After a Tuesday evening town hall, president Joe Biden said he will not cancel up to $50,000 of student loans, prompting backlash from the progressive wing of his own party.
“I will not make that happen,” Biden said when asked what he will do to cancel up to $50,000 in student loans.
His further statement was unclear, but he appeared to suggest that he would consider canceling student debt from borrowers who attended public universities.
“It depends on whether or not you go to a private university or public university,” he said. “It depends on the idea that I say to a community, ‘I’m going to forgive the debt, the billions of dollars of debt, for people who have gone to Harvard and Yale and Penn.’”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) took to Twitter Wednesday to launch into a tirade about student debt.
“As a young immigrant, I took out thousands of dollars in debt to go to for-profit college—thinking it was part of the American Dream. Like millions of Americans, I was left deeply in debt with a worthless degree and shoddy education,” she said, adding the hashtag #CancelStudentDebt.
“I was fortunate enough to eventually go to a public university and begin to pay it off, but millions do not have that luxury,” she said. “Here are some misconceptions about who has debt and why we need full cancellation.”
I was fortunate enough to eventually go to a public university and begin to pay it off, but millions do not have that luxury.
Here are some misconceptions about who has debt and why we need full cancellation.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 17, 2021
Her next two tweets described student debt as a “crisis,” and noted that interest on student loans, as well as payments, have been halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isn’t it already cancelled during the pandemic?
Student loan interest is on hold during the pandemic—but the debt is not forgiven. That means millions will owe thousands of dollars in backpay if that debt isn’t relieved. https://t.co/1WUyjLdc8P
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 17, 2021
After that, she encouraged Biden to cancel the debt by executive order, “with the stroke of a pen.”
She also noted that nearly half of all borrowers did not obtain a degree.
Is student debt a rich kid problem?
No! 40% of people with student loan debt don’t even have a college degree. These have been some of the hardest-hit families during the pandemic and are *3 times* more likely to default. https://t.co/wJROZZM6Wa
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 17, 2021
She then took a direct jab at Biden noting that student debt relief would not “only help elite college students,” as Biden suggested during his Tuesday town hall.
She also said minorities would benefit more from student loan cancelation than White students.
Will student debt relief only help white families?
The opposite. Black graduates average $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates. In fact, the majority of black borrowers owe more in debt than their entire net worth. https://t.co/gjYNilIqbi
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 17, 2021
Omar also addressed concerns from those who paid off their loans in full, who might see cancelation of debt as unjust, by saying that “past harms should not be an excuse for inaction.”
“Student debt relief is one component of a moral society. We also need to make college tuition-free so debt is not accumulated moving forward and invest in universal early education. These are not at odds!” she finished.
What about future students? What about early education?
Student debt relief is one component of a moral society. We also need to make college tuition-free so debt is not accumulated moving forward and invest in universal early education. These are not at odds!
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 17, 2021
Biden has often stated his support for canceling $10,000 of student debt per borrower. But for the progressive wing of his party, that is not enough.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) were early proponents of canceling $50,000 worth of debt, putting them at odds with Biden.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) also chimed in on Twitter, encouraging her followers to call their congresspeople and ask about their stances on student debt relief.
So, too, did Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) the far-left congresswoman from Massachusetts.
“A survey of registered Black voters shows 40 percent would consider staying home for the next election if there’s no action on student loan debt,” she said, quoting an NBC news article.
She added the hashtag #CanceStudentDebt, and emphasized the point by saying, “All of it.”
“A survey of registered Black voters shows 40 percent would consider staying home for the next election if there’s no action on student loan debt.”#CancelStudentDebt. All of it.https://t.co/5q9KnCaa5Z
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) February 17, 2021
With Democrats controlling the U.S. House and Senate, along with the presidency, they have the theoretical power to enact any legislation they want, setting up a possible showdown between the legislature and White House.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
