Another Democrat has “a problem” with President Joe Biden’s student loan handout.
According to Breitbart News, the Democrat is Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and his “problem” with Biden’s student loan handout is that it favors four-year colleges and universities over vocational programs.
Krishnamoorthi, on Friday, appeared on the Fox News Channel’s America Reports, where he largely focused on responding to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) new Commitment to America proposal.
At one point, Krishnamoorthi expressed disappointment that the Republicans’ plan does not push skills-based and vocational education as an alternative to 4-year college and university programs.
“I actually have a problem . . .”
Co-host Gillian Turner picked up on this point later in the interview.
She asked:
You said you’re disappointed that the Republican plan doesn’t include a provision that encourages Americans to attend vocational schools. And, I’m wondering, if that’s a core tenet of the party’s platform ahead of the midterms, moving students away from a focus on four-year colleges and universities to vocational programs, why it is that the President just voluntarily decided to reimburse tens of millions of American students to the tune of billions of dollars for four-year colleges and universities? It seems at odds.
Surprisingly, Krishnamoorthi agreed.
“That’s a very good point,” he said. “I actually have a problem based on that very concern.”
The congressman continued:
I’ve worked with my Republican colleagues repeatedly to expand options for skills-based and vocational education. And unfortunately, I feel that was ignored in the recent proposal. And I think we absolutely have to get more people on the up escalator of the economy by allowing them to pursue the trades and skills-based education and other paths to make sure they get access to the greatest social welfare program devised by human beings, and that’s a job. We need everyone to get a job. And that’s what postsecondary education has to prepare everyone to do.
Background
What Turner was referring to, during the interview, is Biden’s student loan handout.
Through executive action alone, Biden is forgiving up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for each borrower and up to $20,000 for those who received a Pell Grant. All that is required is for the borrower to have an income of less than $125,000 if single, or less than $250,000 if married.
As both Turner and Krishnamoorthi pointed out, the handout favors students in 4-year college and university programs over those in vocational schools. Add it to the growing list of criticisms of Biden’s student loan handout.