AOC had up to $50K in student loans while advocating for debt cancellation.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Student Loan Debt
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a prominent advocate for student loan forgiveness on Capitol Hill, has disclosed that she owes the Department of Education up to $50,000 in student loans, according to recent financial filings reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
The filing revealed that as of 2022, Ocasio-Cortez owed the department between $15,000 and $50,000 for her student loans. Interestingly, in the same year, she spearheaded the call for the Biden administration to cancel thousands of dollars in loans for each student.
Championing Student Loan Forgiveness
In May 2022, Ocasio-Cortez took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to express her support for student loan debt cancellation. Responding to a Marist poll that indicated President Joe Biden’s low approval rating among young adults, she posted, “Now would be a great time to cancel student loan debt, take significant climate action, and pass voting rights.”
It is worth noting that Ocasio-Cortez’s student loan debt was already public knowledge, as her 2021 financial disclosure revealed her liability of up to $50,000.
Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
In August 2022, President Biden unveiled his student loan forgiveness plan, which aimed to forgive up to $20,000 of student loan debt for borrowers earning under $125,000 individually or $250,000 for married couples. However, members of Congress, including Ocasio-Cortez, earn an annual salary of $174,000. While she celebrated the plan, she advocated for more forgiveness for individuals burdened with higher amounts of debt.
“It was YOUR pushing, YOUR pressure, YOUR organizing that got them to this point,” Ocasio-Cortez expressed on Instagram. “I am very grateful for this watershed moment of a first step — it is so encouraging, thrilling, and has already changed SO many people’s lives. But I am also thinking about how this still leaves a question mark for those in the highest amounts of debt, who need the most amount of help. So let’s celebrate and keep going.”
Other Members of the “Squad” with Student Loan Debt
Another member of the “Squad,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), also carries a significant amount of student loan debt. Tlaib owes over $100,000 to the Department of Education for her law degree. Last year, she advocated for the Biden administration to forgive at least $50,000 in student loan debt for individual borrowers.
“I will continue to push for education debt cancellation of $50K or more, and I know many people out on the streets will do the same,” Tlaib shared on X last August. “This is not the end, this is just the beginning when it comes to bringing opportunity and equity to all.”
Click here to read more from the Washington Examiner.
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