Sun Jun 29 21:10:00 UTC 2025: **Senate Rules Expert Blocks Major Changes to Existing Student Loan Repayment Plans in GOP Bill**
**WASHINGTON** – A key component of President Trump and Senate Republicans’ ambitious tax, spending, and policy bill has been struck down by the Senate parliamentarian, hindering their ability to significantly alter student loan repayment plans for current borrowers. Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s leading expert on parliamentary procedure, ruled on June 25th that the proposed changes do not directly impact the federal budget, making them ineligible for inclusion under the expedited reconciliation process.
This decision is a setback for the administration, which is aiming to pass the bill swiftly with a self-imposed July 4th deadline. Republican leaders are struggling to secure the necessary 50 votes within their own party, as fiscal conservatives demand deeper cuts to federal spending.
The proposed changes, which would have slashed the number of available repayment plans and restricted options for current borrowers, were intended to generate substantial savings. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the House version of the bill, which included similar provisions, could have saved over $160 billion annually. However, MacDonough ruled that such changes could only apply to new borrowers.
The ruling also impacts the roughly eight million borrowers currently enrolled in President Biden’s SAVE repayment plan, leaving their status uncertain pending a legal challenge to the program.
Furthermore, the parliamentarian rejected several other provisions deemed outside the scope of the reconciliation process, including measures targeting federal financial aid eligibility for some non-U.S. citizen students, disqualifying certain doctors and dentists from student loan relief, and expanding Pell Grants to short-term career training programs. These measures could potentially be revived if Republicans can garner bipartisan support to meet the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.
MacDonough is still reviewing other aspects of the bill, including provisions concerning student debt cancellation for borrowers who have been defrauded or whose colleges have closed abruptly. The outcome of her remaining reviews will further shape the final version of the legislation.
First Piper 