Biden Gets Called 'Tone Deaf' as He Makes Major Announcement
President Joe Biden declared on Friday that $7.4 billion in student loans would be forgiven for nearly 300,000 borrowers, a move that quickly drew criticism from a House Republican.
Representative Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, criticized the president's recent move to cancel student debt in an election year, calling it "tone deaf."
Biden revealed that the forgiveness would benefit 277,000 borrowers currently participating in various income-driven repayment or public service programs.
The White House stated that this specific act of debt forgiveness aims to “reinforce the President’s commitment to using every path available to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible through various actions.”
Further, the White House noted:
“This latest round of debt cancellation comes on the heels of President Biden announcing new plans that, if implemented, would cancel student debt for over 30 million Americans when combined with actions the Administration has taken over the last three years.”
Since a U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer thwarted a comprehensive debt cancellation plan, Biden has managed to erase the debt for millions. His blocked proposal would have reduced or eliminated student loan amounts for up to 43 million individuals.
Under the proposed plan, certain borrowers could have seen up to $20,000 in debt canceled, depending on their income and whether they had received federal PELL grants, aimed at undergraduates who demonstrate significant financial need.
Following the court's decision, the White House has continued to cancel debts for specific groups, such as educators and individuals below certain income levels.
These ongoing efforts to forgive student debt have sparked allegations that Biden is trying to sway voters in November by imposing the financial burden on individuals who did not take out loans.
The Hill reported that Foxx condemned Biden's actions as disconnected from reality.
“The administration is tone deaf. There’s no other way to put it,” stated the chair of the House Education Committee.
Foxx continued:
“We know that instead of doing its job the administration focused time, energy, and resources on its illegal student loan scheme. And that has been frustrating, especially since it has jeopardized the academic journey of millions of students.
“But what is absolutely maddening is that the administration is STILL not doing its job and instead focusing on its student loan shenanigans.”
The North Carolina Republican was referring to ongoing issues with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, according to The Hill.
As CBS News reported, the Department of Education recently introduced a new online system for filling out FAFSA forms intended to simplify the process for students applying for loans and grants. However, since its introduction, the FAFSA website has faced significant technical problems.