It’s safe to say that 2016 is the year when skyrocketingeducation costs and a record $1.3 trillion in outstandingstudentdebt have taken center stage among the most urgentissues facing our nation. In his final State of the Union Address,President Obama reiterated his belief that higher education needsto be made more affordable for all Americans, and that we need tofind ways to reduce and help manage student debt. He statedthat too many young graduates are held back by having to starttheir adult lives “stuck in the red.”

The good news is that Americans aren’t going to have to waituntil after the presidential election to see student loan reformbegin to be enacted by our leaders in Washington. In Octoberof last year, Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois 13^thDistrict sponsored H.R. 3861, The Employer Participation in StudentLoan Assistance Act. Along with its companion bill sponsoredby Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), this bill would extend the taxexclusion that currently applies to employer-provided tuition assistance –up to $5,250 per year – to include employer contributions toemployee’s student loanrepayment.

Despite today’s highly partisan climate in Congress, thelegislation has strong bi-partisan support, with nine Democrats and11 Republicans as co-sponsors. I recently had the chance tospeak with Rep. Davis to discuss his thoughts on the bill and hisreasons for sponsoring it. Here’s what he had to say: