Associated Press
At a campaign rally in April, President Joe Biden told a Wisconsin crowd about his latest “life-changing” plan for student loan cancellation, promising financial relief for more than 30 million Americans.
But Kamala Harris has steered clear of the issue at her political events since replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee for president. The vice president’s platform mentions it just twice, and with no specific plan. As she courts moderate voters, Harris has focused on policies targeting Americans without a college degree.
“For far too long, our nation has encouraged only one path to success: a four-year college degree,” Harris said in September in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. “Our nation needs to recognize the value of other paths.”
In the span of just a few years, student loan cancellation has gone from a pillar of the Democratic Party to a political liability. Once seen as a sure-fire way to energize young voters, the issue has now become a bludgeon wielded by Republicans who say it heaps advantage on elites and comes at the expense of those who repaid their loans or did not attend college.
The issue came up just once in the September presidential debate, when Republican Donald Trump hammered Harris and Biden for failing to deliver their promise of widespread cancellation. The former president called it a “total catastrophe” that “taunted young people.”
“They didn’t even come close to getting student loans,” Trump said.
Biden, who once questioned the legality of mass student loan forgiveness, campaigned on the issue after progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent, made it a mainstream idea. But as president, Biden has faced relentless challenges from Republican opponents. For the roughly 42 million people with federal student loans, the hope of having them forgiven has turned into resignation and disillusionment.
Biden’s first plan to cancel up to $20,000 for millions of people was blocked by the Supreme Court last year. A federal judge has halted a second, narrower plan after Republican-led states sued. A judge has also paused a separate policy intended to lower loan payments for struggling borrowers, also after Republican-controlled states challenged it.
On Friday, the Biden administration moved ahead with yet another attempt at student loan cancellation, focusing on Americans who face heavy financial burdens beyond their student loans. It faces an uncertain future, arriving less than two weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
Michelle Dimino, education program director at the centrist think tank Third Way, said the legal uncertainty has probably contributed to Harris’ de-emphasis on cancellation. She added that her base is also familiar with the issue.
“There’s not too much new she can offer before we know what will happen in the courts,” Dimino said. When Biden first pitched broad cancellation, it was something that hadn’t been tried. ”Now, it’s a totally different landscape than it was in 2020 when it was a clean slate.”
Harris’ silence also signals the political risks, especially in a tight election. Any new promise of loan cancellation would energize Republicans, who have made it a rallying cry. For voters who could benefit from cancellation, it’s a promise they have heard before.
“The Harris campaign has realized this is not necessarily a winning political issue,” said Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
“The student loan agenda is in tatters and hasn’t really helped them win any votes,” Cooper said.
Even moderate Americans appear skeptical of student loan forgiveness. A June poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 3 in 10 U.S. adults said they approve of Biden’s work on student debt, and it wasn’t much better among those repaying loans. Slightly more than half of Democrats supported the President’s work, while 18% of independents said the same.
The Harris campaign declined to give specifics or answer questions about her cancellation plan.
Her platform mentions student loans only after a full page of policies targeting workers without degrees. At the September rally in Pennsylvania, Harris drew applause when she said she would eliminate unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs. She did not mention student loans in her 20-minute speech.
“Requiring a certain degree does not necessarily talk about one’s skills,” Harris told the audience at Wilkes University, a private college in northeast Pennsylvania.
Harris’ comments echo a traditional Republican talking point that Democrats have increasingly embraced as more Americans question the value of a college degree.
“Student loan forgiveness is … maybe alienating some of the support that Harris is hoping to get from the non-college-educated,” said Andrew Gillen, a research fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. “These kinds of polarizing topics are poisoning the well for other things that have bipartisan support. Once issues like student loan forgiveness are put to rest, I think a lot more of that bipartisan agreement will emerge.”
It’s one of the few areas of common ground between Harris and Trump.
In his platform, the former Republican President said he would “support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree.” It doesn’t mention loans. Trump has opposed cancellation, saying it’s illegal.
