A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to express opposition to President Joe Biden’s executive decision to wipe out federal student loan debt.
On Thursday, he brought the argument to a national audience, panning the White House move as a “political disaster,” and questioning President Joe Biden’s constitutional authority to absolve debtors of their responsibility.
“Oh, I thought it was terrible. One, it’s unconstitutional, which is obviously something important. I don’t think that that’s something Biden cares about, but he doesn’t have the authority to do this. Two, you’re going to be having farmers, people that have their own small businesses, waitresses, they’re going to be on the hook to pay the student loan of somebody who got a Ph.D. in gender studies? I mean, give me a break,” DeSantis told interviewer Hugh Hewitt Thursday.
“So yes, people should obviously pay back their loans, but then the fact that you’re putting this on the backs of working Americans who may have made different choices with regards to their education, or, like you said, and most people have done, have paid off their debts. And so I think a lot of people who have paid off education debts right now feel like chumps, because they did the right thing.”
DeSantis then contended that in addition to being inequitable, the move is bad for the economy.
“It’ll also exacerbate the inflation problems that we’re seeing right now. And it’s not just people like me saying that. You have (Barack) Obama economists saying that this is going to fuel more inflation. So I think it’s a policy disaster, but I also do think it’s a political disaster, because I just don’t think it sits well with the vast majority of people in this country,” DeSantis decried.
“It’s very unfair,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Orlando later Thursday morning, adding that the real problem is “bloat” at universities, and that they should be responsible for graduates “deep in debt” with valueless degrees.
“They’ll plow it in, expand the DEI office or something like that,” DeSantis said of universities deriving the benefit from capital flows in education spending.
DeSantis speculated the President was looking to “placate” supporters with the announcement, an argument many other Republicans have made.
Biden announced plans to wipe out $10,000 of debt for federal loan borrowers, with $20,000 of forgiveness available for Pell Grant recipients Wednesday. Republicans have been teeing off on the idea since before it was rolled out, and clearly will weaponize messaging on it through at least November.
21 comments
Bill
August 25, 2022 at 10:22 am
I agree that the debt forgiveness is stupid but I’m not sure painting farmers as aggrieved is helpful – the handouts they get are beyond ridiculous. The whole damned country runs on freebies from both parties and they wonder why folks resent paying taxes.
Charlie Crist
August 25, 2022 at 10:39 am
^ Far right propaganda…
marylou
August 25, 2022 at 1:23 pm
“freebies” …Biden replied calmly, “Is it fair to people who, in fact, do not own multi-billion-dollar businesses if they see one of these guys getting all the tax breaks? Is that fair? What do you think?”
Tom
August 25, 2022 at 1:40 pm
Ignorance and cheap, petty class warfare. Typical liberal nonsense.
This is a disaster policy.
Income Tax cuts go to those who earn and own business. They ensure economic growth. Potus should be more respectful, as it’s not his money.
RUSSELL Chartier
August 28, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Didn’t DeSantis just give away a whole bunch of freebies?
Ron Ogden
August 30, 2022 at 1:49 pm
Of course it is fair! The people who owned the business are the ones who took the risk, borrowed the money, worked to acquire wealth, saved the wealth so that they could expand their businesses, made farsighted decisions about the future, dealt with the all the dingheaded government bureaucratic regulations, put up with grousing customers and self-interested journalists, saw the life’s work teetering on the edge of disaster when they made a wrong decision or the the market changed, exposed themselves to a ravening federal government when they tried to offer shares in their success to the public and, as often as not, died while watching their stupid progeny run the damn thing into the ground while living lives of utter irresponsibility. You want to turn mindless proggie Democrats into a Republicans in one fell swoop? Easy: give them payrolls to meet! Just for one moment I would like to see all the people who built the business that made this a great nation rise up from the grave, snap their fingers and make it all go away. Reduce you damn proggies to the semi-savage state of subsistence you so ignorantly crave. Just for a day. But life isn’t like that, and knowing you are safe from the consequences of your foolhardy politics you just push it and push it and push it. One of these it will indeed go away, and with your dying breaths you will blame Republicans.
Ocean Joe
August 25, 2022 at 10:24 am
But the 2017 tax cut was OK since it helped folks at the top.
https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/fundamentally-flawed-2017-tax-law-largely-leaves-low-and-moderate-income
Tom
August 26, 2022 at 6:28 am
Clueless ocean Joe, with Dem talking points.
Every reasonable economic model shows that tax cuts in 2017 raised blue collar, middle class, and working class earners. Wage gap, take home pay and earnings lifted bottom up.
Your retread class warfare yarns are worn out Joe. Go on a date with Mary who. You are both pas-see.
Tom
August 25, 2022 at 10:40 am
It’s ugly political pandering period.
It will grossly backfire.
Will add 5 more new GOP house seats.
Richard Bruce
August 25, 2022 at 10:48 am
To be fair, every citizen should get a $20,000 debt bail out. And to be totally fair, every citizen should pay $20,000 in taxes to pay for everyone else’s loan forgiveness. The federal Gov’t should be charitable to donate all processing expenses and labor costs for free.
marylou
August 25, 2022 at 12:29 pm
70% of people are in favor of at least some student debt forgiveness. It’s called Progress. Disabled people who were paid less or denied jobs in the past are not angry that disabled people now are protected by ADA laws, (Their taxes are being used to enforce ADA laws that they didn’t benefit from).
Women who were sexually harassed by bosses, paid less than men, or denied jobs are not angry about laws that protect women now, (Their taxes are used for enforcement and some prices may go up). You don’t hear older women screaming that since they were abused by creep–bosses, young women should have to put up with it, too.
Let sociopaths like Shady Lawyer moRON complain about farmers and waitresses paying for PPP Loan forgiveness that Republicans shoveled to their greedy corporate donors/owners.
Tom
August 25, 2022 at 1:31 pm
Mary who, you are jealous you weren’t harassed. Go call ex Gov cuomo, the fondler. He will give you joy.
Tom
August 25, 2022 at 1:47 pm
Not true.
No one supports 70% approval.
Tom
August 25, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Full of farmer manure Mary who.
The Repub. loan forgiveness was provided on a bi partisan basis. And helpful.
Dem House and Repub. Senate.
Unlike the last two yrs. of blatant partisan, unhinged spending. It gave us record spending and devastating inflation. Really ignant Mary who.
NancyS
August 25, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Tom sounds nervous that his candidates are miserably failing America…..and the electorate is catching the drift from the stench in Tallahassee.
Tom
August 26, 2022 at 6:22 am
Hardly and Clueless, it’s a disaster policy Nancy.
Tom
August 26, 2022 at 6:29 am
Call cuomo and get fondled NancyS.
Mary who will join u.
PeterH
August 25, 2022 at 12:51 pm
I sense some DeSantis whining!
Which is worst? A democratic campaign promise realized….. or DeSantis constant pandering to his MAGA base with more gun privileges after the election?
If Americans want women to control their own bodies, qualified teachers to replace DeSantis’s culture wars in classrooms, intelligent teacher-student conversations concerning the social issues facing Americans in the 21st century, non-bullying discussion about classroom students who are different, common sense gun regulations, and a new honest approach on how best to address climate change……AMERICANS MUST VOTE ALL REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE. REPUBLICANS ARE AMERICA’S PROBLEM.
Tom
August 26, 2022 at 6:31 am
Clueless Pete h, towel boy for Lincoln.
tjb
August 31, 2022 at 11:57 am
Teachers, nurses, doctors, and other individuals with student debt who are contributing to a better society are benefiting from this action along with millions of Floridians.
I paid my way for college and I paid for my children’s college education. I am happy for those who are benefiting from this loan forgiveness program.
Why isn’t DeSantis standing up and supporting a program that helps Floridians?
tom palmer
September 3, 2022 at 11:02 pm
Good to see he’s still faithful to the GOP party line. Let’s see whether the voters agree.
Comments are closed.