White House, GOP both claim victory on student loans in debt limit bill
by Alex Gangitano and Lexi Lonas - 05/31/23 6:00 AM ETThe hot-button issue of student loans has found its way into the high-stakes debt ceiling deal, with Republicans claiming a victory that the end of the pandemic-era payment pause is locked in and the White House arguing that no concessions were made.
The debt deal outlines that the pause ends 60 days after June 30, which takes off the table another extension that advocates were hoping to extract from President Biden.
Biden had outlined in November that payments would resume either 60 days after the Supreme Court rules on his student loan forgiveness plan or 60 days after June 30, whichever came first. But the final bill text doesn’t factor in the high court decision at all.
The locked-in date is causing fury among student loan advocates who were looking for another reprieve and creating more concerns for borrowers as the bill faces hurdles on its way through Congress.
“Borrowers got sold out. That’s, I mean, the general feeling that I’m having, and I know a lot of our supporters are having today,” said Natalia Abrams, president of the Student Debt Crisis Center.
The White House on Tuesday argued that “people need certainty” when it comes to student debt relief.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4026912-white-house-gop-both-claim-victory-on-student-loans-in-debt-limit-bill/