“President Trump will implement real solutions to make education, housing, and the cost of living affordable again for young people so they can live the American dream,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, told the AP.
Student loan advocates point to Trump’s vague promises, failure to fix Public Service Loan Forgiveness and appointment of the judges who stymied broad student debt relief. “Trump is proud of his work to hurt working families,” said Melissa Byrne, a political organizer who has pushed for cancellation.
As attorney general in California, Harris led efforts to penalize for-profit colleges for defrauding borrowers. As a presidential candidate in 2019, Harris proposed a narrower path to loan forgiveness than those pushed by Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat. Harris’ plan would have provided $20,000 in relief to any federal Pell Grant recipient who started a business in a disadvantaged community and kept it running for three years.
After the Biden administration announced this month that it had canceled loans for more than 1 million public service workers, Harris issued a statement applauding the work, again generally promising to continue making “higher education more affordable.”
Aissa Canchola Bañez, political director at Protect Borrowers Action, said Harris’ track record on student debt relief suggests that she would uphold the pledges made under Biden.
“This is an issue that she has been working on since long before her time coming to Washington, D.C.,” Canchola Bañez said, pointing to the unprecedented amount of student loan debt forgiven under the Biden administration. “We’ve seen the vice president come out very forcefully applauding the relief that has come out thus far.”
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
22 comments
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 4:36 pm
Oh no, America, the “Dook 4 Brains Leftys” $uck so bad that they can not even buy your votes any longer.
If you listen closley you can hear her ….. that’s right, America, “The Fat Lady” is singing Good-bye “Dook 4Brains Leftist” candidates from the Tippy Top of the ballot on down to The Local Leftist Dog Catcher.
Thank you America,
THE EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:02 pm
Good evening America,
THE SAGE EARL REPLIES TO HIS OWN SAGE SELF:
Honestly, America, I, The Sage Earl, just used “THE SCIENCE OF AI” and AI determined that even “BL0W J0BS” wont buy a vote for “SCRUMPY RUMPY KAMMIE”.
AND THAT, AMERICA, IS THE REST OF THE STORY.
The Sage EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:03 pm
SCIENCE.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:15 pm
America, let’s face the facts,
Be Ye a Republican, Independant, Democrat, or whatever it is my Besty Lefty from Cape Coral, Florida, Larry identifies as … your future is with Donald J. Trump.
Just Do It, you will feel great as you leave your local voting place that you “DID THE BEST YOU COULD DO FOR AMERICA”,
THE SAGE EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:18 pm
Further more, I, THE SAGE EARL, will cancel all outstanding CHASTIZEMENTS & Wanking Bans if you do “The Right Thing”
VOTE TRUMP,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
I Am Speaking.
October 27, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Kammy blowing in the wind. She’s had practice.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:50 pm
Thank you, I Am Speaking,
Sage Wisdom ….. Sage Wisdom Indeed,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 5:22 pm
Larry, it’s “LIBERTARIAN”,
Come on “BIG LAR FROM CAPE CORAL”,
Our Great Nation thanks you for your Trump Vote!!!!
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
Dont Say FLA
October 27, 2024 at 6:07 pm
Maybe Kamala is staying quiet for a bit while she waits for Sway Mode to pass. Oh wait, no. That’s the other guy. Perpetually late and/or cancelling appearances and interviews whenever Sway Mode remains persistently steadfast despite repeated doses of Rexulti
I Am Speaking.
October 27, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Was Kammy on time for the Bret Baeir interview? 15 minutes late for a thirty minute slot. She is just too dumb to go any longer than that. Prove me wrong.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Sage Wisdom, I Am Speaking,
Kammie’s about to be put in the file folder titled “THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT POTUS CANDIDATE EVER IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF HISTORY”.
“THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE”
“YOU WILL BE UN-BURDONED BY WHAT HAS [NOT] BEEN”.
