Ron DeSantis calls for student loans to be backed by universities and NOT taxpayers as Biden wipes $132 BILLION in debt: Says ‘truck driver’ should not pay for someone else to get a ‘gender studies’ to degree
Ron DeSantis said colleges are responsible for student loans — not taxpayers — as President Biden forgave another $4.8 billion in student debt earlier today, bringing his total debt relief to $132 billion.
During the fourth Republican presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, DeSantis promised to “get inflation and interest rates down,” which he plans to accomplish by “voting a lot of vetoes” if elected.
The Republican candidate told the audience that “student loans will be backed by universities” and not by taxpayers.
“I am not in favor of a truck driver paying a student loan who has a degree in gender studies, that is wrong, but I am going to get to the root of the problem,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis' demands for college-backed student loans come just hours after Biden canceled another $4.8 billion in student debt — despite the Supreme Court rejecting his plan to cancel $400 billion in debt in June.
Ron DeSantis said colleges are responsible for student loans, not taxpayers
Biden said his decision to forgive another $4.8 billion on Wednesday would allow former students to 'realize their dreams'
During the fourth Republican presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, DeSantis vowed to “get inflation and interest rates down,” which he plans to accomplish by “vetoing a lot” if elected.
In June, the justices ruled 6-3 that Biden's controversial plan to wipe out the debts of 26 million Americans at taxpayer expense was unconstitutional and an overstep of his executive authority.
Bidens The latest move will benefit 80,000 people, including public sector workers and those who have been repaying loans for at least 20 years.
The President said, “In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on our student debt relief plan, we continue to pursue an alternative path to provide student debt relief to as many borrowers as quickly as possible.
“From day one in office, I have pledged to improve the student loan system so that higher education delivers opportunity and prosperity to Americans – not the unmanageable burden of student debt.”
He added, “I will not shy away from using every tool at our disposal to give student loan borrowers the relief they need to achieve their dreams.”
Biden's idiosyncratic push for the aid program coincides with the looming 2024 election and a desire to get young voters on board.
A White House spokesperson said, “The President is committed to fighting for hardworking American families, making sure we give them some breathing room and empower them to support themselves and their families.”
DeSantis spoke out about his rejection in July Democratic ideals of student loan forgiveness, but said the system needs reform to help Americans financially.
“I believe the university should be responsible for student debt,” he emphasized. “If you produce someone who can be successful, they pay off their loans, great. If you don't, you're on the hook.”
DeSantis' fellow Republicans shared his disagreement with Biden loan forgiveness. Speaker Mike Johnson said, “The Biden administration's latest student debt transfer does not 'cancel' or 'forgive' a cent of student debt.
“Instead, President Biden is once again asking hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill for affluent college graduates' loans. This is not only unfair, it is wrong.”
Tonight's debate saw the return of former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who reemerged as a debate moderator eight years after her infamous 2015 confrontation with Trump when she challenged him over “misogynistic” comments.
Kelly and her fellow moderators – Elizabeth Vargas and Eliana Johnson – quizzed the remaining candidates on abortion, climate change, terrorist threats and more.
There are only four Republican presidential candidates left in the debate: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
“I'm not in favor of a truck driver paying a student loan who has a degree in gender studies, that's wrong, but I'm going to get to the heart of the problem,” DeSantis said.
The early front-runner for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump, held a fundraiser in Florida instead.
The remaining candidates took off, and DeSantis used his first comments of the evening to accuse Haley of supporting “child mutilation,” with past comments not condemning gender reassignment surgeries for minors.
And Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old millionaire biotech entrepreneur, said Haley left South Carolina “bankrupt” after her stint as governor and sold herself to companies to achieve millionaire status — including joining the board of directors of Boeing to sit.
'We were not bankrupt when I left the UN. We are people of service – my husband is in the military and I have served our country as a UN ambassador and governor,” Haley shot back. “It may be bankrupt for him, but it certainly isn't bankrupt for us.”
But Haley said the bigger problem is that her competitors on stage are “jealous” because they want the donors who support her candidacy to pump their money into their campaigns.
“As for the donors supporting me, they're just jealous,” Haley said. “They wish they supported them.”
Gov. Christie didn't get a chance to speak until 17 minutes into the debate, as DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy bickered.