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Democrats Are Plotting a Brazen $147B Student-Loan Debt “October Surprise”

Posted on Friday, August 16, 2024
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by Outside Contributor
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The Biden-Harris team has signaled that it’s gearing up for an “October Surprise” on student loan cancellation — although it might come even sooner, sneaking in before early voting starts.

Once again, they are trying to shift hundreds of billions of dollars in loans onto the 90% of Americans who don’t owe student debt, to gain favor with voters who do.

And this time they’ve added a brazen direct-marketing campaign to appeal to those indebted voters, just ahead of the presidential election.

Their new loan-forgiveness effort is particularly devious because it is designed with the administration’s previous court losses in mind.

The Department of Education has asked borrowers who may wish to opt out of the imminent forgiveness plan — for tax liability or other reasons — to notify them by Aug. 30.

That means the administration’s final plan — potentially canceling at least $147 billion in loans — could be issued as soon as the following day.

However, the department has kept that plan under wraps, making it difficult for borrowers to make an informed choice — and, crucially, making it harder for states to sue as they have previously.

The Biden-Harris team knows that its actions are illegal, and courts will likely rule against them.

So they may be planning to trigger loan cancellations the moment the department publishes its final rule, in a ruthless effort to avoid accountability or give taxpayers their day in court.

Rather than simply adapting to their prior failures by following the law, they are instead looking for better ways to prevent courts from stopping them.

Nancy Pelosi herself has said, “People think that the president of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone. He can delay. But he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.”

That’s how we know this is about politics, not about enacting good policy or respecting the law.

And Biden-Harris Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has removed all doubt.

Shortly after last month’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the then Biden-Harris campaign took down its political ads for a short time.

Instead of following suit, Cardona sent partisan messages to millions of borrowers using official government email.

In these potentially illegal communications defending their undoubtedly illegal loan programs, Cardona decried the administration’s losses in court, accusing “Republican elected officials” of “siding with special interests.”

Apparently, some consider hardworking taxpayers who pay their own debts and do not wish to be forced to pay the debts of others to be “special interests.”

This is not the first time Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and their friends on the left have attempted to use student loans to boost their election odds. 

When they first tried to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in loans in 2022, the Supreme Court made clear that the administration could not institute “a mass debt cancellation program” — because such powers “are ones that Congress would likely have intended for itself.”

But President Biden immediately vowed to ignore the court’s rulings.

“The Supreme Court tried to block me from relieving student debt,” he said this year. “But they didn’t stop me.”

Another attempt, the “SAVE” loan repayment plan, would have made taxpayers rather than borrowers repay a significant share of the loans, but 18 principled state attorneys general sued to stop the program from going into effect. A federal appeals court has put the entire plan on hold.

Despite the administration’s abysmal record in court, some forgiveness efforts have gone unchallenged. About $400 billion of student loan debt has already been expunged through loan pauses, one-time cancellations and other efforts. 

State attorneys general will need to act once more if they wish to stop this new tranche of loan forgiveness and prevent this disgraceful — and obvious — vote-buying scheme.

Before the final loan cancellation regulations go into effect, they must convince a judge that the Biden-Harris team is following a familiar pattern.

This administration keeps losing in court because what it is doing is illegal, and they know it.

Yet the team that crows about “defending democracy” will use its official government power to subvert justice and stay in control.

More than two dozen Republican attorneys general have the power to stop them.

But they need to take bold action — and they have a short window of time in which to do it.

Michael Brickman is an adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on higher education and cutting-edge innovation in education reform. He concurrently advises companies, nonprofits, and investors on the innovations that are changing the way we work and learn.

Reprinted with Permission from AEI – By Michael Brickman

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.

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Theresa Coughlin
Theresa Coughlin
1 month ago

let’s be honest and call Biden’s illegal, unconstitutional student loan forgiveness plan what it REALLY is: An attempt to buy votes.

Linda
Linda
1 month ago

More illegal actions under the Harris/biden administration.. courts already ruled this was unconstitutional.
vote all socialist out of power, or watch your nation become another nation that under a Harris administration take its final plunge into communism/marxism.

RLB
RLB
1 month ago

Why is this not considered “vote buying” and thus against the law? The Democrat party should be sued, fined and organizers arrested.

Amacer
Amacer
1 month ago

They’re doing this to win the student votes. Bribery is one of the Democrat Party’s favorite ways to win votes. They believe paying off student loans and giving illegal aliens free everything will win them the elections.