THE SAGE EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB.
Joe
October 28, 2024 at 12:08 pm
And yet you Trumpy sycophants have no problem with Sundowning Don swaying to weird music for 40 minutes. His brain is mush and his diaper is full.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 7:59 pm
Just to be honest:
I, The Sage Earl, would likely have enjoyed a “BJ” from Kammie around 30 years ago. But now it’s kinda like Debbie Blaber-Mouth Schults making that “Duck-Face” inviatation “Please Let Me Do Your Johnson-face”…. No Thank You DUCK FACE …. I’ve Already got a date when I get home with “Old Lady HAND & Her 5 Lovely Daughters”,
EARL & THE REST OF BLACK MEN SAGE AMERICAN VOTERS
Can
October 27, 2024 at 8:48 pm
Student loans or lack of taxes called tax breaks for everyone. Public service affordability and trillions of dollar dept ceiling
Donald used to pay those people crossing the borders also
Hard choices this time some don’t tell the truth .
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
October 27, 2024 at 9:58 pm
Good evening America,
It Appears my Bro, YEWOWEME, [FKA Rick Whittaker] either has abandoned me or perhaps he’s just busy Wanking.
Y’all I need Rick for his Dook 4 Brains contrarian Lefty Commentary to follow up my Sage Wisdom.
Contact me if you see Rick.
*Warning do not approach Rick just call me.*
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
EARL PITTS AMERICAN FAN CLUB
The man predictions are in the year 2525
October 28, 2024 at 11:02 am
Don’t you hate when Americans fight for a right. People start crossing the boarder claiming them
Joe
October 28, 2024 at 12:05 pm
RepubliQans can’t stand the idea that our government might be helping someone somewhere.
I Am Speaking.
October 28, 2024 at 8:41 pm
Step up and volunteer your time and money Joe. College for many is a rip off. Worthless degrees that just saddle students with debt. Many of these kids should go to vocational school. They and the country would be much better off.
YEW OWEME
October 29, 2024 at 6:57 am
MAGA MARKIE, you go to voc school, the rest of us will go to college and learn as much as we can. raygun caused the student loan rip off. so look there for your hate. 4 years of sponsored school is a great way to stay ahead of the rest of the world. profiteers can find something else to gouge on. when you say ” worthless degree “, it shows me that you don’t have one. peachy, do yourself a favor and go back to school.
It's Complicated
October 29, 2024 at 12:51 pm
*Harris cannot promise to forgive student loan debt because it takes an act of Congress by way of a budget appropriation, so it is probably wise for her to be measured in what she says about it. Seems like the best approach is to say, “In order for the POTUS to forgive student loan debt, Congress must appropriate the funds, which I support. Elect a Congress that will appropriate the funds, and we will get this done.”
*The POTUS can absolutely tinker with how those funds are paid back, penalties, interest rates and such, but that does not make good campaign speech material.
*There are many people, from all political perspectives that agree with the notion that college is not for everyone, and that investment in other forms of vocational education is a wise investment.
*Not sure how you get around the issue of ALL taxpayers funding student loan forgiveness, because that is the sticking point in focus groups and polling on this issue.
YEW OWEME
October 29, 2024 at 6:02 pm
IT’S COMPLICATED, it’s simple, i didn’t approve of, or liked the banking bailout ( pick one ), but it happened and it helped the ones that caused the crisis. it’s simple, rayguns actions that led to a great need for loans, is to blame. he cut 64 different grant, scholarships, and education related programs. they were replaced by fake schools with high fees and un-transferable credits, paid for by predatory and unfair loans. the abuse by wealthy people seeking master degrees, then not paying them back is high profile but not the most prevalent of cases. you sound like a maga elitist, are you? i’ve read many of your post’, enough to not like you at all.
It’s Complicated
October 29, 2024 at 10:06 pm
That’s called a Straw Man Argument. Nothing you just wrote relates to any part of my comment.
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