Moskowitz Helps Lead Bipartisan Effort to Force Vote on Student Loan Relief

Resources / Good Governance Share on Moskowitz Helps Lead Bipartisan Effort to Force Vote on Student Loan Relief Jun 24, 2026 Economy Good Governance Press Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) is helping lead a bipartisan effort to force Congress to act on the student loan crisis and bring the Affordable Loans for Students Act directly to the House Floor. Earlier today, Moskowitz helped file a discharge petition on the legislation. A discharge petition is a tool Members of Congress use to bypass leadership delays and procedural roadblocks. If enough Members sign on, it forces a vote on a bill, whether House leadership wants to bring it up or not. Through this effort, Moskowitz is pushing Congress to stop stalling and take direct action to lower costs for millions of student loan borrowers. Video of Moskowitz highlighting his efforts to address the student loan crisis and deliver relief for borrowers across Florida is found here . The bipartisan Affordable Loans for Students Act would cap federal student loan interest rates at 2%, giving borrowers real relief and helping ensure their payments go toward paying down the actual loan — not years of compounding interest. The legislation was originally introduced by Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY-17) and co-led by Rep. Moskowitz and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13). “There is broad bipartisan agreement that student loan debt is holding Americans back, yet Congress has failed to act,” said Congressman Jared Moskowitz. “Our bill would cap federal student loan interest rates at 2%, helping borrowers get ahead while preserving access to higher education. The more money Americans can save on interest for their loans, the more money they can put into the economy. This is commonsense reform that does not rely on blanket loan cancellation and does not spend taxpayer money. If Members believe we need to address the student loan crisis, they should sign this discharge petition and let the House vote.” Current federal student loan interest rates have climbed as high as 6.39% for undergraduate Direct Loans, 7.94% for graduate and professional Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and 8.94% for Direct PLUS Loans. For many borrowers, these rates make it harder to repay what they owe and can turn student loans into long-term financial burdens that delay buying a home, starting a family, saving for retirement, or building a future. In addition to lowering the interest rate on certain federal student loans, the Affordable Loans for Students Act would require loan terms, for eligible loans held by the Secretary of Education, to be modified automatically without any action from the borrower. For eligible federal loans not held by the Secretary, the bill would create a refinancing process while allowing borrowers to opt out. The legislation would also prohibit origination fees on refinanced loans under the program, preserve a borrower’s original repayment term unless the borrower chooses otherwise, and apply the 2% rate to future Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Direct Consolidation Loans covered under the bill. On CNN, Moskowitz highlighted his push to force a vote on commonsense reform to the student loan crisis, making clear that Congress should not continue to ignore an issue that is crushing borrowers across the country. “Student loans were supposed to help people build a better future, not trap them in a cycle where they can barely make a dent in what they owe,” Moskowitz concluded. “This discharge petition is about forcing Congress to do its job. Members can either stand with borrowers and support a bipartisan solution, or they can defend a broken system that keeps people stuck under high interest rates.” Share on