House Passes Bill to Rescind Student Loan Debt Cancellation Plan
Hugh T. Ferguson
May 25, 2023
The House by a vote of 218-203 advanced legislation that would overturn President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and end the pause on federal student loan payments.
The measure — first introduced as a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution in March — now heads to an uncertain fate in the Senate, where more moderate Democrats may be pressured to take a position on the administration’s debt cancellation program. Since the bill is being considered as a CRA, the Senate will be forced to vote on the measure, which only requires a simple majority to clear the chamber.
During Wednesday’s session, Republicans were successful in peeling off just two Democrats in this first vote to singularly target the program. House Republicans as a part of their debt limit legislation included provisions targeting the student loan portfolio, but were only able to pass that bill by an incredibly narrow margin, with no Democrats supporting the measure.
In order for the CRA to take effect, the bill would need to be signed by the president or garner enough support to overturn a presidential veto, which would require a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
