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Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ cracks down on Biden’s student loan ‘scheme,’ top Republican says
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The chairman of a key Senate panel is claiming victory against former President Joe Biden’s student loan plans as part of President Donald Trump’s «one big, beautiful bill.»
«The Biden administration was attempting to forgive student loans for people who willingly took on the loan and required the taxpayer, including people who never went to college and would never make what the person who took the loan would ever have the hope to make,» Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., told Fox News Digital.
«So we end that transfer of that student loan on the taxpayers, and that’s probably our biggest savings.»
Cassidy’s committee released its portion of the Trump agenda bill late on Tuesday.
NEW STUDY REVEALS BLUE STATE’S FAST-FOOD MINIMUM WAGE HIKE JEOPARDIZED THOUSANDS OF JOBS
Senate Republicans are looking to crack down on former President Joe Biden’s student loan handout in President Donald Trump’s reconciliation bill. (Pool via REUTERS, Getty Images)
A press release for the legislation said it «ends Biden’s student loan schemes that transfer debt onto the 87 percent of Americans who chose to not go to college or already paid off their loans» and «also prevents future Democrat administrations from implementing schemes.»
The bill specifically takes aim at Biden’s expansion of Borrower Defense to Repayment regulations and Closed School Discharge regulations, which Republicans have held up as costly policies that shift federal student loan borrowers’ burdens onto other taxpayers.
Various versions of Biden’s plans had previously been struck down in court.
The bill would also eliminate federal Grad PLUS loans, a program used by graduate-level and professional students to pay for their studies, which can be used for graduate students’ entire cost of attendance.
It would instead keep in place a $20,500 annual limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans on graduate degrees, capped at $100,000 total, excluding undergraduate loans. For professional degrees, it keeps a $50,000 annual unsubsidized loan limit and a $200,000 total cap.
The legislation is also aimed at cracking down on taxpayer funding subsidizing degrees from lower-performing universities.
Colleges that see people with undergraduate degrees earn less than the typical high school graduate in their state, or graduate programs where attendees then earn less than the normal bachelor’s recipient, would be blocked from federal student loan programs.
«What we’ve got was a situation where people can borrow more money than they can effectively pay back, and that destroys their life, leaving them with a debt burden which keeps them unable to do other things in life. And there’s at least some sense that universities offering these programs know that’s the case. And so we attempt to fix that,» Cassidy said.
«So we have provisions that would say that if the degree being acquired does not end up paying more, the person receiving that degree doesn’t get more on average than a person who did not get that degree, then the federal government is not going to lend them money.»
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, spoke with Fox News Digital about the bill. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
To encourage more people to pursue non-collegiate degrees, the bill would also establish a Workforce Pell Grant. Pell Grants are currently aimed at low-income students pursuing bachelor’s degrees and are generally not repaid.
«For example, a student gets a commercial driver’s license. They’re going to go out and make $100,000 a year after a couple of years of driving, I am told. And so we want to enable those people to accomplish that,» Cassidy said.
Foreign income would be taken into account when evaluating Pell Grants, while farm and small business assets would not, under the GOP bill. Those and several other measures in the legislation would add up to roughly $300 billion in taxpayer savings, Cassidy said.
Senate Republicans are currently working through their version of Trump’s massive agenda bill, which passed the House late last month.
NEW STUDY REVEALS BLUE STATE’S FAST-FOOD MINIMUM WAGE HIKE JEOPARDIZED THOUSANDS OF JOBS
Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to pass a sweeping bill advancing Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. They are also working to use it to bring down the national debt – nearing $37 trillion – with the aim of cutting $1.5 trillion in federal spending.
Reconciliation allows the party in power to completely skirt the minority, in this case Democrats, by lowering the Senate’s threshold to advance from 60 votes to 51. The legislation must adhere to a specific set of rules, however, including measures that deal with the budget, taxation, or the national debt.
Both the House and Senate must agree to identical versions of the bill before it gets to Trump’s desk for a signature. The House’s version passed 215 to 214, and leaders there have implored the upper chamber to change as little as possible.
Cassidy acknowledged there were some changes made but was optimistic about how they’ll be met in the House.
«There’s several things, but one thing I think that they’re going to like is that we do fully fund the Pell Grant program. You know, we address the shortfall there. And so I think they’re going to like it,» he said.
«It’s going to give low-income students access to career education. We need those kind of career type jobs to make sure that all this manufacturing and construction has a workforce to address it. And so we think it helps the needs of society. We think it helps the needs of the student.»
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House and Senate GOP leaders had previously set a goal of having a bill on Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.
Cassidy declined to comment on whether that was a feasible benchmark but argued that lawmakers should be ready to extend that timeline – and possibly shrink their summer recess – to get the final product.
«As far as I’m concerned, the most important thing is to get it right. So if there is a delay, the president said it today – if there is a delay, that’s not that big of a deal. The most important thing is we get it right,» he said.
Planes
Medidas
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As Hezbollah rebuilds its forces and Lebanon is accused of failing to enforce the ceasefire terms brokered last year, Israel’s defense minister has fired off a warning to Beirut.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, «Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,» he said. «The Lebanese government’s commitment to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons and remove it from southern Lebanon must be realized. Enforcement will continue and deepen — we will not allow a threat to the residents of the north.»
His warning comes as Fox News Digital has learned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is weighing broader operations against the Iran-backed terrorist group after repeated violations of the truce.
A senior IDF officer stationed on the northern border told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Hezbollah remains fully armed and funded by Iran.
