNs and by a Chiropractor in order for me to become a Medical Assistant. I went through 5 instructors which half of the semester they didn't even how to teach new students and couldn't understand the curriculum. I taught the class for the first 2 hours. Anyway, I just couldn't understand how a Chiropractor would be able to teach MAs on surgical prep, about blood draws, papsmears, autoclaving, electrocardiograms, etc.... It is ridiculous! Plus we caught the Chiropractor having sex with one of the Instructors! Did they fire them? Absolutely not! The major problem was they offered JOB PLACEMENT for the students! Nothing! Horrible experience! We are stuck now!
Praying for peace 🕊️💚 in Ukraine.
Rock on!
She’s needs to go. Why did she even want to buy this position?
Aye that's my rep
Betsy has answers for every question.
Yeah Betsey..how many cases have been harassed even after the courts declared it illegal. What a monster.
So this is what a drained swamp looks like?
@ RepSuzanneBonamici
considering that devos and her family own a student debt company why is there not a conflict of interests with her having this position? maybe confront this daughter of the amway grift with this next time hey?
That department should be runned by someone who had gone through college while poor and depending from financial aid and student loans.
Rich people have no idea of the impact of financial aid and other related struggles faced by students.
Incompetence at its finest how does she still have her job.
The worst of the worse, worse...soullessness emblematic...
I others words stop ripping off the students with the loans . And Devo's still let's the victims of these loans making them pay this is wrong on so many levels !!
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has similar thoughts like President Trump ...
" She could care less about the courts decisions or wasting taxpayer's dollars." WOW!!!
Wait wait...did she seriously say its not appropriate to fine a federal department? Thats her defense? I would make it a million dollars just for trying to use that as a defense.
They say that because you don't have enough money you can't be president.
Shouldn't they be more scared of people with too much money ?
How much is too much?
Lock her up!
That thing? A secretary for education? Christ! No wonder and explains alot
If you buy a car and the dealer lies to you and you get a turd, do you sue your back for loaning you the money?
If a student is defrauded by a college they should sue the college. They can repay their loans that way. The only thing the Dept of Ed should do is disqualify schools who defraud students.
Incompetence from this Administration of Key Stone Cops.
Trump is impeached so why not her what happened to the ME TOO movement?
Beaty gives hammered every time she goes to a meeting. When will she be kicked out so she can run her family’s Pyramid company
Appealing to DeVos' good side is a waste of time and energy. She has no compassion, no consideration for anyone but herself.
impeach devos. why don't we have systems for punishing these people? once they establish a pattern of violating their oath, they should be removed immediately.
This is so cringey. All the time with her. Does she know her job at all?
Two of the schools I attended closed. I have $60,000 in student loans. Our tax refund has been taken the last 3 years.
She's always saying "well if you were here earlier..." to her detractors. She is a pathological liar.
DANCE, DANCE, DANCE DEVOS!!!!
This is number two on how to destroy democracy and become a dictatorship. 2. Crack down on college students, so they won’t oppose you (hint: burden them with so much student debt and make it so hard for them to find good jobs that they won’t dare rock the boat).