Frustrated that Biden did not answer the 2nd to last question (on the $10K student loan write-off)

[Celerity]

NOT the $50K write off that that Schumer and Warren have been pushing for ages. Just the $10K, done via EO.

He campaigned on it, he said a year ago he was studying it, and still nothing.

He is tanking with 44 year old and unders (Xennials + Millennials + Gen Z, who also are driven by climate change/green legislation as well), this is a no-brainer and would help a tonne of struggling people.

In my social set it is a BFD that always comes up (as does climate/green legislation). I know this board trends vastly older than my age cohort (18 to 32), but the years are rolling by, and by 2024 that 46yo (by then) and under group will out-vote Boomers and up in raw numbers.




https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/10/millennials-and-gen-z-will-soon-dominate-us-elections/616818/

In 2020, for the first time, Millennials and Gen Z (which comprise young adults born in 1981 or later) will equal Baby Boomers and prior generations (older adults born in 1964 or earlier) as a share of all Americans eligible to vote, according to a new study from the nonpartisan States of Change project. Because older voters typically turn out at higher rates than younger ones, the study forecasts that those earlier generations will still cast more ballots next month, by a margin of 43 percent to 32 percent. But in 2024, the two younger generations are expected to equal the older ones as a share of actual voters on Election Day. And by 2028, Millennials and Gen Z will dwarf the older generations as a share of both eligible and actual voters. That will be true not only nationally, but in all the crucial battleground states, according to previously unreleased projections provided to me by States of Change.

[budkin]

1. Agree... it's a softball and an instant win and he just doesn't want to do it

I don't understand.

[qazplm135]

4. only thing I can guess

is he thinks if he does it, then it will turn pressure to do more that he's not willing to do, because he campaigned on 10K, it's an easy win.

One hopes maybe he's saving it for closer to election time?
Otherwise, it's a bad call.

[WarGamer]

2. I can see the TV ads...

Nothing more than a young person opening a bill in the mail with lots of 000's on it...

And the narrator saying "Have you received the student loan aid President Biden promised?




While I think this administration has done a workman-like job and it's nice to have adults in charge... I don't think they're preparing "politically" with their actions.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. This is such an easy win; it's embarrassing that it hasn't happened yet.

[mvd]

6. I agree. The President has done amazingly well, but..

I wish he would take action at least on the $10,000. I support more student debt canceled, but the $10,000 is a start.

[W_HAMILTON]

7. It's not an easy win.

It will get challenged in court (and almost assuredly overturned, especially if the hijacked-by-conservatives Supreme Court gets its hands on it), Republicans will use it to play the "working class against the white collar elites" card during the midterms, and many (most?) of those on the left that have been calling for Biden to do such a thing will just complain that it's not enough.

[uponit7771]

8. Let it get challenged then and make sure there's an income cap, better than nothing IMHO

[mvd]

11. I think that's a good response.

I also think we can develop our own counter-messaging. With the pandemic related relief unfortunately ended or ending, this relief will make even more of a difference.

[Celerity]

22. absolutely agree with an income cap

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. It is an easy win and worrying about what Republicans say about things is a great way to get

absolutely nothing done.

[W_HAMILTON]

12. I worry more about what supposed allies like yourself would say.

Given our recent discussions, I take it you almost assuredly would attack Biden for canceling """only""" 10k in student loans the second he did it.

So, it's not just Republicans we need to worry about -- it's supposed Democratic allies as well, unfortunately...

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Touche! And you're right -- I would be disappointed if it were only $10K. But I am a firm believer

in pushing the people I vote for a lot harder than those I don't vote for, because their views are, ostensibly, closer to mine, and they're more likely to listen to me if I've voted for them, can speak their language, and am on the same page as them. I let exactly one person whomst I voted for and whomst represented me off the hook for something I didn't agree with him on, and he's now dead, so I don't do that anymore.

[W_HAMILTON]

17. There's a difference in appropriately pushing people and constantly criticizing them.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

26. okay what's the correct ratio tho

how many criticisms until I have to praise, or vice versa

[Arazi]

5. +1 million

[JohnSJ]

10. There are two choices, either through Congress or through executive action. I think this

article presents a good a good overview of the situation, and what is involved:

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/07/1062070001/student-loan-forgiveness-debt-president-biden-campaign-promise

[Hoyt]

15. Good article.

[JohnSJ]

27. Thanks Hoyt. I think it looks at the situation from all angles

[maxsolomon]

13. What happens to SLABS? Student Loan Asset Backed Securities?

Just buy them all out? Blow them up and let the investors take a bath? I don't blame Biden for being wary.

Methinks it's not just "EO EZ".

[Celerity]

18. He's already forgiven billions in targeted student loans. I'm sure they have a handle on what to do

about SLABS. They have been 'studying' it for a year (longer I am sure as he was promising the $10K long before January 2021).

[Hekate]

23. "He's already forgiven billions," but you think he's ignoring the issue? Help me out here.

[Celerity]

29. he did small, targeted moves that only affected a very small percentage of borrowers

[maxsolomon]

28. He's moved on loans where he could, where he had clear authority.

He needs Congress, and he doesn't have it. That's not his fault, and it's no reason for Millennials to vote for the GQP in November.

Not all campaign "promises" are fulfilled; it's only Democrats who are held to them. Trump "promised" to make Mexico pay for a wall.

[Celerity]

30. No, he can do it via EO, many legal experts support that stance, as do many Dems in congress

I refuse to buy into your multiple FUD posts.

[maxsolomon]

41. Facts aren't FUD

But hey, I hope you're right. I'd love to see Biden try, just like I wanted to see Obama push Garland on to the court in defiance of McConnell.

