(TRENTON) – With the goal to protect the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which helps relieve student debt for doctors, teachers, lawyers and others who work in public service, the full Assembly recently voted 72-1-2 to approve a measure (AR-149) to urge the President and United States Congress to keep the program in the upcoming federal fiscal budget. The program would be eliminated under a budget plan proposed by President Donald Trump.
The measure’s sponsors, Assembly Democrats Bill Moen (D-Camden, Gloucester), Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer) released the following joint statement:
“At a time when the work of doctors, nurses, teachers and other professionals is so vital, the last thing we should do is eliminate a program that relieves their debt burden. Without the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, many workers would be shouldered with enormous debt – in the case of the average medical student, over $200,000 – for decades. With this measure, we are showing our support for public service professionals and the invaluable work they do, particularly in these uncertain times.”