Congressional Record, Senate — Page S4351, July 21, 2020
Summary
Page S4351 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for July 21, 2020. Reed, with Murkowski, introduces the Student Loan Fairness Act to extend zero interest rate benefits and payment suspension to all Federal student loan borrowers, and says at least $10,000 of debt should be forgiven for each borrower. A Senator describes the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act, based on a Georgia law, and says a bust in Pickens County led to the arrest of nearly 50 individuals. Durbin asks unanimous consent that the text of a bill on prevention of prescription opioid misuse be printed in the Record.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Congressional Record, Senate — Page S4351, July 21, 2020.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-07-21-crec-2020-07-21-pt1-pgs4351-f089152ad2/
, SHA-256 a152da7f89429d35a7fd35e30ef9aacbe9514f9fab4c0040b13a4666351ae2a4.Full text
July 21, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4351
to join in this effort to support one of ment. Additionally, we should forgive Georgia has led the way on confronting
our country’s core economic drivers. at least $10,000 of debt for each student gang violence, passing legislation that
Loggers and forestry industry profes- loan borrower to help speed the recov- gives prosecutors the tools they need
sionals were rightfully deemed essen- ery and reduce the drag of the roughly to disrupt and dismantle these terrible
tial workers during this public health $1.6 trillion in outstanding student gang networks.
crisis, and we must ensure that they loan debt on economic prospects for Today, I am introducing the Crack-
receive the support necessary to over 40 million Americans. Going for- ing Down on Gangs and Deporting
emerge from this downturn. ward, we must reduce the need for stu- Criminals Act to apply Georgia’s anti-
dent loan borrowing by expanding gang, pro-community measures across
By Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. need-based grants, such as the Pell our country. This legislation, based on
MURKOWSKI, Mr. JONES, and Mr. Grant, and ensuring that states and in- the Georgia law that Attorney General
TILLIS): stitutions do their part to lower the Carr has called ‘‘one of the strongest
S. 4237. A bill to extend zero interest cost to students and families. statutes in the Nation,’’ aims to deter
rate benefits and payment suspension We should work together to build on and punish criminals who set out to de-
to all Federal student loan borrowers, the important steps Congress took to stroy lives and communities. This in-
and for other purposes; to the Com- provide relief to student loan bor- cludes violent crimes like the murders
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, rowers in the CARES Act. However, we of Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas.
and Pensions. need to ensure that all Federal student In addition to violence, gangs run
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, loan borrowers have access to this re- elaborate drug operations. One recent
along with Senator MURKOWSKI, we are lief. I hope that my colleagues will join bust in Pickens County last month re-
introducing legislation to provide re- us in cosponsoring the Student Loan sulted in the arrest of nearly 50 indi-
lief to all Federal student loan bor- Fairness Act and pushing for its inclu- viduals. Law enforcement confiscated
rowers during this public health and sion in the next COVID–19 relief pack- nearly $2 million worth of meth-
economic crisis. The bipartisan Stu- age. amphetamine from a drug ring run by
dent Loan Fairness Act, which is also three gangs.
cosponsored by Senators MURKOWSKI, By Mrs. LOEFFLER (for herself, They deal in the abhorrent world of
JONES, and TILLIS, will correct an in- Mrs. BLACKBURN, and Mr. COT- human trafficking. A study in San
equity in the CARES Act that left out TON): Diego County found that an astounding
millions of Federal student loan bor- S. 4238. A bill to amend title 18, 85 percent of those involved in human
rowers from benefits to ease the burden United States Code, relating to crimi- trafficking were actively involved in
of repayment as we continue to fight nal street gangs, and for other pur- gangs.
