Democrats In Competitive Races Criticize Biden’s Student Loan Gambit

Although the response from fellow party members has been mostly positive, three Democrats running in competitive elections have criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.

Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet all panned Biden’s order forgiving $10,000 in student loans for individuals making up to $125,000 or couples making $250,000. Both Bennet and Pappas are considered key targets for Republicans hoping to flip the Senate and the House of Representatives, while Ryan is running against JD Vance to replace outgoing GOP Sen. Rob Portman.

“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,” Ryan said in a statement.

Tim Ryan, running for #OHSEN puts out a statement critical of Biden’s student loan plan pic.twitter.com/L85ZpReR5T

— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) August 24, 2022

Instead, he urged the Biden administration to consider “an across-the-board tax cut,” as well as medical debt cancellation, free community college, and job training and apprenticeship programs. A 10-term congressman from Youngstown, Ryan is polling within three points of Vance. He has staked out several populist positions, including opposition to trade with China, in the race.

Similarly, Pappas suggested in a statement other programs that the federal government should implement to decrease costs, including expanding Pell Grants and “affordable” community college. The two-term representative is considered a target by the National Republican Congressional Committee, and his district leans one point toward the GOP, according to FiveThirtyEight. (RELATED: ‘POTUS Can Do Better’: Liberals Don’t Think Biden Went Far Enough On Canceling Student Debt)

“This announcement by President Biden is no way to make policy and sidesteps Congress and our oversight and fiscal responsibilities. Any plan to address student loan debt should go through the legislative process, and it should be more targeted and paid for so it doesn’t add to the deficit,” Pappas said in the statement.

Bennet, who is leading Republican Joe O’Dea by five points, claimed that Biden’s one-time fix would not be successful in bringing down the cost of higher education. “The administration should have further targeted the relief, and proposed a way to pay for this plan. While immediate relief to families is important, one-time debt cancellation does not solve the underlying problem,” he said in a statement. “Moving forward, we need to reform the system that got us here in the first place with solutions to bring down the absurd cost of college.”