Peach Tree Times

President Joe Biden issued an executive order to forgive student debt, prompting criticisms from Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Republicans. Meanwhile, some Democrats, like Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, support the plan. 

Fox News reports that Biden said on Aug. 24 that he will cancel $10,000 of federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually, and will cancel an additional $10,000 for borrowers who attended college on Pell Grants. Biden also said he will extend pandemic-era payment freezes through December.

An advocate for student debt cancellation, Warnock praised the plan on his website following the president's announcement.

"This is personal for me because I’m a product of good public policy. I attended college on Pell Grants and student scholarships, and I know the doors that higher education can open — when you can afford it," Warnock said. "This announcement will help many Georgians, some of whom have been struggling with debt for decades, get their financial footing, and it will help keep our economy strong and growing. That’s why I’ve been pushing the Biden administration since my swearing-in to take aggressive action to provide relief to Georgians — especially Pell Grant recipients and working-class folks who went to technical school, vocational school or community college.”

Christian Watson, a spokesperson for Color Us United, a nonpartisan nonprofit aimed at eliminating discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion policies, recently criticized the president in a video, which has already garnered 1.7 million views on Twitter.

“It's out. I discuss why I, a 22-year-old student loan debt holder, wants nothing to do with Biden's student loan debt forgiveness handle,” Watson wrote in an Aug. 24 Twitter post. 

"When I think about the big forgiveness package just given by the Biden administration, I think about a complete and utter violation of principles that this nation was built upon. My friends, duty is a very important aspect to society. Without duty, society doesn't actually exist," Watson said in the video. 

"I intend to respect my obligations as a loan holder," he said. "I also intend to, in the spirit of our declaration and the spirit of America’s constitutional ethos, recognize my duty where it is and take it where it belongs, not throw it to the wayside because it's convenient for me."

At a press briefing, Pelosi acknowledged Biden does not have the power to forgive student debt.

“People think that the president of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness,” Pelosi said. “He does not. He can postpone, he can delay, but he does not have that power.” Pelosi said student loan forgiveness can only be executed through “an act of Congress.”

Biden campaigned on canceling student debt, according to Forbes.

“I’m going to eliminate your student debt if you come from a family [making less] than $125,000 and went to a public university,” Biden said on the 2020 campaign trail. “I’m going to make sure everyone gets $10,000 knocked off of their student debt” in response to economic hardships caused by the pandemic.”

The WSJ Editorial Board says the tens of millions of Americans who will pay for the write-off are those who either didn’t go to college, have already repaid their debt, skimped and saved in order to pay for college, or chose to attend lower-cost schools to avoid a debt trap.

In response to hate tweets that Watson received for his Twitter post, Color Us United President Kenny Xu sent an email newsletter highlighting the fact that the liberal commenters criticizing Watson did not actually counter any points he made, opting for personal attacks.

“And yet, you see that none of them can actually dispute Christian’s points. As this video continues to gain traction, we are excited to watch Christian go on national media later this week to defend fundamental American values,” Xu writes. “Biden’s loan ‘forgiveness’ privileges one group of Americans over another. Particularly, debt holders over Americans who chose not to go to college or simply not to take out loans.”