The White House defended its mass student loan forgiveness program from critics, including several Democrats in competitive races, saying the policy will not please everyone but that “we’re giving families a little breathing room.”
President Joe Biden announced a loans “cancellation” policy on Wednesday that pleased liberals but upset Democrats such as Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), who is trying to win a Senate seat and said the policy sends the wrong message to people without a college degree.
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“[Biden] wanted to make sure that he gives that little bit of breathing room to Americans who really need it,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the criticism. “And this was targeted. It was targeted for Americans who are making less than $125,000.”
Jean-Pierre also mentioned that Pell grant recipients are eligible for up to $20,000 in cancellation, calling that aspect “incredibly targeted” toward borrowers whose parents earned less than $60,000.
Conservatives have roundly criticized the loans program, saying it will add at least $300 billion to the national debt, does nothing for those who didn’t go to college or who paid off their loans, does not help future borrowers, and does not address the underlying issue of high tuition costs.
But a few Democrats, usually those in close election contests, have also come out against the bill. Ryan released a statement panning the move soon after it was announced.
“As someone who’s paying off my own family’s student loans, I know the costs of higher education are too high,” said Ryan, who is running against firebrand Republican J.D. Vance. “And while there’s no doubt that a college education should be about opening opportunities, waiving debt for those already on a trajectory to financial security sends the wrong message to the millions of Ohioans without a degree working just as hard to make ends meet.”
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) also said they don’t support the program.
Jean-Pierre acknowledged the policy is “not going to please everybody” but also pointed to a number of polls she said espoused wide support for the idea.
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“Three recent polls show that the president’s proposal is supported by a majority of Americans,” she said, pointing to surveys from Morning Consult, NPR, and YouGov. “A majority of Americans approve of this targeted approach that you have from this administration, and I think that matters.”
