this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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From Bloomberg News reporters Justin Sink and Akayla Gardner:

President Joe Biden on Friday announced plans to cancel student debt for about 55,000 public sector workers, as his administration pushes to zero out balances for more people in the final weeks of his administration.

The move — which represents the cancellation of $4.28 billion owed on federal loans — pushes the total number of individuals who have received relief under Biden administration programs to nearly 5 million, the White House said. In total, about $180 billion has been forgiven.

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[–] Anissem@lemmy.ml 19 points 1 day ago

Thanks Biden

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 11 points 1 day ago

Shame he didn't do it a few months ago.

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now do the rest, coward. We're literally about to descend into fascism, who cares what a corrupt Supreme Court says?

[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

he already did that. you see when the court says no it does not happen. repeating it won't make it happen any more.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And they will stop him how exactly?

[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

same way they did before. by denying it. its the same reason the south korean president was not able to keep his martial law thing going.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Supreme Court denial is just words. He stopped implementing the previous plan because he accepted and followed those words, but he could not. Maybe his bureaucracy will reject him and refuse to go against the Supreme Court words, but that's a question for his bureaucracy.

And yes, that's how coups work. Sometimes the army/police/whatever backs down because some other entity in the civil power structure says "you can't do that". And other times, they don't. It's all decided based on the perceived power and righteousness of the two sides, not because the court just decides stuff and then it happens by some sort of magic.

[–] theangriestbird@beehaw.org 3 points 7 hours ago

Exactly my point, and I'm glad you were here to argue it better than I could. Like yeah, in normal times I don't want Biden to flaunt what the Supreme Court says, even if they are conservative. But the GOP has stopped playing by the rules, and Trump is going to break so many rules and laws over his presidency that we will wonder what "legal" even means anymore. So who cares if Biden flaunts the Supreme Court in his final month?

[–] Track_Shovel 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Can't trump just reneg on this? I am not American, but I thought Biden canceled a bunch already and had to walk it back

[–] seang96@spgrn.com 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

He can forgive federal loans of people with government jobs easier. To do it for people that don't have public sector jobs he needs congressional approval, and they fought back hard on that when he tried it. I don't believe they'd be able to unforgive the debts, but IANAL.

[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 5 points 1 day ago

Depends on the definition of "being able to":

(IANAL, but those two are)

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He announced a broad cancellation that was going to happen months in the future, and the courts paused and then later said it wasn't allowed. If it had progressed very quickly it would have been harder to block. One could argue it was intended to give the court a chance to block it.

This current forgiveness is an executive order, so if it's not completed by the time Trump is the executive he can stop it easily.

[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 7 points 1 day ago

Also even his repayment plan was sued and blocked :/

Blocking the SAVE plan is an absolute scam. "Sorry, not scamming students is unconstitional"

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 10 points 1 day ago

I can only speak from across the pond, but that's likely the strategy. It has no downsides for the current administration - but the incoming administration either has to cancel it and look like the shitheads (not that they seem to care about that), or run with it to save face, and try and find the budget for it.

[–] AnarchoSnowPlow@midwest.social 7 points 1 day ago (5 children)

This is great! But is it means tested?

I just don't want any rich kids getting free school. Those damn rich kids and their student loan schemes.

[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Means testing has been a thorn in the side of american social safety nets for a long time. It creates a very easy way to lower benefits (the means line) and tends to result in reducing effectiveness as folks who could use a bit of help and then could move to the positive colomn tend not to recieve it but others who technically should not can by being immoral and paperwork savy. It also creates a larger beuracracy of those who have to evaluate the means criteria. just no please.

[–] granolabar@kbin.melroy.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There is still ton bureaucracy to get this forgiveness

im talking about the actual civil service will not break the law because the president tells them to. thats what I meant by the bureaucracy. as much as it gets shit on bereaucracy is actually good for a well functioning society. we just want it organized and efficient as possible.

[–] granolabar@kbin.melroy.org 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No... And this has nothing to do with Biden either beyond him allowing doe do its job as required by law.

Anyone who works at a qualified public interest job is a eligible for forgiveness after 120 payments.

There are a lot of lawyers with massive student loans who work for fed gov making over 100k who benefit from this. 10 years wipe loans clean them go into private to make the real money.

We are literally funding training of the owner class' foot soldiers

But right brain rot is hurt becuase nurses or social workers get the benefit. Tells you what you need to know where they got their info from.

[–] PaddleMaster@beehaw.org 12 points 1 day ago

This is spot on. And honestly, public service workers make so little compared to industry, it really doesn’t matter if they’re from a wealthy family or not - if they (public workers) have student loans, the forgiveness is deserved.

10 years can be difficult to get. I’ve known people who work for non-profits for 5 years or more, only to be let go because grant money was drying up.

[–] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So because a couple of rich kids get free school, literally thousands of others can go get fucked. Thank God we stopped those 3 rich kids from getting free education.

That'll show those rich assholes who's boss.

Who cares about all the collateral damage when you can stick it to some rich kid who... Checks notes... Can just pay for it anyway like it never mattered in the first place. Meanwhile, poor people have to end up with 3 jobs just to make the interest payment.

You're a clown and a fool.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think the comment you were answering is sarcastic.

[–] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 1 points 21 hours ago

Perhaps, but means testing is a Republican dog whistle that people will belt out with their full chest.

[–] Actual_Idiot@midwest.social 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Rich kids don't have student loans

That's the joke, I think