Courtney, Kaine, Gillibrand Lead Colleagues in Condemning Education Department Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
NORWICH, CT – Today, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, and U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led a group of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing their strong opposition to President Trump’s directive for changes that would limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The lawmakers also called on Secretary McMahon to ensure all eligibility criteria for the program are strictly followed under the law passed by Congress and adhere to congressional intent.
The PSLF program was created by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush to encourage more people to enter public service by providing loan forgiveness after 10 years of working full-time for a federal, state, local, or Tribal government organization or certain nonprofit organizations. Since the program was created, it has provided teachers, nurses, veterans, first responders, and other public servants with needed student loan relief.
“We write to express our strong opposition to the Department of Education’s (Department) order to initiate the formal rulemaking process to limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program,” wrote the members. “Since March 7, 2025, our dedicated public service workers have faced immense uncertainty and anxiety due to President Trump’s Executive Order #14235 which directed the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Treasury to redefine ’public service’ to align with the administration’s political agenda. This move contradicts the core tenets of public service and the original intent and purpose of the PSLF program.”
“This order’s vague and arbitrary restrictions on which organizations qualify for PSLF are deeply troubling. Under the guise of national security, it unfairly targets organizations that serve marginalized communities, such as those advocating for immigrants or protecting vulnerable children, with no evidence of illegal activity,” the members wrote. “Furthermore, the broad language of the order could lead to political repression and the chilling of free speech, where organizations or individuals deemed ’non-conforming’ to the administration's views could be stripped of the very support they rely on to carry out their public service missions.”
The members concluded, “We request your immediate action and assurance on the following: Ensure that all eligibility criteria are strictly followed under the law passed by Congress. There should be no exceptions or compromises regarding compliance with the established statute. And prioritize processing PSLF applications that are eligible for forgiveness immediately. The severe reduction of employees at the Federal Student Aid office gives us grave concerns that these eligible borrowers will not be processed in a timely manner.”
Today’s action builds on Rep. Courtney’s work to improve and protect the PSLF program. In 2024, Courtney introduced legislation to help servicemembers access student debt relief and institute major reforms to the program. In 2022, Courtney also led legislation to make permanent the improvements to the PSLF program made under the Biden Administration, and implement other commonsense reforms to help America’s public servants lower the cost of higher education.
The letter was cosigned by U.S. Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-At-Large), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-02), Danny K. Davis (D-NC-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Herbert C. Conaway (D-NJ-03), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Scott Peters (D-CA-50), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-02), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Summer L. Lee (D-PA-12), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-10), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), William R. Keating (D-MA-09), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01).
The letter was also cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Angus S. King (I-ME), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Full text of the letter is available here.