Max
Max
1 month ago

Suprise, surprise, surprise! NOT. Anything for votes in a desperate move. Of course, those with student loan debts will opt to follow this course and get stung after the election, maybe.

Richard
Richard
1 month ago

The democratic party has always been the best at buying votes.

anna hubert
anna hubert
1 month ago

Banks gave mortgages to buyers who were in no position to repay them. .When the housing market collapsed they did not collapsed with it ,government = taxpayer to the rescue. This is deja vu all over again. It’s easy to be generous and forgiving and kind when there is no personal discomfort of any sort and someone else shoulders the burden. Is it not the time these “youngsters” learned about personal responsibility ? .

Henry D
Henry D
1 month ago

How can college students be so stupid: Democrats are buying your vote but you are paying for it in INFLATION. Doesn’t these schools offer an economic course? should be mandatory.

Dan W.
Dan W.
1 month ago

I am shocked (SHOCKED !!) that the Biden administration is plugging along with their student loan forgiveness plans.

By now, the students in question should know out what future loan forgiveness can be done by Executive Order and what future loan forgiveness must be approved by Congress.

Bottom line, this Dem strategy has pretty much run its course. They can keep talking but even most low information student debtors have figured this one out.

Thinking
Thinking
1 month ago

And they want to pack the court or have term limits. They ignore the rulings now. They think they are above the law. Trump is not above the law they do the same to him as the student loans. They make their own laws and rules. Do their own bidding. Deciding who serves where. All we citizens get to do is pay the taxes. We are not a representative government anymore, where the people decide no it is a dictatorship where the one person in the White House or a cabal behind the scenes decide. VOTE TRUMP/VANCE in 2024. Will we stay a republic by the people, of the people and for the people.

FedUp
FedUp
1 month ago

Just remember, Democrats only follow the laws when they either
A) Benefit themselves, or
B) Can be used against their opposition

Richard Hennessy,
Richard Hennessy,
1 month ago

As bad as the Democrat nominees are, they will have to buy and steal a lot of votes to win. These two aren’t even as qualified as Biden, and look at the huge and rapidly-increasing public and private debt we got with him.

DonS
DonS
1 month ago

The late Groucho Marx, a Democrat, had it correct 50 years ago, when he stated:”…Democrats are the Garden of Eden of Incompetence!”

uncleferd
uncleferd
1 month ago

As my fellow comment providers are pointing out, this action is unconstitutional, and nothing but bribery. The “Democrats” are planning to buy their votes, with the money of taxpayers, while causing further damage to our economy, because they don’t have a platform of sound policy and economic performance to run on.
… and so it goes.

Philip Seth Hammersley
Philip Seth Hammersley
1 month ago

How about these WOKE students, who get degrees in basket weaving, queer studies, and Communist doctrine, pay their OWN bills. i already paid for my useful degree by working 45 years at a meaningful job!

Joe
Joe
1 month ago

If the election doesn’t get stolen (and that’s a very big IF) and Trump wins, I would love to see DJT sign a bunch of MAGA Executive Orders. And, when these liberal judges and circuit courts rule against his EOs, I hope Trump does exactly what Joebama has done and simply ignores their rulings. Then watch liberal heads explode, it’ll be fun!!!

SSGT USMC
SSGT USMC
1 month ago

The Biden and Harris team know this is illegal????They don’t care. This team is nothing more than a crime syndicate. Treason is their middle name. Biden called out the Supreme court for granting President’s immunity for official acts during their tenure yet this fool can’t get it through his head that it protects him also. This guy, ole Joe, surely will need the immunity when he leaves office as he is the President that has committed the most horrid of crimes against we the people and the Constitution. Think about that Joe and thank your lucky stars you FOOL.

Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones
1 month ago

With a majority in Congress, why can’t the GOP put a firm stop to student loan forgiveness? I thought Congress had the “ power of the purse”. It seems that GOP majorities are shy to exert their power.

Margaret Skinner
Margaret Skinner
1 month ago

This just makes me angry and sick to my stomach. Anyone that votes for these idiots is obviously ignorant or a communist. They have prosecuted Trump, tried to kill him and still they continue. They ignore the SCOTUS, something we citizens CANNOT DO! Rules for thee, not for me.. Wake up America! I wuld spiton ths administration if I came face to face, but their too busy hiding.

Jimmy P
Jimmy P
1 month ago

No matter how you cut it, these people are disingenuous scum.

