Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) knocked President Biden on Tuesday after reports surfaced that the administration is expected to announce another extension of the student loan pause, writing on Twitter that the payments freeze for Americans. "Disgrace" is those who pay their debts.
"President Biden's student loan payment moratorium is an insult to every American who has responsibly paid off debt," Cotton wrote in a tweet. "There is no free lunch: This reckless move puts taxpayers on the hook for billions."
Multiple sources told The Hill that the Biden administration is expected to announce an additional extension of the pause on student loan payments this week. The extension will prolong the moratorium on federal student loan payments and interest hikes past the current end date, which is set for May 1.
The last time the moratorium was extended was in December. It was first enacted under former President Trump at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and has since been extended five times.
Student loan breaks were first implemented in an effort to provide relief to Americans who had difficulty making payments.
Some have called on Biden to extend the moratorium until after the midterm election. He has also been under pressure from borrowers and Democrats to completely cancel federal student loans.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that the administration should make a decision on extending the moratorium before May, adding that officials will "factor the effects of economic data on groups of people, including students."
Hill reached out to the White House for comment.
Cotton isn't the only Republican against expanding the student loan break. Last month, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) introduced the federal Student Loan Integrity Act, which aims to prevent the Secretary of Education from re-extending the student loan payment moratorium.