Susan Rice, the White House domestic policy director, dismissed the critics of Wednesday’s announcement of the new plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt.
Rice was asked about whether the program was fair at the White House daily press briefing. One reporter demanded that she responds to people who decided to not attend college, join the military, or repaid their student loans early.
“Yes, those who have paid their loans back deserve to be credited, that's fantastic, that's to their credit,” Rice said. “But that doesn't mean because some were able to do so, nobody should help those who weren't.”
Rice and other White House officials wouldn’t give any estimate of how much the plan will cost, despite the fact that the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates Biden's proposal might cost more than $300 billion.
However, Rice said that just because some people had paid off their debts already, that it doesn’t mean other Americans shouldn't be eligible for student loan forgiveness.
“By that logic, we would not help anybody in this country,” she stated.
Biden's forgiveness policy will be for those who earn less than $125,000, or $250,000 for married couples who file jointly.
Rice said the cutoff was appropriate, pointing out Biden's aim of helping middle and lower-class Americans.
“This is not a giveaway to rich people,” she claimed, noting that one-third of Americans who didn't attend college also carry the burden of debt.
During Biden's speech announcing the plan, Biden said he understood that his policy would be disliked by some.
“I understand not everything I’m announcing today is not going to make everybody happy,” Biden said, and he emphasized that he believed the plan is “responsible and fair.”