Horace
Horace
1 month ago

GOD has a much bigger surprise for them.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 month ago

FOR Votes

TMH
TMH
1 month ago

If it’s actually true and The House HAS the power of the purse, The House should set down the “very public” position that there will be NO allocation of funds, bills, laws for ANY type of loan forgiveness based on the rulings of SCOTUS; diffuse the “excitement” of those “sucker” students that think voting for Harris is going to get their loans purged. AND they might add the fact that the Biden-Harris inflation has ADDED to their loan by severely reducing their ability to pay, and IS extorting them for their vote.

sergio Pastor
sergio Pastor
1 month ago

Bribery is one of the Commies Democrat Party’s favorite ways to win votes from dummies…I am a Latino DEMOCRAT but not brain death

Nick
Nick
1 month ago

If Democrats would spend as much time doing something useful for instead of trying to figure out how to cheat people might actually vote for them. But they’re just like basic criminals. If criminals spend as much time working at a genuine job as they do trying to figure out how to steal stuff they would be an asset to society. Instead of a boil on the butt of society. Basically Democrats are just the criminals of politics, spending all the time trying to figure out how to cheat instead of doing something productive

Dan O'Neil
Dan O'Neil
1 month ago

STOP using MY money to pay off these people’s debt! I didn’t agree to it when they took on these loans, and I didn’t agree to take on their debt now that they’ve benefitted from a college degree. It took me 28 years while working and raising a family to get my degree, mainly because I understood I could not afford to do it all at once. STOP spending MY money on your political campaign to capture votes!

Charles Palumbo
Charles Palumbo
1 month ago

CW 2

TRyan
TRyan
1 month ago

I read these articles and am furious the student debt burden is being placed on those that have not gone to college and/or have already paid off their loans. They are unjustly and illegally being saddled with peoples student loan debt. I agree, it’s horrific that our government can turn on us for their own greedy purposes. I grew up believing the government is supposed to work for us and am sickened by the abuse imposed by it.
However, I want to also mention others who are being sorely abused by this injustice. Those of us that went to college and grad school in order to acquire the degrees that actually help us to serve others and make a decent living. People such as doctors, nurse practitioners, attorneys, pharmacists, scientists, etc. that after years of education now are considered to make too much money to qualify for these illegal debt forgiveness programs. No, I actually do not want to qualify for this illegal activity. However, what is being forgotten is that we not only pay for our significant student debts, we are unable to write off the interest from our taxes, but now we have to take on everybody else’s loans too.

Drue
Drue
1 month ago

The democrats shameless attempt to get votes by lying to the public about “student loan forgiveness “ is a blatant LIE! The gullible students who ran up massive debt need to own up to their own mistakes. Many of us got through college by the GI bill and working part time. I had Zero debt when I graduated because I WORKED!

Mike
Mike
1 month ago

Harris is pure socialist same as her demented boss Biden. Why should I say off someone else’s collage loan debit. ????????????????

Kate
Kate
1 month ago

That’s insane, why should we have to pay for student loans when we’re in our 70’s! ????

Word of Truth
Word of Truth
1 month ago

These corrupt Dems have no qualms about violating the Supreme Court ruling that what they are doing is unconstitutional. Not surprising though since they care nothing about the rule of law

GTG
GTG
1 month ago

So obvious that the loan forgiveness attempt is just another way to Buy Votes. The Democratic Party has shown itself to be without any integrity and would do anything to gain political power. Look at the mess this country is in right now under this administration such as high gas prices, food prices, high interest rates, mortgage rates making it hard for first time buyers to afford a home, rampant crime, indoctrination of our children in schools. So much more insanity going on. And they will blame Donald Trump or the Republican Party for all this which is a lie. The proof is that it was not like this while Donal Trump was in office and common sense prevailed. You don’t have to like the man personally, but he knows how to run the country with business sense. That is what we need to run this country. I pray that decency and integrity prevail over selfishness and greed. God help us and guide us in our elections.

Ken
Ken
1 month ago

If they can pay off student loans they can pay off my house

johnh
johnh
1 month ago

This borders on ridiculous as the court has ruled against this. This is in your face “Trying to buy Votes”. Glad to hear Pelosi state that Congress is the only one with power to forgive debt & not power of POTUS.

Linda
Linda
1 month ago

Very good article thanks for sharing, CONGRESS has failed we the people, THEY can stop all unconstitutional crap

Ty
Ty
1 month ago

Do you really think these gullible students, who many are in their 30’s living at home with their parents, know that if the government were to grant them money to pay off their student loans that is income and taxable? All they will manage doing is changing one lender for another. The big difference, this new lender, the IRS, will have the power to take what they want for non payment and even put you in jail. Look what the IRS is going to do to Hunter Biden!