COVID–19. poses; to the Committee on the Judici- Current Federal gang statute has
The CARES Act benefits are re- ary. three strict criteria that are difficult
stricted to borrowers of student loans Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, this for prosecutors to meet in order to hold
that are held by the Federal govern- spring, 14-year-old Janina Valenzuela someone accountable for their partici-
ment. This leaves out the borrowers was riding a bike with a friend in Mari- pation in a street gang. The legislation
whose Federal Family Education Loans etta, GA, when she was killed as part I am introducing today will make it
(FFEL) are still held by commercial of an initiation into an MS–13 gang. In easier for Federal prosecutors to seek
and State agency lenders, and those 2016, Christopher Dean was brutally harsh sentences for gang activity. It
with Perkins Loans that are adminis- murdered by gang members in Atlanta. will facilitate the removal of criminal
tered by institutions of higher edu- The D.A. called it ‘‘the most horrific gang members who are in our country
cation. In fact, nearly 6 million bor- illegally, and it would create a na-
death’’ in recent history. His murder
rowers were left out under the FFEL tional gang database, making it easier
left two children without a father. In
Program and another 1.9 million under to eradicate these gang networks.
2010, 11-year-old Nicholas Sheffey was We need to take action now to take
the Perkins Loan Program. This dis- shot and killed sleeping in his bed dur- violent gang members off of our
parate treatment by loan type is as ing a drive-by shooting in Chamblee, streets. Across the country, violence is
confusing as it is unfair. GA. These are just three of the too skyrocketing in our cities, while radi-
In April, a broad group of more than many lives that have been lost, trag- cals call to defund and abolish the po-
two dozen organizations representing ically cut short due to senseless gang lice. The troubling decline in support
educators, borrower advocates, vet- violence. for law enforcement, coupled with the
erans, lenders, guaranty agencies, and In Georgia, there are over 71,000 effects of the pandemic and recent un-
student loan servicers implored Con- known gang members representing a rest, threatens the further spread of
gress to remedy this inequity. They variety of gangs, including the gang violence across communities in
wrote, ‘‘A Federal loan borrower—re- Ghostface Gangsters, an all-White gang America.
gardless of the origination of that loan, in Georgia; the Gangster Disciples, The Cracking Down on Gangs and De-
be it Part B, D, E, commercial, or gov- which formed in Chicago and quickly porting Criminals Act will help keep
ernment-held—should receive equal, spread to Georgia; and the Aryan our communities safe and support law
immediate, and critical support in this Brotherhood, a White supremacy gang. enforcement in their work to root out
unprecedented time . . . Already, bor- Nationwide, there are more than 1.4 gang activity. No family should have
rowers are confused as to why their million members and 33,000 gangs to go through what Janina, Chris-
Federal loans are treated differently across the U.S. According to the most topher, and Nicholas did. Parents
than others.’’ recent National Gang Report, half of should be able to send their children
The Student Loan Fairness Act will law enforcement officials reported that outdoors and off to school without wor-
extend the CARES Act relief to these gang-related violence has increased in rying that they won’t make it home,
borrowers by covering the cost of inter- each of their jurisdictions. Thankfully, and children shouldn’t fear that their
est and suspending monthly payments President Trump and Georgia leaders parents won’t return home. It is time
for the period of March 13 through Sep- have taken strong action to address that we hold gang members account-
tember 30, 2020, and suspending all in- the rising tide of gang violence and to able for their vile and evil actions and
voluntary collection, such as adminis- end the cycles of violence that they keep the American public safe.
trative wage garnishment or offsets cause.
from tax refunds, for this period. For the first time ever, the Depart-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
By Mr. DURBIN:
This legislation is one component of ment of Justice has brought terrorism S. 4242. A bill to establish programs
what should be a comprehensive pack- charges against a member of the MS–13 related to prevention of prescription
age of student loan debt relief. As the gang, taking action against their lead- opioid misuse, and for other purposes;
crisis continues, we should extend the er and 21 other gang members. to the Committee on Finance.
repayment relief until health and eco- Under the leadership of Georgia Gov- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask
nomic conditions improve sufficiently ernor Brian Kemp and Attorney Gen- unanimous consent that the text of the
for borrowers to be able to begin repay- eral Chris Carr, my home State of bill be printed in the RECORD.
VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:57 Jul 22, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21JY6.034 S21JYPT1
File and source
- File
- CREC_crec-2020-07-21_crec-2020-07-21-pt1-pgs4351.pdf
- Size
- 205,855 bytes
- SHA-256
- a152da7f89429d35a7fd35e30ef9aacbe9514f9fab4c0040b13a4666351ae2a4
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov