Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) drew overwhelming backlash on Wednesday in response to his criticism of and opposition to President Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief decision that will help millions of Americans.
Biden’s announcement this week that his administration will cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt and reduce the amount of income borrowers pay on their loans drew a mostly positive reaction, especially from working-class Americans who struggle to juggle student loan payments with more essential bills. The move benefits not only borrowers who support Democrats, but also Republicans.
But Republican lawmakers and conservative media are raging over this victory for the working class, with McConnell issuing a statement on Twitter calling it an “unfair” redistribution of wealth and a “slap in the face.”
Democrats’ student loan socialism is a slap in the face to working Americans who sacrificed to pay their debt or made different career choices to avoid debt. A wildly unfair redistribution of wealth toward higher-earning people. pic.twitter.com/ntyOafgklh
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) August 24, 2022
This is the same man who pushed a massive tax cut that handed wealthy Americans $1.9 trillion in handouts in 2017 while raising taxes on the rest of us.
Biden’s student debt relief announcement is one of the few times in recent years that the government has sought to put money back in the pockets of working-class Americans, who can use that money in other ways and boost the economy in the process. This should be something Republicans support, and their voters are certainly welcome to refuse the debt forgiveness and keep paying on their loans as usual. Something tells me that’s not going to happen. Republican voters should remember that their party opposes them getting a break. If Republicans had their way, Americans would be forced to keep paying ridiculous student loan payments.
Americans ripped McConnell and the GOP a new one.
It’s subsidizing education, because an educated country is a strong country.
Why do you want America to be weak, Mitch?— Dr. Ohm 🇺🇲🌊🇺🇦 (@HereToRebuild) August 24, 2022
How much of our tax payer PPP money did your communist wife and her family in China get. Mitch.
And how much to all your crony accomplice friends?
Moscow Mitch is an unamerican traitor. pic.twitter.com/WohCXZQAg4
— GOPisComplicit (@GOPisComplicit) August 24, 2022
You have been for every handout for the wealthy and special interests for the past 40 years. Please take a seat and let the middle class finally enjoy some financial relief.
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) August 24, 2022
It must be really hard to be born into privilege and wealth. Where was this energy when dozens of Republicans took out PPP loans and had them forgiven? pic.twitter.com/aVIdTpnkY0
— 🌻☮️☯︎︎ℳ𝓈𝒢𝓇𝓊𝓂𝓅𝓎ℬ𝓊𝓃𝓃𝓎☮️☯︎︎🌻 (@msgrumpybunny) August 24, 2022
Hilarious that you speak of a wildly unfair distribution of wealth since you have devoted your career in the Senate to stealing wealth from the poor and middle class and giving it to the super rich.
Voted for your own pay raise 3 x, voted against raising the minimum wage 15 x.— Democracy Out Loud (@DemocracyOL) August 24, 2022
The Democratic Plan: Forgive student loans, lower prescription drug prices, end gun violence, stop climate change, lower gas prices, help our veterans, and protect same-sex marriage.
The GOP Plan: Cut Social Security and state your loyalty to Trump 10x a day.
Vote accordingly.
— JoanEmp6 (@JoanEmp6) August 24, 2022
Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao received more than $350,000 in PPP loans despite their combined net worth of over $65 million.
Spare us the political outrage. https://t.co/3TVSb0LloL
— Matthew Douty (@mdouty) August 24, 2022
Indeed, spare us the outrage. Republicans have spent decades making life harder for working-class Americans. Opposing student loan debt relief is the real slap in the face to the working class and we should vote accordingly in November. Any Republican who whines about this should never win an election ever again.
Featured Image: Screenshot