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The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Is Biden’s Student-Debt Relief Plan the Worst of Both Worlds?

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

President, Barack, News, Politics, Wnyc, Obama, Lizza, Washington, Wickenden

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Nearly two years into his Presidency, Joe Biden, with an executive order, announced a plan to forgive up to twenty thousand dollars in student debt for millions of borrowers. This plan, the first mass student-debt cancellation of its kind, will come at a big cost: an estimated four hundred billion dollars. This figure, released by the Congressional Budget Office, has fired up opponents, and, earlier this week, the first legal challenge to the policy was filed: a suit from a conservative law firm representing a plaintiff who claims that the plan will force borrowers in some states to pay undue taxes on the forgiven amount. And that may only be the beginning. Republican lawmakers have pledged to keep the challenges coming, to chip away at the policy, and perhaps even take it to the Supreme Court. The New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz has written about the politics of debt cancellation for newyorker.com. He speaks with the guest host Tyler Foggatt about populism in a polarized political environment, the triumphs of Occupy Wall Street, and the practical challenges of enacting centrist Democrats’ watered-down progressive reforms.

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Transcript

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1:11.8

Welcome to the political scene. I'm Tyler Foggett, a senior editor at The New Yorker.

1:17.3

Nearly two years into his presidency, Joe Biden, with an executive order, announced a plan to

1:22.3

forgive up the $20,000 of student debt for millions of borrowers. This plan, the first mass student debt cancellation of its kind, has been estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost a staggering $400 billion. As you would imagine, this figure has freaked a lot of people out, and earlier this week, the first legal challenge to the policy was filed. a lawsuit from a conservative law firm defending a plaintiff

1:46.3

who claims that the plan is illegal

1:47.6

and that it will force borrowers in some states

1:49.9

to pay taxes on the forgiven amount.

1:52.4

And that's only the beginning.

1:54.2

Republican lawmakers have pledged to keep the challenges coming,

1:57.3

to chip away at the policy

1:58.4

and perhaps to even take it to the Supreme Court.

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