Bob Menendez: “I come to the floor today in opposition to a cruel and misguided attack on millions of student loan borrowers in New…”

“I come to the floor today in opposition to a cruel and misguided attack on millions of student loan borrowers in New Jersey and across the country. I understand that some of my colleagues are intent on overturning President Biden's signature policies no matter the cost or the consequence. But to overturn his landmark student debt relief program just to score political points, to force borrowers to pay back their loans with interest and stick it to the administration, well, that, to me, is just cruelty for the sake of cruelty. How else can you describe a proposal that would strip away one of the most important economic lifelines borrowers have relied on? Other than cruel, what else can you call a resolution that rips away benefits for up to 43 million Americans who stand to benefit from President Biden's relief plan? I remind my colleagues that the pause on student loan repayments has saved borrowers an average of over $233 per month, an amount that is particularly crucial for our Nation's teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters who rely on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For a moment, I would like to focus on the impact this resolution has on them, because for these public service employees, $233 can mean the difference between making it to the end of the month or not. Make no mistake.…”