More Democrats piling onto Biden over $300 billion student loan handouts: 'Not how I would have done it'
Washington Congresswoman Kim Schrier joined a growing list of Democrats opposing the outright cancellation of debt
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The list of Democrats opposed to President Biden's massive $300 billion student debt handout continued growing Thursday with the addition of another vulnerable House member facing a tough re-election battle in this year's midterm elections.
In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., disagreed with Biden's approach of outright canceling debt for some borrowers, and argued any sort of debt relief should have been more targeted.
"I agree that something needs to be done to make college a more affordable option for students and make sure they aren’t burdened by debt for decades. However, this is not how I would have done it," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I would have liked to see a more targeted approach and a way to pay for this plan. We can use debt forgiveness strategically to channel students into careers where we need help desperately, like mental health professionals, educators and nurses," Schrier added.
Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., a pediatrician, makes remarks on the coronavirus during a news conference after a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Schrier's opposition to Biden's plan joined a long list of Democrats critical of what some have characterized as a left-wing dream.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That list includes other vulnerable House Democrats like Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., who said in a Wednesday tweet that he's "never supported canceling student debt with taxpayer funds," and Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who described Biden's action as "no way to make policy."
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., who are also engaged in close races to retain their seats in Congress, spoke out against the plan as well.
They were joined by a number of Democrats running in tight congressional races across the country, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., listens as Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland testifies during the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Department of the Interior budget on July 27, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Outside the vast number of elected officials speaking out against Biden's plan, two former Democratic administration officials also voiced their concerns: Obama administration economist Jason Furman and Clinton administration Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
"Pouring roughly half trillion dollars of gasoline on the inflationary fire that is already burning is reckless. Doing it while going well beyond one campaign promise ($10K of student loan relief) and breaking another (all proposals paid for) is even worse," Furman tweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Every dollar spent on student loan relief is a dollar that could have gone to support those who don’t get the opportunity to go to college," Summers also tweeted.
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President Biden greets people on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One from a trip to Delaware on Aug. 24, 2022. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Biden's plan could cost taxpayers roughly $500 billion over the next 10 years, $200 billion more than some other estimates.