U.S. House disapproves Biden’s student loan pause

The U.S. House approved a bill Wednesday “providing for congressional disapproval” of President Joe Biden’s student loan pause.

The bill would nullify the pause by declaring it a rule under the Congressional Review Act. “And such rule shall have no force or effect,” reads the text of House Joint Resolution 45.

“The resolution would invoke a legislative process established by the Congressional Review Act,” the Congressional Budget Office explains, “which would repeal the rule and prohibit the department from issuing the same or similar rules in the future.”

Read it for yourself: House Joint Resolution 45

The bill passed the House in a bipartisan fashion, with two Democrats — Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington — voting with 216 Republicans. The measure passed 218-203, with 14 members of Congress not voting.

Michigan’s House delegation voted against the bill, and in favor of the student loan pause, in a party-line vote.

Voting yes, and against the pause, were the six Republicans: Jack Bergman, Bill Huizenga, John James, Lisa McClain, John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg.

Voting no, and in favor of the pause, were the seven Democrats: Debbie Dingell, Dan Kildee, Hillary Scholten, Elissa Slotkin, Haley Stevens, Shri Thanedar and Rashida Tlaib.

The text of the bill is pictured below:

The student loan pause costs American taxpayers $5 billion per month. The Mackinac Center opposes the student loan pause and sued the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month in federal court to end the pause. That case is ongoing.

To be enacted into law, H.J. Res. 45 would need to pass in identical form in the Senate, then be signed by Biden. Of the 5,600-plus bills submitted in the 118th Congress, only three have been signed into law.