Issued August 24, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement today following President Joe Biden announcement that his administration’s plan will forgive up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for all in federal student loans and extend a pause to payments until January 2023:
“The Biden Administration should be applauded for acknowledging that working families are still struggling to recover from both the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, and actively listening to the voices of SEIU members calling for relief. This announcement signals that our nation is taking another significant step towards alleviating the massive burden of student loan debt faced by millions of Americans. For far too many working families and people, the heavy burden of student loan debt has caused loan defaults, delayed marriages, and for some even the start of families; and made it impossible to save for retirement, college funds, or even emergency expenses. SEIU’s 2 million members, including nearly 400,000 educators, graduate student employees, campus professionals, and school support staff, urge the President and Congress to use all of their tools to enact more robust student loan forgiveness so that more people in our country will have the opportunity to thrive and pursue their version of the American Dream.”
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