Haisten Willis reports,
As President Joe Biden and Democrats stare down a tricky midterm election cycle that could see them lose majorities in both the House and Senate, the recently extended student loan pause could be one way to help keep young voters engaged this November.
While the new deadline is Aug. 31, it's likely to be extended beyond the November midterm elections. A group of nearly 100 Democratic lawmakers, including heavy hitters like Sens. Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, signed a letter asking for the loan pause to last through the end of 2022.
While student loan debt affects voters of both parties, it tends to be concentrated among younger voters, who tend to favor Democrats. Republicans have mostly called for the pause to end, with Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton calling the extension "an insult" to those who pay their debts.
A poll conducted by left-wing think tank Data for Progress found that nearly half of respondents indicated that broad student loan forgiveness would motivate them to vote, and a Morning Consult poll found that pushing back the repayment date was broadly popular with younger voters.
Justification for the pause has gradually shifted away from the pandemic and toward the shock that requiring payments would create, particularly with inflation running high. For example, the letter from 100 Democrats argues that most borrowers are not financially prepared to repay loans due to inflation.
However, the pause itself contributes to inflation, argues Marc Goldwein, senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Read more here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/biden-aims-to-energize-young-voters-with-student-loan-pause?
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