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Federal student loans became a major political issue last year after President Joe Biden proposed a loan forgiveness plan that would have canceled up to $20,000 in debt per borrower. Lawmakers almost immediately lined up on one side or the other, with Republicans generally opposing the plan and Democrats supporting it. The U.S. Supreme Court ended up killing the plan earlier this summer, notching a victory for the anti-forgiveness contingent.
But student debt itself doesn’t recognize partisan politics. Lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have taken out student loans to help pay for college, according to an analysis from The College Investor.
Some of the most high-profile members of Congress have student debt of some kind — including U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
The College Investor analysis found that 44 U.S. House members have student loans in their household, which includes their own debt as well as loans they might have co-signed for their children. Of those 44, 10 of the House members’ spouses had student loans. Only three members of the 100-member U.S. Senate have student loans, one of which belongs to a spouse.
To get its data, The College Investor analyzed the most recent financial disclosure statements (through 2022) for all members of Congress. Among its other key findings:
- Only 10.1% of the House of Representatives has student loan debt, vs. 13.5% of Americans overall.
- Only 3% of the Senate has student loan debt, vs. 13.5% of Americans.
The median amount of student loan debt reported by members of the House is $15,001 to $50,000. That compares to $19,281 for all student debt borrowers. Here’s a look at how student loans connected to Congressional members break down by loan amount:
| Debt Amount | How Many Members |
|---|---|
| $10,000 – $15,000 | 2 |
| $15,001 – $50,000 | 24 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | 13 |
| $100,001 – $250,000 | 8 |
McCarthy’s student loan debt falls into the $50,001 to $100,000 category, according to The College Investor. Cortez and Omar both have student loan debt of $15,001 to $50,000.
As The College Investor pointed out, it’s important to note that many Congressional members with student debt pursued advanced degrees. Most also make very good salaries. A “regular” House member earns $174,000 per year — well above the median U.S. income of $57,200 a year, according to Labor Department data – though House members also tend to have higher expenses than most Americans.
Considering that Congress has a lot of say over student loans and education funding, some wonder how well lawmakers can relate to the average borrower who earns less money and has a higher proportion of student debt.
“As we continue to ask our representatives to fix the higher education and student loan system, we also need to keep this relate-ability in mind – and maybe elect representatives that better reflect our circumstances,” The College Investor’s Robert Farrington wrote.
Here is the full list of how much each representative and senator owes:
| Name | Student Debt | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5) | $15,001-$50,000 | Co-Signer for Private Loans |
| Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) | $100,001-$250,000 | Co-Signer for Private Loans |
| Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. John Carter (R-TX-31) | $100,001-$250,000 | Co-Signer for Private Loans |
| Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA-6) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS-3) | $100,001-$250,000 | |
| Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL-19) | $15,001-$50,000 | Both Rep & Spouse Loans |
| Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) | $50,001-$100,000 | Both Rep & Spouse, and Cosigner for Private Loans |
| Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-2) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-2) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Bob Good (R-VA-5) | $15,001-$50,000 | Parent PLUS Loan |
| Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5) | $100,001-$250,000 | |
| Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS-1) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) | $50,001-$100,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) | $50,001-$100,000 | Parent PLUS Loan |
| Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA-4) | $50,001-$100,000 | Parent PLUS Loan |
| Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-6) | $100,001-$250,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Joseph Neguse (D-CO-2) | $10,000-$15,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT-4) | $50,001-$100,000 | Parent PLUS Loan |
| Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) | $100,001-$250,000 | |
| Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ-6) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Jason T. Smith (R-MO-8) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) | $100,001-$250,000 | Co-Signer for Private Loans |
| Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-9) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9) | $10,000-$15,000 | |
| Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) | $50,001-$100,000 | |
| Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA-5) | $100,001-$250,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT) | $15,001-$50,000 | |
| Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) | $15,001-$50,000 | Spouse’s Loan |
| Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) | $15,001-$50,000 |
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