Senator Warren Presses Education Secretary on Department's 'War on Students'

Strategic Insights -

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has released Education Secretary Linda McMahon's response to her 60+ questions regarding the Department of Education's (ED) relentless war on students. The senator expressed disappointment with McMahon's response, finding it "severely lacking." Warren has announced that she will refer certain matters where the Department has proved uncooperative to the Government Accountability Office and the Education Department's Inspector General.

In response to ED's letter, Warren pushed for clarity on several key issues, including restoring the income-driven repayment (IDR) payment counter, addressing the IDR backlog, and providing access to debt relief for eligible borrowers. She also requested data on borrower delinquencies and defaults, the performance of federal student loan servicers, and the state of Pell Grants. Warren's efforts aim to shed light on how the Department's policies are impacting services and programs relied upon by millions of students and families nationwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator Warren has expressed disappointment with Secretary Linda McMahon's response to her 60+ questions on the Department of Education's (ED) actions against students, labeling it "severely lacking."
  • ED's Office of the Ombudsman has a backlog of over 27,000 complaints from students and student loan borrowers, with only 1,122 complaints closed during May 2025.
  • ED will be transferring some of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority's (MOHELA's) federal student loan portfolio to other servicers later this year.
  • Senator Warren has requested that ED restore the income-driven repayment (IDR) payment counter, address the IDR backlog, and provide access to debt relief for eligible borrowers.
  • Warren has asked for data on borrower delinquencies and defaults, the performance of federal student loan servicers, and the state of Pell Grants.
  • The senator plans to refer certain matters where the Department is uncooperative to the Government Accountability Office and the Education Department's Inspector General.
  • Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and has engaged in various efforts to highlight the consequences for American students and families.
  • Warren has led several letters and Congressional actions, including pushing for full funding to the Office of Federal Student Aid and requesting that the Department of Education stop blocking nearly $7 billion in funds for K-12 schools.

Statistics:

  • Over 27,000 complaints are held in the backlog of ED's Office of the Ombudsman.
  • Only 1,122 complaints were closed in May 2025.
  • 1.5 million borrowers are prevented from entering repayment plans and making progress towards PSLF or IDR debt relief due to the IDR backlog.
  • Senator Warren has led over 10 letters and Congressional actions to address the Department of Education's actions against students.

Sources:

  • ED Response | Warren Letter (PDF)
  • "Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts of Trump's War on Students" report by Senator Warren
  • Letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon from Senator Warren and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (July 15, 2025)
  • Letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, and Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon from Senator Warren (July 14, 2025)
  • Amicus brief for NAACP v. US by Senator Warren (July 3, 2025)
  • Letter to Acting Inspector General René Rocque from Senator Warren (March 27, 2025)
  • Letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon from Senator Warren and Andy Kim (February 11, 2025)