Healthcare workers would have their student loans completely forgiven in a newly proposed bill
The bill would forgive loans incurred from medical school or other professional education, and the amount of loans relieved would have "absolutely no cap," Maloney said on a press call.
Nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers who are responding to the COVID-19 crisis would be eligible for the relief. A special commission would be formed "to determine whether an individual has made significant contributions to the medical response."
The bill defines a frontline healthcare worker as a "doctor, medical resident, medical intern, medical fellow, nurse, home health care worker, mental health professional, or other health care professional," as well as medical students providing COVID-related health services.
Laboratory staff and researchers working on testing, treatments, and vaccines are also included, as are emergency medical services (EMS) workers. The bill leaves room for the commission to further include other healthcare workers that weren't specifically mentioned.
"We should do more than thanking them," and forgiving loans is a "concrete" way to do that, Maloney said.
Maloney, a Democrat representing parts of New York City, likened the response from healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic to the response from emergency first responders during the 9/11 attacks.
Other Democrats in the House have proposed more widespread student-loan forgiveness, but it would cover only public loans and have a $30,000 cap.
Maloney said she was supportive of "debt relief for all" but that a more targeted approach, like relief for healthcare workers, could have a better chance of passing Congress more quickly. "We have to get through this crisis now," she said.
