Create a free Diverse: Issues In Higher Education account to continue reading. Already have an account? Enter your email to access the article.

Report: Republican Effort to Overturn Biden Debt Relief Plan Has Implications for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

A Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution introduced by Republicans threatens not just the Biden’s administration’s student debt relief program but also the debt burdens of hundreds of thousands of public service workers, according to a new report from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) titled, The AFT’s Fight for Debt Forgiveness.” Mike PierceMike Pierce

U.S. Rep. Bob Good’s H.J. Res 45 – scheduled to be debated on May 24 – seeks to overturn President Biden’s student loan cancelation program and end the current student loan payment pause.

The CRA resolution doesn't merely block President Biden's pledge to deliver up to $20,000 in debt relief to nearly all borrowers. It throws a wrench in the gears of the entire student loan system,” said SBPC Executive Director Mike Pierce. “The CRA resolution will roll back debt relief already delivered to tens of millions of people in the form of suspended payments, cancelled interest, and – for hundreds of thousands of public service workers – already cancelled student loan balances."

Pierce said that there was no ambiguity that the CRA was retroactive. The resolution would overturn policies covered by CRA resolutions that have already gone into effect and invalidate any subsequent executive actions akin to the policy rebuked by the CRA, he said.

One of the key focuses of the SBPC-AFT report is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, an initiative that cancels the student debt of those who work in public service for 120 months and make 120 monthly payments.

The Republican-led bill would reverse the seventh and eighth – the current – payment pauses on student loan and interest charges, which give credit towards PSLF, Pierce said.

According to the report, the resolution would reinstate debts of more than 260,000 public service workers who have gotten PSLF since September of last year, bringing back a total debt burden of more than $19 billion and more than $72,000 a person.

The trusted source for all job seekers
We have an extensive variety of listings for both academic and non-academic positions at postsecondary institutions.
Read More
The trusted source for all job seekers