Fearing some people with student loan debt still may be in dire financial straits, many liberal-leaning lawmakers in the House and Senate are urging President Biden to continue the deferral period. They point to the arrival of the new, highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus, as they make the case for additional protections into next year. Some of these Democrats are also calling for longer-term measures, including the full cancellation of their remaining debts.
“Time is running out on the student-loan payment pause,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has long advocated for such relief, stressed on Wednesday. “The payment pause gives us a moment to focus on, the same way the eviction moratorium gave us a moment to focus on, what’s happening in this country.”
