Progressives Hit Back at Betsy DeVos over Student Loans as Pressure Grows on Biden to Forgive Debt

  • Date: 02-Dec-2020
  • Source: Newsweek
  • Sector:Education
  • Country:Gulf
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Progressives Hit Back at Betsy DeVos over Student Loans as Pressure Grows on Biden to Forgive Debt

Prominent Democrats have denounced Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for her criticism of proposals to waive student debt and allow people to get free college tuition.President-elect Joe Biden has said he wants free higher education for families that earn less than $125,000 a year and he has also backed a proposal to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt.But DeVos believes that a free college program would hurt the economy, telling the Federal Student Aid office's virtual conference that "the campaign for free college is a matter of total government control.""Make no mistake, it is a socialist takeover of higher education," she said, "some of you might not find that notion as scary as I do. But mark my words—none of you will like the way it will work."Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the US. Supreme Court on September 24, 2020, in Washington, DC. She has criticized plans to waive debt for students.

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On Wednesday, lawmakers from the progressive wing of the Democrats reacted to DeVos' comments, including members of "The Squad"—the nickname for four progressive congresswomen elected in 2018.Noting her imminent departure from the role, Representative Ayanna Presley from Massachusetts tweeted: "Don't let the door hit you on the