A.G. Gancarski
Democrats from the White House on down continue to blast Republicans who took PPP loans as hypocrites when those same Republicans condemn Joe Biden’s plan for student loan forgiveness. But Marco Rubio isn’t having it.
In an op-ed for Fox Business, Rubio is contrasting the “stunning success” of the Paycheck Protection Program, his pandemic scheme to advance money to businesses chafing under COVID-19 restrictions, to the “handout” proposed by the White House.
“My plan was as straightforward as it was novel: to create a federal grant for small businesses to keep their employees on payroll. This payroll grant, structured deliberately as a forgivable loan, had one key condition: that 80% of the funds go to payroll,” Rubio asserted.
The “forgivable loan” program worked, Rubio contended, leading to a 2.5 million gain in jobs, and saving 6.1 million jobs in Florida.
Such forgiveness shouldn’t apply to student loan debtors, meanwhile, given that students, unlike pandemic-affected businesses, should have known the risks involved in borrowing for education.
“Let’s start with the obvious: federal student loans were just that, loans. The whole idea was that students would take the loans to pay for an education that would lead to a job that repays them,” he said, making no mention of the massive interest accrued.
Rubio, facing a tough re-election challenge this year, seems to be pinning much of his messaging on the politically potent issue of student loan relief.
“Val Demings to Millions of Taxpayers: Screw You,” read a Thursday email from the Rubio camp, condemning Demings for supporting President Biden’s “student loan bailout.”
In a statement Tuesday, Rubio also railed against the proposal as failing fundamental tests of fairness, while not offering substantial reform that would benefit borrowers.
“Forgiving student loan debt isn’t free. It means the 85% of Americans with no undergraduate debt from college will be carrying the burden for those that do. That is not a relief, it is an unfair burden to place on working families,” Rubio contended.
8 comments
Tjb
August 26, 2022 at 9:10 am
Why aren’t we talking about how Rubio wants to dismantle Social Security and Medicare? Does he want to create a huge class of homeless retirees living on insufficient fixed incomes?
ScienceBLVR
August 26, 2022 at 9:26 am
Hey Marco, how about that huge tax payer funded giveaway that comes every year to those “non- college non loan forgiven” folks.. you know, Earned Income Credit. In 2020, 25 million Americans received over 60 billion, all funded by college educated middle class people like me. Last year, one family I know, banked over 25 K between the EITC and Covid relief funds, bought a nice new car, and paid off debt. I also know that this is fraudulently used by many, making deals with people who work and have income who claim someone else’s children” for the tax credit and split the proceeds. Oddly, it doesn’t seem to raise a red flag when children who receive food stamps are claimed on a tax return by someone who has no relationship with the children. Massive fraud in this program. And it comes right out of my middle class pocket. But, hey, am I complaining about them getting government checks that they didn’t earn or work for? Lets get those newly hired IRS folks on that. And shall we discuss all the taxpayer bailouts for big business, Wall street, banks, etc etc. This is the American way isn’t it? We all get a piece of the pie one way or another.
Charlie Crist
August 26, 2022 at 10:03 am
Marco Boobio just another GOP empty suit. Only benefits the rich in Florida. Everyone else has to live in lala land to be comfortable with the fact that they live in an exploitative hellscape. If not for tourism, Florida would look like Mississippi thanks to do nothing Republican grifters and con artists.
SteveHC
August 26, 2022 at 10:30 am
What an idiotic shmuck Rubio has become. His PP bill & program resulted in TONS of businesses & wealthy individuals defrauding the government of BILLIONS of dollars, and business owners & employees alike know FULLY WELL -ESPECIALLY in a work “at-will” state like Florida – that one’s employment could suddenly “disappear” at any moment and for absolutely any reason or no reason at all other than an employer’s whims. DUH…
Johnny Doe
August 26, 2022 at 11:35 am
The PPP was a bill that was passed by Congress and signed into law. The debt forgiveness carp is an illegal act that only a dictator would do. No legal authority whatsoever. Next President DeSantis could “forgive” the debts of all his Republican buddies, and the same arguments used to justify Xiden’s illegal act would apply to that move equally well.
tjb
September 1, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Silly boy. He would give bigger tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations.Why would he help a middle-class voter?
Arm The Homeless
August 26, 2022 at 11:47 am
Shorter Lil’ Marco: “My grubby colleges were entitled to government hand-outs, but the IT guy in your office is a moocher”
PeterH
August 26, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Rubio’s statement proves how out of touch he is with his real job of Congressional oversight.
The Biden administration is currently tasked with investigating, prosecuting and recovering hundreds of billions of dollars fraudulently received PPP monies handed out by the Trump Treasury.
REMOVE MARCO RUBIO FROM OFFICE.
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