Congresswoman Chellie Pingree | Chellie Pingree Official website
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree | Chellie Pingree Official website
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) on June 30 voiced her strong criticism of the U.S. Supreme Court’s latest decision that strikes down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, releasing the following statement:
“For more than 43 million Americans—including 94,000 of my First District constituents—the student loan payment pause has been lifechanging. With payments expected to restart in just a few weeks, the majority of Americans who already live paycheck-to-paycheck will once again feel the immense financial burden that unfairly comes with pursuing higher education. Waiving $10,000 of student debt has widespread support and would address the student loan crisis that has been crushing Americans for decades. Decision after decision—from overturning Roe v. Wade to revoking affirmative action—this deeply partisan Supreme Court continues to impose its severely out-of-touch, personal beliefs on the American people. Enough is enough. We must abolish the filibuster and expand the court.”
In August 2022, the Biden Administration announced a plan to forgive up to $10,000 of student loan debt for non-Pell Grant recipients and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, for borrowers with individual income under $125,000. This would significantly lessen our nation’s burden of student debt, as borrowers collectively owe more than $1.6 trillion. House Democrats have already voted unanimously against rescinding this debt relief when the Caucus opposed the Default on America Act.
Last month, Pingree and House Democrats voted against a Republican resolution in the House that would overturn the student loan payment pause and one-time student loan relief.
Throughout the pandemic, Pingree pushed the Biden administration to waive interest on federal student loans and continue to pause payments during the public health emergency. In the 117th Congress, Pingree cosponsored the Zero-Percent Student Loan Refinancing Act, which would allow Americans with student loans to refinance to an interest rate of 0% until December 31, 2024, giving them the same opportunity to take advantage of the current low-rate environment that so many borrowers in other sectors of the economy have utilized.
Original source can be found here
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