Rep. John Katko Tries to Help with Student Loans

Last month I was on Capitol Hill, with a couple dozen bankruptcy lawyers, talking to people about H.R. 770, a bill to restore the bankruptcy discharge for student loans.

I think we are getting some momentum to go back to the law before 1979, when student loans could be cleared in bankruptcy like any other debt.

One important Congressman pushing that idea is Rep. John Katko, R-NY. Rep. Katko is important because he has been very active on the student loans issue for several years. And because he is one of only five Republicans who got re-elected in 2018 from a district where Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump. Other Republicans might want to listen to him.

With Democrats now in a majority, and Rep. Katko working the Republicans, we have a shot in the House of Representatives. The Senate, controlled by Republicans, is less certain. It depends on President Trump, who remains unpredictable.