July 15, 2022
The Honorable Patty Murray
Chair
U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions Committee
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Richard Burr
Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions Committee
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Bobby Scott
Chair
U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Virginia Foxx
Ranking Member
U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairwoman Murray, Chairman Scott as well as Ranking Members Burr and Foxx:
On behalf of our organizations, we call on Congress to address high student loan debt levels facing manyborrowers, including physicians and dentists, and urge Congress to consider the “Resident Education
Deferred Interest (REDI) Act” (S 3658/HR 4122) among the potential legislative solutions.
While we appreciate potential efforts by the Biden Administration to provide some level of assistance toborrowers, including medical and dental residents, Congress needs to enact long-term solutions toensure borrowers do not continue to be burdened with insurmountable student debt levels.
The REDI Act is a bipartisan bill that, if passed, will allow borrowers to qualify for interest-free deferment
on their student loans while serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program. The cost ofgraduate-level medical and dental education is substantial for the vast majority of students. Further,those who undertake several years of residency with very low pay are often unable to begin repaying
student debt immediately. As a result, they qualify to have their payments halted during residency
through deferment or forbearance processes, but they continue to accrue interest that is added to theirbalance.
Passage of the REDI Act is an important part of student loan repayment reform. This bill would prevent
medical and dental residents from being penalized during residency and save them thousands of dollars
in interest. Providing interest accrual relief during residency also would make the concepts of opening
practices in underserved areas or entering faculty or research more attractive and affordable toresidents.
Thank you again for your leadership on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Academy of General Dentistry
American Academy of Dermatology AssociationAmerican Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Academy of Periodontology
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
American Association of Endodontists
American Association of Neurological SurgeonsCongress of Neurological Surgeons
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Association of Orthodontists
American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American College of Prosthodontists
American College of Rheumatology
American Dental Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists
American Student Dental Association
American Urological Association
Hispanic Dental Association
Renal Physicians Association
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
Society of Interventional Radiology
The American Society for Radiation Oncology