Merkley, DeFazio, Bonamici reprenden a la administración por embargo ilegal de salarios

WASHINGTON, DC – El senador estadounidense de Oregón, Jeff Merkley, los representantes Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4) y Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), junto con 39 de sus colegas en el Congreso, critican a la administración Trump por seguir embargando salarios de millones de prestatarios de préstamos estudiantiles en dificultades, a pesar de una nueva ley aprobada por el Congreso el mes pasado que prohíbe tales incautaciones de salarios durante la emergencia de salud pública del coronavirus.

The protective measure was included as part of the larger Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act package to provide relief to student borrowers, a disproportionate number of whom are students of color: on average, Black student loan borrowers end up owing more than their White counterparts, and 85 percent of Black bachelor’s degree recipients carry student debt, compared with 69 percent of White bachelor’s degree recipients.

“For the hundreds of thousands of struggling student loan borrowers who were seeing their hard-earned wages unfairly garnished, this protection is a critical lifeline and will undoubtedly be the difference between whether these families can pay rent, put food on the table and cover the costs of medical care,” the lawmakers wrote en una carta enviado hoy a la Secretaria de Educación, Betsy DeVos, y al Secretario del Tesoro, Steve Mnuchin.

“The Department and its contracted private collection agencies, appear to be moving forward in blatant disregard to these new protections established by Congress,” the lawmakers continued, citing guidance issued by the Department on April 1 that specifically notes that borrowers’ wages may continue to be garnished. “This Administration’s actions and disregard for these new protections under federal law will place workers and families in further economic jeopardy.”

Los legisladores exigieron respuestas antes del 25 de abril a una serie de preguntas sobre la situación de los prestatarios, sus deudas y sus empleadores.

A Merkley, DeFazio y Bonamici se unieron al envío de la carta los senadores Cory Booker (D-NJ), los senadores Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernard Sanders (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz ( D- HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) y Mazie Hirono (D-HI), así como la representante Ayanna Pressley (D-MA- 7) y 29 miembros de la Cámara de Representantes.

El texto completo de la carta está disponible. aquí.