Those committees will be the first to shepherd any legislative overhaul of the federal student loan process

Collectively, the 44 Democrats and 24 Republicans have higher education liabilities of $2.5 million, according to recent financial disclosures. The median student loan debt is $15,000, while average debt is $37,000.

Thirteen percent is a slight increase compared to the previous Congress, when Roll Call’s Wealth of Congress project found that one in 10 members held student loans. One-third of Congress’ educational debt comes from new members.

In one case, Texas Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar, 49, noted that she and her husband are simultaneously paying for their own debt while taking on joint loans for the college educations of their children. All told, those liabilities exceed $60,000. Escobar graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1991 and with a master’s degree from New York University in 1993.

Three of the more recent college graduates in Congress are paying for their own education after earning a bachelor’s degree. Freshman Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Abby Finkenauer of Iowa, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York all graduated in 2011 and owe more than $15,000 each. Omar, 36, got her degree from North Dakota State University. Finkenauer, 30, graduated from Drake University, and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, graduated from Boston University.

Seven representatives on the House Education and Labor panel, along with Sen. Christopher S. Murphy on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, all hold student debt.

“I had a decent-sized student loan debt, and I didn’t have them for undergraduate – I only had them for graduate school,” Murphy said. “I guess I have a little bit more of a window into how enormous your debt can be if you have to pay for four years of expensive undergrad and possibly graduate school as well.” Murphy, 45, has a law degree from the University of Connecticut. Continua a leggere