Watch: Hakeem Jeffries looks to focus on student loan crisis
The following is a transcript of the video shown below.
With Republicans looking to end the ongoing student loan debt pause, White House Correspondent Ashlee Banks questioned House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on the GOP’s rationale to resume the payments.
Ashlee Banks: Mr. Leader, two questions. Yesterday, Biden vetoed legislation that would block his student loan forgiveness program. So why do some of your colleagues continue to oppose efforts to help those struggling with student loan debt?
Jeffries: It’s shocking to me that many of my House Republican colleagues, on the one hand, want to continue to do everything possible to enact big tax cuts for the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected, and pretend as if that’s going to benefit the economy when there is no evidence that that’s the case. All House Republicans have done consistently — including, but not limited to, the passage of the GOP tax scam, where 83% of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1% and they exploded the debt by $2 trillion — is to do everything possible to subsidize the lifestyles of the wealthiest people in this country, and then undermine the ability of everyday Americans, including students, to pursue the American dream. And we’re going to make clear to the American people that our focus will continue to be on standing up for middle class folks, for those who aspire to be part of the middle class, for working families, for students, for young people, older Americans, for the poor, the sick, the afflicted, the least, the lost and the left behind. And that is a big contrast to our colleagues who continue to stand up for the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected.Â
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