Brenda G
Brenda G
1 month ago

Each day something ” new” is shown to voters,or those who bother to read,listen to multiple sources.It’s quite obvious our current administration and potential government are attempting to push through another debt burden onto taxpayers. This quest to buy votes, I influence voters is criminal. They’ve been told by the courts,over

Ty
Ty
1 month ago

Everything this person, Kamala (chameleon) Harris says is a lie and criminal, and pandering is criminal, too.Borders are secure, Bidenomics is working, Illegals won’t vote in our elections, and I will make sure you get money, health care, homes, etc, etc, etc. THAT’S PANDERING!We have three branches of government. NONE of what she’s said the President of the United States has the power to do, NONE!

Rand
Rand
1 month ago

Okay so they’re buying more votes you know I bet they cheat this coming November even though Trump is going to win the election there’s still going to try to get Harris as president and he might even succeed.

DrScottD
DrScottD
1 month ago

These people are marxcommies in disguise. Nowhere does our Constitution say Democracy. They avoided it because it always leads to this same evil government that we now have.
How shameful will it get.? Just wait until the last one is put in by all means necessary.
Don’t think they’re not already five months planned ahead for everything. They’ve already been taking about it and Broadcasting the plan. It is evil and they must be stopped before we are totally bankrupt, destroyed from every direction, destitute of our life and society, with massive deaths, arrests, and civilization in chaos.
How many people will die from what’s ahead? Most of us are retired. We take medicine for various purposes, but how long will they last when Crap really hits the fan?
For years I’ve said we got to have an ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES FOR A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT. I also said, get prepared and remain vigilant. The season of final change is most likely very near.
Do you believe this?pray for God’s help throughout this journey.

James DeBona
James DeBona
1 month ago

There is absolutely no such thing as debt forgiveness! Once the money has been spent, someone has to pay for it! The original debtor has to pay, or the burden simply gets shifted over to someone else (taxpayers). Debt doesn’t just disappear!

Michael A. Walker
Michael A. Walker
1 month ago

I find it astounding how the fedral government can spend money it does not have. The only reason I can think of is to intentionaly destroy our republic. What do people who have stolen someones credit card do? run up hundreds of thousands in debt, then run away.
Our credit cards have been stolen. As a former municipal department head, my budget was under microscpic scrutiny. I was constantly being asked to justify expenditures. Why is this not the standard for the fedral government?

Stan d. Upnow
Stan d. Upnow
1 month ago

When you try to use legal remedies against those who are scofflaws and get away with it, where does that get you? Extra-legal measures must be taken.

KEN KING
KEN KING
1 month ago

HELL NO .

Susan
Susan
1 month ago

How can they get away with this??!!! Isn’t there anything we can do??!!! It’s like we’re spectators and we’re watching a VERY BAD PLAY. There has got to be something we can do. NOW!!!!

Grace
Grace
1 month ago

They just won’t give up trying to screw us.

James
James
1 month ago

Some corporations are buying favorable results from some politicians, why wouldn’t the legislative or executive branch use some of that money to buy themselves votes? The most criminal of job security.

Smike
Smike
1 month ago

This student loan thing is kind of confusing for those of us who don’t have student loans. So tell me; except for the moral issue that one should pay their debts what is the issue that we need this debt paid back for? Is there a limit on other loans based on this? If Al doesn’t pay his loan off there won’t be money to give Joe a student loan? That doesn’t seem to be the issue here. There seems to be an endless pot of money for student loans. I’ve never heard what the funds not paid effect. What impact does not paying back this millions of dollars have on anything? Unlike social security where seniors are now losing benefits (Social Security Act of 2024) because we’re using those funds to support non-seniors who didn’t contribute to social security. But that’s not the case with student loans. Where does the money for student loans come from and when they are paid (and there are people paying) where does it go? Does this student loan program support itself or is it another never ending flow of tax payer’s money that no one seems to have any control over. If we did forgive all student loans would the current student loan program end or will we just continue giving out millions of dollars that we don’t expect to ever get back? Basically we’ve learned nothing from all of this and will continue making the same mistake, in typical government fashion.

Philip
Philip
1 month ago

I have student loan debt. I have already gotten the letter. It’s a negative confirmation. You only respond if you don’t want forgiveness. Therefore people who want it or don’t want it but didn’t get the message or didn’t take time to respond are all counted as people asking for forgiveness. So it will be a huge percentage of borrowers who will be reported as asking for forgiveness.

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at a roundtable with business and labor leaders, Friday, November 18, 2022, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)
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