Underwood Introduces the Pass Act to Extend Critical Student Loan Relief for Millions of Student Loan Borrowers During Coronavirus Pandemic

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) introduced the Pandemic Accommodation to Support Students (PASS) Act to extend critical student loan relief to borrowers during the coronavirus pandemic. In March, the CARES Act suspended loan payments, interest accrual, and involuntary collections on federal student loans. In August, President Trump extended the duration of these provisions through executive order, but they are set to expire on December 31, 2020. The PASS Act amends the CARES Act to extend federal student loan relief until September 30, 2021.

"If the freeze on federal student loan payments is allowed to expire, millions of Americans could be thrown into even greater financial uncertainty, and we must use every avenue available to extend this urgently needed relief," said Underwood. "The PASS Act amends bipartisan provisions in the CARES Act to extend relief to borrowers until the economic impacts of the pandemic have subsided."

On Friday, Underwood led 91 members of Congress in a letter urging President Trump to use executive authority to further extend relief for federal student loan borrowers.

The PASS Act has 79 original cosponsors: Susan Davis (CA-53); Tim Ryan (OH-13); Adam Smith (WA-09); Ted Deutch (FL-22); Madeleine Dean (PA-04); Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15); Rashida Tlaib (MI-13); Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39); Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01); Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03); Katie Porter (CA-45); Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (MP-At Large); Jim Cooper (TN-05); Joe Neguse (CO-02); Barbara Lee (CA-13); Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07); John B. Larson (CT-01); Julia Brownley (CA-26); John Garamendi (CA-03); Danny K. Davis (IL-07); James P. McGovern (MA-02); Tom Malinowski (NJ-07); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00); Josh Harder (CA-10); Jan Schakowsky (IL-09); Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08); Debbie Dingell (MI-12); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04); Seth Moulton (MA-06); Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12); Dina Titus (NV-01); Jimmy Panetta (CA-20); Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25); Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06); Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01); Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02); Jerry McNerney (CA-09); Ro Khanna (CA-17); Peter Welch (VT-00); Mike Doyle (PA-18); Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11); Cedric L. Richmond (LA-02); Bill Foster (IL-11); Mark Takano (CA-41); Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03); Steve Cohen (TN-09); Grace Meng (NY-06); Alan Lowenthal (CA-47); Darren Soto (FL-09); Doris Matsui (CA-06); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09); Andy Levin (MI-09); Pramila Jayapal (WA-07); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); David E. Price (NC-04); Haley M. Stevens (MI-11); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10); Zoe Lofgren (CA-19); David Trone (MD-06); Matt A. Cartwright (PA-08); Katherine Clark (MA-05); Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05); Jackie Speier (CA-14); Cheri Bustos (IL-17); Bobby L. Rush (IL-01); John P. Sarbanes (MD-03); Ted W. Lieu (CA-33); Diana DeGette (CO-01); Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02); Jahana Hayes (CT-05); Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12); Tony Cárdenas (CA-29); Judy Chu (CA-27); Eric Swalwell (CA-15); Lori Trahan (MA-03); Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30); and Jamie Raskin (MD-08).

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