Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock met with President Biden in the Oval Office to urge the President to address the student debt crisis as he makes a push for the President to immediately issue strong debt relief. The Senator was joined in the Oval Office by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
“I was glad to meet today with President Biden before the White House takes any additional action to address student debt, and make sure he hears the stories I’ve heard from Georgians about why they need strong student debt relief,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Significantly canceling student debt can’t come soon enough, as Georgia student loan borrowers still have a mountain to climb as they continue navigating the changing economy.
This relief would lower people’s financial burdens, and spur entrepreneurship and homeownership. It would also provide the most help for Georgians who graduated from institutions like trade schools and community colleges, and the countless borrowers who weren’t able to finish their degree. It was a productive meeting, and I hope the President is thinking about Georgians and our stories as the Administration plans its next actions to address burdensome student loan debt.”
During his town halls, Senator Warnock says that significantly canceling student debt is much-needed and would provide the most help for students who graduated from institutions like trade schools and community colleges, and countless borrowers who weren’t able to finish their degree.
Senator Reverend Warnock has long advocated addressing the student loan crisis. Senator Warnock told Morehouse graduates during his commencement address on May 15 that he was pushing President Biden to cancel some student loan debt. In April, Senator Warnock signed onto a letter with over 100 lawmakers calling on the Biden Administration to extend a pause on payments and cancel student debt.
Last month, at the Senator’s urging, President Biden announced an extension of the payment pause on federal student loans through Aug. 31; the moratorium on student loan payments was previously set to expire on May 1. The Administration additionally announced that the Department of Education will erase the defaults of all borrowers covered by the pandemic-related pause, which Senator Warnock has vocally pushed, as he co-led a push with Senator Warren in April 2021 asking Education Secretary Cardona to do just that. Senator Warnock joined his colleagues in requesting additional details from the Department of Education on its plans to provide student borrowers a “fresh start.”