President Joe Biden extended the moratorium on federal student loan payments on Wednesday, with the deadline moving from Feb. 1 to May 1 as as the Omicron coronavirus variant accelerates through the nation. “Now, while our jobs recovery is one of the strongest ever ... we know that millions of student loan borrowers are still coping with the impacts of the pandemic and need some more time before resuming payments,” Biden said in a statement. Biden had previously vowed not to extend the moratorium any longer, though as the Omicron surge kicked into high gear in the last week, it became the only option. It came after calls by multiple high-profile Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), to halt the payments, particularly after Biden’s Build Back Better policy proposal was delayed.