Forgiving student debt vital, Khanna says

California Congressman Ro Khanna says student debt is crippling students across the U.S.

“I think there’s nothing we can do more important than forgiving student debt,” Khanna said Tuesday.

“I was at Harvard last night, that’s what they care about at Harvard, that’s what they cared about at HBCUs, that’s what they cared about at state schools. It’s not about where you’re at college, this is something that is crippling, crushing students across the country,” Khanna said.

Khanna discussed the issue during a Fireside Chat with Claflin University President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack.

The congressman asked why the U.S. doesn’t forgive $50,000 in student debt for people who meet certain financial requirements.

“I think we ought to forgive the $50,000 of student debt for working-class families. If we have families making under $150,000, I think $50,000 should be forgiven,” Khanna said.

Khanna noted the government has already suspended interest on student loans during the pandemic.

“You can’t say ‘I have the authority to forgive the interest, but I don’t have the authority to forgive the principle,’ it’s all money,” Khanna said.

He called on college students to be vocal about student debt.

“We need an outcry, a rallying cry of young people around the country to forgive the debt. It’s unconscionable that people are $30,000 to $40,000 in debt starting life. Some have them until they’re 50, 60, 70 years old,” Khanna said.

The Fireside Chat was held in the Ministers’ Hall on the campus of Claflin University.