The White House faced heavy criticism on Wednesday after President Joe Biden announced a new round of student loan debt forgiveness worth nearly $8 billion.
This latest tranche of debt forgiveness, affecting more than 160,000 borrowers, brings the total number of borrowers who have seen their debt forgiven by the president to 4.75 million.
Republicans were quick to claim that Biden’s student loan efforts amount to an attempt to buy votes ahead of the 2024 election, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) calling the debt forgiveness “shameful” earlier on Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced several questions on the topic during Wednesday’s press briefing, in which she attempted to flip Johnson’s critique on its head.
“What is shameful is that Republicans continue to get in the way of helping us deliver a little bit of breathing room for…