[Celerity]

42. As I said to another poster, I am now on the 'he will not even try to do it' camp for the first time

I was OTT with my FUD allegations, I apologise, sincerely.

He should not have made it such a big part of his campaign pitch, especially to us younger voters, IMHO.

I have said about as much as I am going to on the subject. I think it is going to hurt us in 2022 and 2024. I am sure some here (not saying you btw) will vociferously disagree.

I will be fully open, as you are a good faith poster, always have been from what I seen over my time here. I am fucking burnt out trying to be a go-to Dem/US overall morale booster for my off-DU life. The negative feedback I get almost daily would make heads explode here, and this is NOT from any RWer types at all. I cannot overstate the hatred for Manchin and Sinema that I am exposed to, it is exhausting, but the frustration is far beyond just them (they are just a focal point).

I got fucking blindsided on probably the biggest area of concern in my social set, climate change/green legislation/actions by this:

Revealed: Biden administration was not legally bound to auction gulf drilling rights

Justice department admits a previous ruling did not force the detonation of what environmentalists call ‘huge carbon bomb’

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/13/revealed-biden-administration-was-not-legally-bound-to-auction-gulf-drilling-rights

The Biden administration admitted that a court decision did not compel it to lease vast tracts of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling, shortly before claiming it was legally obliged to do so when announcing the sell-off, the Guardian can reveal.

Last month, the US government held the largest-ever auction of oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico’s history, offering up more than 80m acres of the gulf’s seabed for fossil fuel extraction. The enormous sale, which took place just four days after crucial UN climate talks in Scotland, represented a spectacular about-turn from Joe Biden’s previous promise to halt offshore drilling and was denounced by outraged environmental groups as a “huge carbon bomb”.

The president’s administration insisted it was obliged to hold the lease sale due to a court ruling in favor of a dozen states that sued to lift a blanket pause placed on new drilling permits by Biden.

But a memo filed by the US Department of Justice before the lease sale acknowledges that this judgement does not force the government to auction off drilling rights to the gulf.

snip


smdh

[PortTack]

16. Beyond what he has been forgiven via EO requires legislation?

$10 Billion in Student Debt Erased Under Biden, but Calls Grow for More.

[Celerity]

19. No, it doesn't require legislation. It all stems from the same executive power he forgave via thsoe

narrowly targeted student loan write-offs.

[LetsGoBiden]

20. He should wait

He should wait Till right before the midterms so it’s fresh in everyone’s minds then take the win

[Celerity]

21. TBH, I do not think he is going to do it. First time I have crossed the 50/50 line.

He never should have made it such a major campaign promise IF he thought it was so iffy iffy.

[Hekate]

24. I very much liked the way he called out the REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE & quoted Sununu...

Do you think there was a valid point there? Or are you standing with the reporters who are sure everything is Biden’s personal fault?

[Celerity]

31. I refuse to buy into your framing and attempts to subject slide. He did not answer a simple question

asked of him.

[Hekate]

34. And I refuse to buy into your framing

Good lord ‘n’ butter

[Celerity]

36. Then we agree to disagree.

[Hekate]

37. Indeed we do

[Hekate]

25. Every so often I look up people's profiles & I see you reside in Stockholm, Sweden...

… and your hometown is London UK.

I have nothing against that, nor does this board. I generally enjoy getting a broad range of perspectives from around the globe.

I just find it curious when you appear to be speaking for your presumed age cohort in the US and against what is loosely called the Boomers in the US. Why is that? Where is your “social set”? Is your “social set” so trans-Atlantic that you can safely roll everyone into the same demographic and speak for the US situation? Do your friends in Stockholm also suffer from student loan debt? Does the situation here have any impact on them?

From your OP:

In my social set it is a BFD that always comes up (as does climate/green legislation). I know this board trends vastly older than my age cohort (18 to 32), but the years are rolling by, and by 2024 that 46yo (by then) and under group will out-vote Boomers and up in raw numbers.

[Sympthsical]

32. Millennials and Gen Zers are an international set due to growing up with the internet

And if you hang out on major social media places like Reddit, you find they can be very Amero-centric.

Just from my online gaming hobby over the years, I've made (and met and dated) people from all over the world.

My friend group (i.e. people I speak with on at least a weekly/monthly basis) includes Europe, Russia, Hong Kong, and the Phillipines to name a few.

Borders and distance ain't what they used to be.

[Hekate]

35. Intriguing, but do they affect the voting habits of Americans?

[Sympthsical]

38. Canadians prolifically post here

Does it really matter online? American political discussions on social media are an international affair. It gets discussed.

Particularly our health care system.

[Celerity]

33. I have explained my background on many occasions. I was born in the US (Los Angeles) to foreign

national (UK/Swedish father and UK/Barbados mum) parents. I am the only US citizen within my nuclear family, but have more distant relatives who are US citizens (most from my mother's side). I grew up mostly in London (Hong Kong for several years as well, when I was young), live in Stockholm now, and went to an American uni (also in LA) for one of my degrees. I have many American friends and acquaintances, some are expats, some still live in the US. I am very active with Democratic Party politics for both groups. Furthermore I participate on other (American-centric) boards apart from DU, most all of them with a far younger average age demographic. My social set is not just trans-Atlantic, it is fairly global.

University tuition is free in Sweden (PhD programmes pay students a sliding scale salary depend on the area of study) for all EU/EEA and Switzerland citizens, and there are international scholarships as well. It used to (up until the 2011/12 school year) be free for all citizens of any country, the US included. People here do take out student aid loans (via CSN ie Centrala studiestödsnämnden) and many have debt loads from it, but at much smaller levels than the US students.

[Hoyt]

39. Glad to have your perspective, including age group, international, etc.

DUers do trend toward 50+, for good or bad.

[Celerity]

40. thank you Hoyt