Federal student loan repayments to restart, education secretary confirms

The Education Department is "preparing to restart" federal student loan debt repayments after a three-year pause now that the COVID-19 pandemic emergency has ended, Secretary Miguel Cardona told lawmakers this week.

Cardona revealed the administration's intentions at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday, when Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., asked him why the government should forgive student loan borrowers when President Biden is demanding that Congress pay its debt obligations in arguments with Republicans over the debt limit.  

Britt, a first-term senator, cited remarks about the federal debt made Monday by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and asked if Cardona agreed. 

"If you buy a car, you are expected to pay the monthly payments. If you buy a home, you are expected to pay the mortgage every month. That is the expectation," Jean-Pierre said.