Dems fret Biden's inaction on student debt will burn in midterms

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

Youth turnout could be diminished if Gen Z and Millennials don't see executive action on student loans.

By CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO and LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ

03/18/2022 06:00 PM EDT

President Joe Biden’s indecision on student loan debt could dampen turnout with a key constituency ahead of the midterms: younger voters.

While White House officials have indicated he may extend the freeze on student loan payments for the fourth time, Biden’s lack of certainty ahead of another looming deadline is causing heartburn across the president’s party.

Advocates in close touch with the White House are impatient, arguing that even if Biden ultimately moves forward with another payment suspension by the May expiration date, it’s becoming increasingly tough for them to inspire restive young voters to match their record 2020 or 2018 turnout levels. And Democratic lawmakers are pressing Biden to give millions of borrowers more than a month’s notice when deciding on an extension, which prevents them from going over a financial cliff.

The ultimate answer, both advocates and Democrats say, is for Biden to finally use his executive authority to fulfill a campaign promise to eliminate at least $10,000 in student debt for every borrower. And they’re hoping he does it before November.

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