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Lawmakers push to help furloughed federal workers with student loans during shutdown

January 18, 2019

As furloughed federal workers scramble to cover their bills, members of Congress are imploring the Education Department to help those workers manage their student loans during the partial government shutdown.

​Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., kicked off the effort this week with a letter asking Education Secretary Betsty DeVos to direct student loan servicing companies to contact federal employees with information about their repayment options.

​"This unnecessary shutdown is creating needless financial hardship for too many families, and it may push borrowers deeper into student debt," Bonamici wrote. "These hardworking federal employees want to meet their student loan obligations - even during this shutdown. They deserve the support of the Department of Education and student loan servicers to do so."