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A number of House Democrats who announced their opposition to President Biden’s $500 billion student loan handout this week previously voted for a multi-trillion dollar bill that would have canceled up to $10,000 for some holders of federal and private loans.
The bill — a more expansive, earlier version of the HEROES Act that was eventually negotiated down to a smaller coronavirus relief bill and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in late 2020 — included the student debt handouts until they were later removed during negotiations.
The members who appeared to change their stance over the handouts include Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash.; Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J.; and Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who are each facing tough re-election bids in this year’s midterm elections.
“I agree that something needs to be done to make college a more affordable option for students and make sure they aren’t burdened by debt for decades. However, this is not how I would have done it,” Schrier told Fox News Digital on Thursday when asked whether she supported Biden’s handouts.
Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., a pediatrician, makes remarks on the coronavirus during a news conference after a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol on March 3, 2020.
(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I would have liked to see a more targeted approach and a way to pay for this plan. We can use debt forgiveness strategically to channel students into careers where we need help desperately, like mental health professionals, educators and nurses,” she added.
Pappas accused Biden of sidelining Congress from the process and from its role in the budget process following Biden’s announcement,
“This announcement by President Biden is no way to make policy and sidesteps Congress and our oversight and fiscal responsibilities,” he said in a press release.
“Any plan to address student debt should go through the legislative process, and it should be more targeted and paid for, so it doesn’t add to the deficit. The president’s plan also doesn’t address the underlying issue of the affordability of higher education, and it is clear that the high cost continues to limit opportunities available to students,” he added.
Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., speaks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, 2020.
(Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
Malinowski wrote in a tweet Wednesday that he has “never supported canceling student debt with taxpayer funds,” and added, “I strongly support more generous income based repayment and attacking outrageous predatory interest rates that trap young people in endless debt even if they make their payments.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Schrier, Pappas and Malinowski for comment but did not receive any responses.
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According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Biden’s handouts could cost American taxpayers roughly $500 billion over the next 10 years.
