Delegates press congressman on Department of Education changes and student loan transfer to Treasury

Delegates questioned Congressman Nfume at an April 3 Baltimore County House delegation meeting about what they called a growing crisis at the U.S. Department of Education and worries that transferring federal student loan servicing to the Treasury will harm borrowers.

Vice Chair Delegate Pasteur opened the line of questioning by calling the situation "the demise of the Department of Education," saying cuts and policy shifts could do generational harm to students, particularly those with special education needs. Delegate Alethia McCaskill noted Maryland’s reported $250 million surplus and asked whether the federal change in student-loan administration would affect students’ ability to navigate repayment and restructuring.

Nfume said reductions in Department of Education staffing had removed a "brain trust" and that members of Congress have pursued litigation to stop or slow some federal policy changes — "We filed, jointly, probably about a 125 lawsuits," he said — while noting members often must work with outside nonprofit law firms because of legal standing limits. He described litigation results as mixed but said roughly 80% of the suits brought by outside groups have produced wins or stays.

Nfume also criticized federal spending priorities, saying it is inconsistent to spend large sums on foreign policy while reducing investment in domestic education supports. He urged continued public advocacy and congressional pressure to preserve programs such as Pell Grants and Head Start and to seek ways to make prescription drugs and health care more affordable.

What’s next: Delegates and the congressman agreed to continue the dialogue; no formal votes were held and the delegation had no legislative business on the agenda for that meeting.