Blackburn, Cotton, Colleagues: No Student Loan Bailouts for Campus Criminals

NASHVILLE, TENN. - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and colleagues introduced the No Bailouts for Campus Criminals Act, legislation preventing any pro-Hamas protestor on college campuses convicted of a crime from having their student loans forgiven. The bill comes after widespread, antisemitic protests continue to spread on college campuses across the United States. Congressman Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) is leading companion legislation in the House.

"Hamas sympathizers engaging in criminal behavior on college campuses should be ineligible for student loan bailouts. We must hold these criminals accountable and ensure taxpayer dollars do not go toward paying off their debt," said Senator Blackburn.

"Americans who never went to college or responsibly paid off their debts shouldn't have to pay off other people's student loans. They especially shouldn't have to pay off the loans of Hamas sympathizers shutting down and defacing campuses," said Senator Cotton.

• Makes any individual who is convicted of a state or federal offense in connection with a campus protest ineligible for any federal student loan relief.

• Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) are co-sponsoring the legislation.

The full text of the bill is here.