Biden’s dismissal at a town hall meeting of a $50,000 student debt forgiveness plan prompted pushback Wednesday from Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass. “I will not make that happen,” said Biden, who argued that the president doesn’t have unilateral authority to cancel student debt of that magnitude. And once that’s concluded, he’ll decide the path forward.”During the town hall, Biden said he understands that student debt “can be debilitating” and added that he could embrace a system where debt is forgiven for those who engage in volunteer work. But Biden voiced reservations about forgiving debts of students “who have gone to Harvard and Yale and Penn” instead of a state school. And he questioned whether doing so could limit funds available for early-education programs for students who come from disadvantaged homes.

Source: Washington Post February 17, 2021 11:45 UTC