(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – President Joe Biden is facing pressure from Democrats in Congress who are adamant the administration extend the suspension of student loan payments, which will expire on May 1.
As Democrats consider the ramifications of cutting off pandemic-induced benefits, 40 House Democrats — including progressives and lawmakers in competitive districts — signed a letter urging Biden to extend the benefits. The pause on federal student loan payments began under former President Donald Trump and has been extended five times in the last two years.
In the letter to Biden, the Democratic lawmakers expressed how “Millions of borrowers have benefitted from the pause in payments,” adding that it was vital to continue working “to alleviate the continued impact the pandemic is having on families across the country.”
The letter emphasized that the end of the student loan pause would come when Americans are already battling mounting pressures from inflation to unemployment.
Going against the administration’s stance that Biden had nearly eradicated unemployment, the 40 lawmakers acknowledged that “unemployment remains higher than two years ago.”
The group of lawmakers also pointed to other challenges families faced, including “significant price increases on household goods, food, and energy,” as the reason Biden should consider an extension on the pause.
Among the signatories are lawmakers from swing states, including Rep. Conor Lamb from Pennsylvania, Rep. Tim Ryan from Ohio, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib from Michigan.
However, progressives, and some Democrat leaders, like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have come out swinging for Biden to cancel all student loan debt.
On Tuesday, Schumer added his voice to the call, tweeting, “Without action, student loan payments will resume on May 1. President Biden can act now by using his existing legal authority to #CancelStudentDebt.”
So far, the only indication Biden may extend the pause is a statement by White House chief of staff Ron Klain on the matter, where he details that Biden “is going to look at what we should do on student debt before the pause expires.”
