Congresswoman Bush Statement on Missouri Lawsuit Challenging Biden Student Loan Debt Cancellation Plan
St. Louis (October 12, 2022) – Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement as the United States Eastern District Court of Missouri hears oral arguments in Nebraska v. Biden, a lawsuit filed by six Republican-led states, including Missouri, challenging the Biden-Harris Administration’s student debt relief plan.
“Efforts to undermine the Biden Administration’s student loan cancellation program is the latest example of Republicans and student loan servicers prioritizing profits over people and corporations over constituencies. Missouri-based student loan giant, MOHELA, has remained silent about the pending lawsuit – seemingly complicit in Republican efforts to prevent over 40 million borrowers from receiving the debt relief they have been promised. Actions to delay or prevent this economic program from moving forward will disproportionately harm Black and brown borrowers. As Congresswoman of Missouri’s First, I urge MOHELA and these six Republican Attorney Generals to stop putting profits over the interests of student loan borrowers and halt all activities that interfere with the President’s student loan debt cancellation plan. The American people overwhelmingly support student debt cancellation and neither partisan nor corporate interests should prevent borrowers from receiving the life-changing relief they need and deserve.”
While in Congress, Congresswoman Bush has been leading the charge in calling for President Biden to address the student loan debt crisis. This past May, she joined the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on President Biden to take action on canceling student debt, and has consistently championed the need to cancel the more than $1.9 trillion in student loan debt. In August, the Biden-Harris Administration formally announced their Student Loan Debt Relief Plan which would cancel up to $20,000 for people who went to college on Pell Grants and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant recipients who earn less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples).
The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) is among the largest student loan companies in the world. MOHELA handles more than one out of every ten dollars of all outstanding student loan debt. In Missouri alone, approximately 825,000 borrowers owe nearly $30 billion in federal student loan debt.
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