White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday that President Joe Biden’s use of enforcement measures to cancel some federal student loans is “still on the table,” with a decision expected in the coming months. During a Pod Save America podcast appearance, Psaki – who is reportedly leaving her post this spring for an on-air role on MSNBC – told co-hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer that Biden’s thoughts on the subject had not yet been finalized. “Yes, still on the table, still on the table,” he said of the student loan cancellation in response to earlier statements by White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein about pay cuts. The Biden government earlier this month extended the federal moratorium on student loan repayment until Aug. 31, giving borrowers four more months from the previous May 1 restart date. Psaki referred to the date of August 31st stating that a decision should be made keeping in mind this timetable. “Then we have to decide if it will be extended,” he said. “No one has had to pay a dollar, a cent, anything in student loans since Joe Biden was president.” He continued: “If this can help people reduce the burden of costs on other parts of their lives, that’s an important thing to keep in mind. That’s a lot of thinking. So from now until 31 “In August, either it will be extended or we will make a decision, as Ron said, to cancel the student debt.”
The impetus for student debt write-off
While Biden has long said that a wide-ranging repeal should ideally come from Congress, many lawmakers are not optimistic that such a bill could pass the Senate by 50-50, especially with the 60 votes needed to pass it. overcome a conflict. The White House continued to push for a more lasting solution. “This is what happens with executive actions – you can go back and forth and reverse them, and obviously we want something in any of these cases where it is more permanent,” Psaki said during the conversation. Student loan repayments – first frozen for most borrowers in 2020 by then-President Donald Trump at the start of the coronavirus pandemic – have become a major focal point for many progressive Democrats, who have supported the presidency since its inception. that it has ample scope for eliminating student loan debt. As the midterm elections approach, many Democrat lawmakers are increasingly concerned that Biden’s inaction on canceling a student loan – including refusing to forgive up to $ 10,000 per borrower – could strike a chord with those younger voters. Biden in recent months has seen his support among millennials and generations X and Z decline sharply compared to his stronger position with the silent generation and baby boomers.
“The White House seems more open to this than ever”
High-profile politicians, including New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, along with New York delegates Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Ayanna Pressley, all called on Bauer to resign. debtor. On Wednesday, Schumer – the leader of the majority in the Senate – reaffirmed his view that Biden had the power to use executive orders to eliminate federal student debt, and said the White House was “more open” than a broader everything in the past. “Make no mistake about it: this pause is not going to last forever and student debt relief is the way to go,” the veteran MP said. Schumer added: “We are working on it. We are making progress, children. We are making progress. The White House seems more open to this than ever.”
