{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases?ID=A02AFFB7-B06C-4406-8654-2BB1C7AE2AC9", "McBath, Bonamici, Wild Introduce Protections for Student Loan Borrowers", "2021-11-05", "2021", "2021-11", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "Lucy McBath", "M001208", "mcbath.house.gov", "mcbath", "https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Suzanne?Bonamici?(D-OR), and Susan Wild (D-PA) introduced legislation to provide a safety net for student loan borrowers who are about to enter repayment.\n\nThe Department of Education\u2019s COVID-19 pause on student loan repayment is scheduled to end on Feb. 1, 2022, after lasting nearly two years. The Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act of 2021 would help borrowers during the transition period by requiring increased outreach from lenders, providing protection for borrowers who miss payments, and making it easier for borrowers to get into income-driven repayment plans.\n\n\u201cStudents in Georgia and across our country have endured unimaginable difficulty over the last few years, and the student loan repayment pause served as needed relief in these difficult times,\u201d said McBath. \u201cAs these payments come due once again, our work in Congress should support those seeking educational success. Our bill is an important step in protecting our student borrowers and helping safeguard their financial futures. I\u2019m proud to lead this bill with my colleague Congresswoman Bonamici, helping to ensure America\u2019s college students and graduates secure their financial health.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe pause on student loan repayment for the COVID-19 pandemic has been a lifeline for borrowers in Oregon and across the country,\u201d said Bonamici. \u201cAs the pause ends and payments resume, borrowers should be protected from the worst effects of missing payments, whether unintentionally or because of financial distress. The Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act will provide borrowers with the help they need in this time of transition.\u201d\n\n\u201cStudents across the country deserve support and clarity about their student loan payments, especially as we emerge from the worst of the pandemic,\u201d said Wild. \u201cI am proud to support this legislation to ensure that borrowers have the best information possible about their debt obligations, and to help prevent Americans from defaulting on their loans.\u201d\n\nThe legislation is supported by Pew Charitable Trusts, New America, and The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS).\n\n\u201cMany borrowers will need help when they\u2019re required to begin repaying their student loans in February; in fact, when Pew surveyed borrowers this year, two-thirds (67%) said affording payments would be difficult if they resumed paying the following month,\u201d said Regan Fitzgerald, manager of The Pew Charitable Trusts\u2019 project on student borrower success. \u201cThe Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act would provide evidence-based policies to support borrowers\u2014especially those most at risk of delinquency and default\u2014as they prepare to resume repayment. These include easier access to affordable payment plans, a grace period to allow borrowers who can\u2019t afford monthly payments to get back into repayment in good standing, and targeted outreach about the resumption of payments.\u201d\n\n\"If payments are to restart in February, easier access to low and $0 payments will be important protections for all borrowers, but especially those hit hardest by the pandemic,\u201d said Sarah Sattelmeyer, Project Director for Education, Opportunity, and Mobility at New America.\n\n\u201cIf the Education Department resumes federal student loan payments as planned, it is imperative that borrowers be protected from financial harm and have easy access to clear information and affordable repayment options,\u201d said Sameer Gadkaree, President, TICAS. \u201cWe applaud Reps. Bonamici, McBath, and Wild for introducing this important legislation to create key safety nets for millions of borrowers.\u201d\n\nThis bill will protect borrowers with Federal student loans during the transition period following the end of the COVID-19 student loan repayment pause by:\n\nProviding earlier and more frequent outreach to borrowers that their payments are to resume;\n\nMaking it easier for borrowers to get into income-driven repayment plans;\n\nMaking it easier to access economic hardship support; and\n\nExtending the time period for servicers to contact borrowers who miss a payment.\n\nA summary of the legislation can be found here. The full text can be found here.\n\nIt is co-sponsored by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), Danny Davis (IL-07), and Alan Lowenthal (CA-47).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbath.house.gov/press-releases?ID=A02AFFB7-B06C-4406-8654-2BB1C7AE2AC9"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3940189965069294, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}