“Squad” Member Tells Biden: If You Want To Thank Black Women, Then Cancel Student Debt, “All Of It”
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley — who is a member of the Democratic progressive group “The Squad” — is pushing the administration of President Joe Biden to “cancel all” student loan debt as a means to “thank Black women.”
The far-left Democrat made the bizarre demand on Friday telling the new Democratic president to move forward with erasing all student loans instead of just using his words to thank African-American women.
“You want to thank Black women? Cancel student debt — all of it. Black women carry more student debt than any other group in America,” Pressley said.
“Save your words of appreciation,” she continued. “Policy is our love language.”
You want to thank Black women?
Cancel student debt — all of it.
Black women carry more student debt than any other group in America.
Save your words of appreciation. Policy is our love language.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) January 19, 2021
Pressley’s comment comes as Biden sparked confusion this week for his position on forgiving the student loan debt of millions of Americans that is being pushed by progressive members of his party.
The Democratic president told a CNN town hall on Tuesday that he could potentially write-off $10,000 of student debt but that he will not cancel up to $50,000 of it.
“We need student loan forgiveness beyond the potential $10,000 your administration has proposed. We need at least a $50,000 minimum. What will you do to make that happen?” someone from the town hall audience asked the new president.
“I will not make that happen,” Biden responded. He however said he is “prepared to write off the $10,000 debt, but not $50,000.”
From the Biden town hall on CNN last night, this questioner asked about canceling $50,000 worth of student debt:
“What will you do to make that happen?”
“I will not make that happen.” pic.twitter.com/Y7auUT2YQZ— The Recount (@therecount) February 17, 2021
Another progressive Democrat also earlier aired her sentiment against Biden’s pronouncement following the town hall.
Self-proclaimed Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) saying “many won’t feel” the impact of a $10,000 student loan cancellation.
“Many won’t fully feel $10k in forgiveness until after a Biden presidency is over, when they’ve spent 10 years paying off the other $20k+” AOC wrote on Twitter, arguing that “average student loan debt in the US is — $30K.”
“Dems should be championing policy that people can feel ASAP. We need to go big,” she added.
Average student loan debt in the US is ~$30k (LOTS have more)
Many won’t fully feel $10k in forgiveness until after a Biden presidency is over, when they’ve spent 10 years paying off the other $20k+
Dems should be championing policy that people can feel ASAP. We need to go big.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 17, 2021
“Very wealthy people already have a student loan forgiveness program. It’s called their parents,” Ocasio-Cortez continued.
“The idea that millionaires and billionaires are willingly letting their kids drown in federal student loans & that’s why we can’t go big on forgiveness is about as silly as it sounds.”
Very wealthy people already have a student loan forgiveness program. It’s called their parents.
The idea that millionaires and billionaires are willingly letting their kids drown in federal student loans & that’s why we can’t go big on forgiveness is about as silly as it sounds.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 17, 2021
Meanwhile, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Washington) also took to Twitter to ask her followers about canceling $50,000 in student loans — but she got responses from those who already paid theirs instead.
“I want to hear from you. How would cancelling $50,000 of student loan debt help you and your family?” she wrote on Twitter.
“Could I have the $50,000 I already paid put back in my bank account?” one response said.
“Pls figure out what to give working class people who didn’t go to college to avoid this and feel they’re footing the bill with nothing in return,” another one wrote.
https://twitter.com/tmaez21/status/1362926709310320640
“You can’t talk about fair unless you’re going to repay every living person 50K of a student loan they’ve already repaid,” another response to Jayapal said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki later on backtracked on Biden’s statement — clarifying that the new Democratic administration is seriously weighing options to forgive up to $50,000 in student debt.
STUDENT DEBT:
Jen Psaki says President Biden "doesn't favor $50,000 in student loan relief without limitation." https://t.co/dTpOeennP5 pic.twitter.com/o0LxxJ9Sf3
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 17, 2021
“He was reiterating his previous stated position, which is that he doesn’t favor $50,000 in student loan relief without limitations,” Psaki said less than 24 hours after Biden’s comments stirred backlash from far-left Democrats.
Additionally, she noted that Biden “will ask them the Department of Justice to conduct a legal review of his authority to act on executive action in conjunction with a policy review from his Domestic Policy Council on how executive action debt relief, if any, should be targeted.”
“In the meantime, if Congress moves forward and sends him a package that provides him [Biden] $10,000 in school debt relief, he’d be eager to sign that,” she added.
Back in November, Biden called on Congress to take “immediate” action to cancel billions worth of student loans as his camp prepares for a government transition.
Democrats earlier suggested that the former VP sign an executive order to forgive student debt pegged at around $1.5 trillion.
