*By Justin Chermol*
The daunting task of paying back astronomical student loans may soon be less taxing, California Congressman Scott Peters tells told Cheddar Tuesday.
Rep. Peters (D-Calif.) has received 99 co-sponsors on his bipartisan Employer Participation in Repayment Act, which would allow employers to contribute to their employees' student loan payments, tax-free.
"The idea is this: if you go to work for a company, they can pay off up to $5,250 of your student loans in a year without it being income to you, so it's not taxable to you," Peters told Cheddar's J.D. Durkin.
"If you talk to any young person about ... the big thing on their mind: it's student loan debt. They're not buying a house, they're not getting a car, they're living with their parents, all because they have this burden."
According to a recent [report](https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/consumer-community-context-201901.pdf) from the Federal Reserve, the rise in student loan debt from 2005 to 2014 has contributed to a decline in home ownership.
Nearly one in four American adults are paying off student loans. That amounts to over 44 million citizens who hold collectively almost $1.5 trillion in student debt.
"The average debt now, out of a public university: $30,000 for each kid," Peters said.
Peters also said that the bill could benefit the employer as well ー as educated talent will be attracted to jobs that offer this tax-free incentive.
Peter said he feels good about the bill's chances of at least making it to the House floor for a vote.
"I am more optimistic about that in this Congress with Mrs. Pelosi, rather than Mr. Ryan. I think that we are likely to deal with this issue in a serious way," Peters said. "That's the first step."
Non-profit, Equal Ground, is looking drive up Black voter turnout in Florida with a new initiative. Jasmine Burney-Clark, the Director of Equal Ground, joined Cheddar to discuss efforts to increase Black voter turnout.
According to the latest Cheddar/SurveyUSA poll, attitudes toward social media giants like Facebook and Twitter are largely mixed among Americans ahead of the 2020 election.
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott Thursday to advance Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, keeping President Donald Trump's pick on track for confirmation before Election Day.
A pilot study from New York University found that over the summer a quarter of NYC transit workers reported testing positive for the coronavirus and that 90 percent of them still had fears of contracting COVID-19 on the job.
Justice Department officials told The Associated Press that Purdue Pharma, the company that makes OxyContin, will plead guilty to three federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion.
Pope Francis endorsed gay civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for a feature-length documentary that made its premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a vocal critic of big tech, said the antitrust lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Department of Justice against Google has the potential to become the biggest strike against monopoly power since the Microsoft case settled in 2001.
Sarah Nelson, president of the Flight Attendants Association, joined Cheddar to discuss the airline industry's need for renewed stimulus. Nelson also talks about the impact layoffs and furloughs have had on airline workers.
Social media is taking a particularly important role in this year's election as the platforms works to remove misinformation. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo reports.
Former Trump administration National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, joined Cheddar to discuss the U.S.-China conflict and the threat the nation poses.
