WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Ranking Member of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, co-introduced the Stop Social Security Garnishment for Student Debt Act to end the practice of garnishing Social Security benefits due to student loan debt.  Cosponsored with Congressmen Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-3) and Keith Ellison (MN-5), the bill reverses the damaging provision of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 that permits the garnishment of Social Security benefits to pay for outstanding federal student loans.

“Social Security is not just another check: it is an economic lifeline for many of our seniors struggling to pay their bills,” said Congresswoman Fudge. “The federal government should not continue to reduce these usually meager monthly benefits for student loan debt.”

Congresswoman Fudge is committed to protecting Social Security benefits for America’s seniors. In October, she delivered a petition with 375,000 signatures to the U.S. Department of Education from Americans tired of this practice.  Nearly 11,000 of the signatures were from Ohioans.

Congressman Fudge continued, “The Stop Social Security Garnishment for Student Debt Act protects Social Security’s hard earned benefits for all of America’s seniors. College should be affordable, not a burden that even follows a person into retirement.”

###