Governor Ron DeSantis is defending the state’s decision to oppose federal student loan forgiveness. The governor contrasted his recommendations with Biden’s proposal on Wednesday.
Last year DeSantis suggested that universities should cover debt for borrowers with unpaid loans, and even floated the idea that student loans could be discharged with bankruptcy, but at a press conference in St. Petersburg he contrasted those ideas with Biden’s proposal to cancel runaway interest for millions of people. WMNF asked DeSantis why Florida is joining several states in a lawsuit to oppose Biden’s proposal.
“Because he doesn’t have constitutional authority to do that. It would require legislation…and not only that, they’ve gone down this road, they don’t have the ability to get it through with congress. He acted and he was slapped down by the US Supreme Court, and they’re doing it again…”
DeSantis said that student debtors with degrees in programs like sociology might be relying on taxpayers without degrees to pay their loans.
“…but who is responsible for this mess, and I think the universities should be in a situation in which they are responsible.”
Although DeSantis supports letting borrowers file for bankruptcy, which would allow taxpayer-funded federal student loan providers to cancel loan debt, he also said.
“I think the fact that I’ve had I think a very strong proposal in student loans does not mean that you just unilaterally cancel loans that you don’t have the authority to do and then pose that burden on taxpayers, many of whom have not taken out student debt, and have managed to do ok.”
DeSantis, however, has taken out student loans, and reported more than $18,000 in debt to loan servicer Navient according to a 2022 financial disclosure form. His comments were made after he signed five pieces of legislation related to protecting children from sexual predators and grooming.
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