WATCH: Elizabeth Warren Pushes Back on Pelosi, Says Biden ‘Does Have the Power’ to Cancel $50K in Student Debt
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren contradicted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, telling CNN host Don Lemon that President Joe Biden “does have the power” to unilaterally cancel $50,000 in student loan debt.
Earlier this week, Senator Warren appeared at a press conference on student debt, and addressed Biden directly by saying “Tick-tock, tick-tock, Mr. President. Millions of Americans ask you now to pick up a pen and cancel student loan debt, to pick up a pen and extend the payment pause, to pick up a pen and make their lives better.”
The following day, Speaker Pelosi was asked about that very premise, and categorically quashed it, telling reporters “People think that the President of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone, he can delay, but he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.”
On Wednesday night’s edition of Don Lemon Tonight, Lemon played a clip of Pelosi’s remarks, and asked Warren for her response.
“Look, the president does have the power to cancel student loan debt,” Sen. Warren said, adding “You know how I know that? Because President Obama did it, President Trump did it, and President Biden has already done it.”
“President Obama did it for several billion people — million people,” she continued. “President Trump did it when he said for all 43 million people without standing student loan debt, I forgive your interest and you can suspend payments. Let’s cancel your interest. Not delay it, cancel it. And President Biden has done both of those things. So, presidents have the power. They have used the power. I just want to see him use that power to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt.”
Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have spent months making public declarations on the subject, with Schumer tweeting “Today would be a great day for President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris to #CancelStudentDebt” 23 times since the president took office.
But an analysis by Politifact found that many experts say the president’s authority is narrow, and a broad loan forgiveness would risk successful legal challenges, and Biden has repeatedly spoken out against such a high amount of loan forgiveness.
Watch above via CNN.
