A top Democratic lawmaker said that progress was being made to push the White House to cancel student loan debt.

"I have told the president, this is one of the most important things he can do to help our economy grow," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said at the 'The State of Student Debt Summit.'

"We must get this done. So we're working on it," Schumer added. "We're making progress, folks. We are making progress. The White House seems more open to it than ever before."

The senator's remarks come days after the White House yet again extended pandemic payment pause on federally-backed student loans through the end of August.

Schumer and fellow Democrats have consistently urged the president to do more.

"The payment pause has been a significant federal investment throughout the pandemic, providing essential relief to millions of families during the economic and public health crisis and saving them an average of $393 per month," a recent letter from Democrats stated.

It went on to say that most borrowers "are not financially prepared to shoulder another bill as they face skyrocketing costs for necessities like food and gas."

'College is so expensive'

During the summit on Wednesday, Schumer also addressed the deeper issues relating to the rising cost of college and talked about his personal experience through school.

"When I was in school, I could work my way through school. My family didn't have much money, but you could get out without debt. That can't happen anymore," Schumer said. "College is so expensive, that even if you work your butt off, you're not going to be able to emerge without this huge amount of debt on your shoulders."

Income-driven repayment doesn't work: Former ED official

A former government official also highlighted the issues with the existing system that's pushing him to call for student debt forgiveness.

Former Education Secretary John King, who served in the Obama administration and is running for gubernatorial office in Maryland, talked about the failings of the student loan machinery during the summit.

"We ... were very focused on trying to improve income-driven repayment plans and our hope was in the Obama administration that income-driven repayment would help address the student debt crisis," King said. "But the reality is, it hasn't."

A recent investigation by NPR revealed that student loan servicers struggled to implement income-driven repayment, which is a key way low-income borrowers seek relief on their student loans during difficult financial periods. IDR ties a borrower's monthly repayment to his or her income — and without any income, the debtor's payments drop to $0.