TRUMP ADMIN PRESSURES LEBANON TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH AS ENVOY CALLS NATION ‘FAILED STATE’
Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025. (IDF)
«Hezbollah didn’t give up their heavy weapons,» the officer said. «They’re still trained, still financed by Iran, and still trying to re-establish their positions. Our job is to make sure they don’t succeed.»
On Monday, the IDF confirmed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon. Muhammad Ali Hadid, a senior member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was eliminated in Nabatieh, while another operative was struck in Ayta ash Shab after being seen collecting intelligence on Israeli positions.
«The terrorists’ activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,» the IDF said in a statement. «The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel.»
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir watch as the IDF carries out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. (Ministry of Defense)
The senior officer said the operations reflect Israel’s new, proactive security doctrine. «If somebody threatens us, we take control of the situation and make the threat go away,» he said. «We pushed Hezbollah back, so civilians could return. Now we’re fortifying those gains and acting to prevent their recovery.»
That, he added, is the lesson Israel learned from Oct. 7. «Until then, we sometimes looked the other way. That’s over. We’re not sitting and waiting for the next rocket.»
A flag bearing the picture of assassinated pro-Iranian Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah flutters in front of a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Nasrallah’s assassination in an Israeli airstrike at his grave in Beirut. Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2025. (Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The officer said the IDF’s 91st Division recently completed its largest exercise since the start of the war, designed to strengthen operational readiness for both defense and offensive operations along the Lebanese border — at sea, in the air, and on land.
«We tested our defensive systems, coordination, and rapid-response capabilities,» he said. «We’re applying every lesson from Oct. 7 so our response next time will be immediate.»
Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025 (IDF)
According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, intelligence officials believe Hezbollah is rapidly rebuilding its arsenal with Iranian assistance. The group has partially restored its weapons supply chain through Syria and Iraq, despite disruptions following the collapse of the Assad regime last year.
The Trump administration has also expressed frustration over Beirut’s failure to curb Hezbollah. U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack recently described Lebanon as «a failed state» because of its «paralyzed government,» and that Hezbollah pays its fighters more than the national army soldiers earns.
EXCLUSIVE: A LOOK AT HEZBOLLAH’S PLAN TO TERRORIZE AND INVADE NORTHERN ISRAEL
Commuters drive past a newly-installed billboard bearing the image of a Lebanese flag and a statement that reads in Arabic «Lebanon a new era», replacing a Hezbollah billboard, on the road leading to Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International airport on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images)
Responding to Israel’s preemptive strikes last week, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi urged his visiting German counterpart on Friday to «help pressure Israel to halt its attacks.»
«Only a diplomatic solution, not a military one, can ensure stability and maintain calm in the south,» Raggi said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
He added that the Lebanese government «is gradually moving forward with its decision to bring all weapons under state control.»
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday voiced «deep concerns», urging all parties «to fully commit to the cessation of hostilities.»
UNIFIL added that it remains in contact with the Lebanese Armed Forces and emphasized that extending state authority «is at the very core of Resolution 1701.»
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IDF troops fighting Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)
Despite diplomatic criticism, Israeli commanders insist they will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild.
«We won’t wait for another Oct. 7,» the Israeli officer said. «We’re vigilant, we’re rebuilding, and we’re ready. The quiet we have now depends on Hezbollah’s choices — not on our willingness to defend ourselves.»
israel,lebanon,conflicts,terrorism
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White House slams Mamdani’s ‘completely irresponsible’ comments linking Trump to threats against voters
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The White House slammed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after he linked the Trump administration to threats against voters in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, as New Jerseyans went to cast their ballots, bomb threats forced voters out of multiple polling places. While the threats were found to be non-credible, they still caused a disruption to those looking to exercise their right to vote for the Garden State’s next governor. When asked about the threats in his neighboring state, Mamdani made comments that raised eyebrows and rocked the West Wing.
Mamdani called the threats «incredibly concerning» and said that he believed they were «an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing on our democracy.»
«We have to understand this as part of the general approach the Trump administration has taken to trying to intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,» Mamdani said.
MAMDANI VOWS TO DEFY TRUMP IN FIERY FINAL MARCH FROM BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO CITY HALL AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY
The White House said Zohran Mamdani’s comments on the bomb threats in New Jersey were «completely irresponsible.» (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mamdani’s remarks were «completely irresponsible» and not based in fact.
«I think they are completely irresponsible, and they are based on zero evidence. And I think this is just another example of how the Democrat Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump. And I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on an Election Day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had absolutely nothing to do with those threats,» Leavitt said in response to a question from Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich.
On Monday, Trump, who has been an outspoken critic of Mamdani, backed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race.
«I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a record of success, WIN, than a communist with no experience and a record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. He was nothing as an assemblyman, ranked at the bottom of the class and, as mayor of potentially, again, the greatest city in the World, HE HAS NO CHANCE to bring it back to its former glory!,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani votes at a voting site on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)
TRUMP BACKS CUOMO AND THREATENS TO CUT FEDERAL FUNDING IF ‘COMMUNIST MAMDANI’ WINS NYC MAYOR RACE
«We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,» Trump added. «He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!»
Trump, a native New Yorker, also said that if Mamdani were to win, it would be «highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home.»
Cuomo responded, saying that Trump «doesn’t support me,» but rather «he opposes Mamdani.»
«He believes that Mamdani is an existential threat to New York,» Cuomo added.
Andrew Cuomo leaves a campaign stop in New York City on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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«The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him,» Mamdani said at a press event in New York on the eve of the election. «Not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment on Leavitt’s response.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
zohran mamdani,donald trump,new york city,white house,politics
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