The warning from the Department of Education comes as the federal eviction moratorium ends following a Supreme Court decision, federal extended unemployment benefits are set to expire, and the latest pandemic wave caused by the Delta variant shows no sign of letting up. Millions of Americans are also facing ongoing natural disasters including wildfires in the west, hurricanes hitting the Gulf coast, and now widespread flooding in the southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England. The Biden administration’s firm language in its statement suggests that these external factors would not be a basis for a further extension of the student loan pause, contrasting with earlier statements
