Some Democratic lawmakers are calling for student debt cancellation to be included in the next coronavirus relief package as Washington debates how to provide economic assistance to businesses and workers impacted by the pandemic.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both of Massachusetts, called for congressional leaders to prioritize the issue, which impacts millions of Americans.
“Student loan cancellation has to be part of the next emergency funding package. @SenWarren & I are calling on Senate & House leadership to prioritize this,” Pressley, who served as a co-chair for Warren’s now-defunct presidential campaign, tweeted Tuesday.
We need bold action now. A plan that will ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the 2008 financial crisis.
Debt cancellation. Across the board.
Immediately, the Secretary of Education must take over all monthly payments during this public health emergency.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) March 17, 2020
Warren made the ever-growing student debt crisis part of her White House bid, at one point promising to wipe out roughly $1.5 trillion of debt on her first day as president.
“Student loan debt cancellation MUST be a part of the next emergency coronavirus package to deliver relief immediately to millions of families and remove a giant weight that’s dragging down our economy,” Warren said in a tweet of her own Tuesday. “Senate and House progressives are in this fight all the way.” – READ MORE
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