Warner weekly wrap up: Game of Loans

GAME OF LOANS

Student loans now outstrip credit cards and auto loans as the top contributor to U.S. household debt, and the average Virginia student graduates with $29,000 in debt. Senator Warner introduced two bipartisan bills this week to make it easier for young people to manage student loan payments: one bill, with Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio, makes income-based repayments — limited to 10% of earnings – the default option for federal student loan borrowers. A second bill, introduced with South Dakota GOP Senator John Thune, encourages employers to offer a new, tax-free benefit – up to $5,250 a year – to apply toward an employee’s student debt.

TARGETING CAMPUS ASSAULT

It is distressing that sexual assault continues to be such a pervasive problem on many U.S. college campuses. Senator Warner joined a bipartisan group of colleagues this week in reintroducing The Campus Accountability and Safety Act, which aims to provide some consistency in how colleges and universities work to prevent, respond to, and report on incidents of campus sexual assault. It provides additional support for survivors and the accused, and it sets real accountability standards – with potential sanctions –for college administrators​.

LATEST ON PROBE OF RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE

The staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee received another delivery of classified documents this week and began interviewing key intelligence professionals involved in the January 6^th assessment by every intelligence and law enforcement agency confirming Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. Senator Warner, the committee’s Vice Chairman, gave an update on the investigation in an interview with NPR on Thursday.

SYRIAN AIR STRIKE

Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad’s inexcusable use of chemical weapons against his own citizens could not go unpunished, and Senator Warner hopes Thursday’s U.S. airstrike in Syria sent that message to Assad. Striking a cautionary note, Senator Warner’s statement following the U.S. strike also urged the Trump Administration “to articulate a coherent strategy” on the Syrian conflict “because the consequences of a misstep are grave.”

SUPREME COURT

Judge Neil Gorsuch’s judicial record and consistently evasive responses during the confirmation process raised questions in Senator Warner’s mind about whether he possesses a judicial philosophy that would best serve the American public. ‎Senator Warner also encouraged bipartisan efforts to try to prevent the Republican majority from changing Senate rules for Supreme Court nominations. Ultimately, Senator Warner voted against advancing the Gorsuch nomination to a floor vote, and he voted against confirmation.

WEEK AHEAD

Congress is on a two-week Easter recess. Senator Warner will attend events across Virginia, speaking with college students at William & Mary, Washington & Lee and VMI, business leaders in Hampton, Richmond and Lynchburg, and attending roundtable meetings in Roanoke. He’ll also speak with employees at the Little Debbie factory in Stuarts Draft, and participate in an aerial drone demonstration in Dillwyn.