An Eastern Wisconsin Congressman is reintroducing a measure that he says will eliminate a government-imposed punishment for marriage and ease the burden of student loan debt.
Congressman Glenn Grothman is joined by representatives from both sides of the political aisle to once again bring the Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act to the forefront.
If passed, the measure would amend the tax code to ensure that student loan interest is tax-deductible for each spouse independently.
Grothman explained to SeehaferNews.com, “If two unmarried individuals each have student loans, they can each receive up to a $2,500 tax deduction, for a total of $5,000. However, their collective deduction is capped at $2,500 when married and filing jointly.”
The disincentives to get married were also addressed during an Oversight Subcommittee hearing this week.
Rep. Grothman asked Howard Husock, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, if there are marriage penalties in housing assistance programs like Section 8.
“Definitely. And it’s because of the…30 percent rule,” Husock explained. “You pay 30 percent of your income in rent, so as your income goes up, you pay higher rent. If you get married and [there are] two incomes, you pay higher rent still.”
In total, six Republican and three Democrat Representatives have co-sponsored the Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act.
