NEWS AND OPINION:
On Monday, President Biden revealed his plans to forgive student loans, essentially offering at least $5,000 in debt relief to a potential 23 million borrowers — and leaving taxpayers to foot the hefty bill.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, Texas Republican, has a thing or two to say about the situation.
“President Biden is pushing unconstitutional student loan policies in his quest to buy votes. In reality, his plan will shift the responsibility of paying for loans owed by high-income earners who freely incurred them onto the backs of all taxpayers, many of whom do not even have a college degree,” he said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“His administration is dead set on circumventing the Supreme Court, defying Congress, and saddling our country with more debt. Meanwhile, President Biden has fumbled this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) program at every turn, delayed student aid packages, sending incorrect aid amounts, and making college less accessible for millions of low-income students,” Mr. Arrington said.
“As too many families struggle to make ends meet, and as our nation faces an unprecedented debt crisis, one thing is clear: the American people cannot afford four more years of this administration,” he advised.
And now for a few numbers, supplied by the House Budget Committee in a written summary.
“In just three years, the Biden administration has attempted to spend an unprecedented $1 trillion on loan ‘forgiveness’ in a clear circumvention of Congress. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that President Biden’s unconstitutional student loan bailout would have cost taxpayers more than $330 billion,” the summary said.
“The President’s six unwarranted extensions of the pandemic student loan repayment pause have increased the deficit by $165 billion. One of the administration’s recent backdoor student loan cancellations, the so-called ‘SAVE Plan’ could cost taxpayers as much as $558 billion over the next decade,” the summary noted.
College tuition is also a factor here.
“Since 2000, college tuition and fees have increased by a whopping 186%, or twice the increase in inflation,” the summary also said.
IVY-COVERED HALLS
College graduation ceremonies appear to be evolving on some campuses, perhaps beyond the simple events of yore which typically ended with students tossing their hats in the air.
“Harvard University’s Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging will once again host ‘affinity celebrations’ at its 2024 commencement,” reports National Review, which had access to documents addressing the activities.
“Harvard plans to hold a ‘Disability Celebration,’ a ‘Global Indigenous Celebration,’ an ‘Asian American, Pacific Islander, ‘Desi-American (APIDA) Celebration,’ a ‘First Generation-Low Income Celebration,’ a ‘Jewish Celebration,’ a ‘Latinx Celebration,’ a ‘Lavender Celebration’ — which refers to LGBT students — a ‘Black Celebration,’ a ‘Veterans Celebration,’ and an ‘Arab Celebration.’ The university will also hold a central commencement ceremony for students of all backgrounds,” wrote analyst Zach Kessell.
“A note on the sign-up form shared with National Review by a current student informs registrants that the Celebration Recognizing Arab Graduates, the Celebration Recognizing Jewish Graduates, and the Celebration Recognizing Veteran Graduates are being planned in collaboration with student groups and campus partners,” he noted.
“The only publicly available mention of affinity celebrations on any Harvard website is published on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ page. The note does not mention the specific events or groups recognized, simply describing them as ‘student-led, staff-supported events that recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of graduates from marginalized and underrepresented communities,’” Mr. Kessell said.
MEANWHILE ON THE RADIO
Salem Media Group Inc. is set to debut new programming on April 13. That would be “This Week On The Hill,” described as “a compelling and informative radio/TV program.”
The new one-hour show will be hosted by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC), and will feature House Speaker Mike Johnson on its first episode and other members of Congress later. The weekly one-hour show focuses on candid conversations on issues facing Congress and the nation, plus global concerns.
“I look forward to being a guest on this show. This opportunity to engage in informative discussions will provide listeners with a better understanding of politics, policy, and culture in these historic times,” Mr. Johnson said in a written statement.
“This Week On The Hill” will air on the Salem Radio Network for weekend play, as well as the Salem News Channel, Salem Podcast Network, and will be featured on Townhall.com. The show will be fed down the SRN Satellite channel on Saturdays at 7 a.m. EDT, for stations to carry over the weekend.
“Salem is honored to kick off this important program with Speaker Johnson as guest. Speaker Johnson has worked tirelessly for conservative values throughout his career, including since he took over the Speaker’s position,” said Salem Senior Vice President Phil Boyce, also in a written statement.
Besides his FRC post, Mr. Perkins served as the chairman of the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom during the Trump administration.
Find information about the incoming show at SalemMedia.com; check under the Conservative Media heading.
POLL DU JOUR
• 67% of U.S. adults say their income is falling behind the cost of living.
• 67% rate their ability to save for the future as “not so good” or ‘poor.”
• 62% say they have an emergency fund to cover an expense of $1,000, such as car repairs.
• 60% would rate the economic health of their local community as “not so good” or “poor.”
• 50% say the condition of their personal finances are “excellent” or “good.”
• 34% say their credit card debt has increased in the past three months.
SOURCE: A Primerica Financial Security Monitor poll of 1,312 U.S. adults with incomes between $30,000 and $130,000, conducted March 6-11 and released Tuesday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse. Thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.