Lapse or lie? Biden said Congress approved college debt forgiveness

Joe Biden stated that the university debt forgiveness was approved "by one or two votes," when actually this process has not passed through Congress yet. He confirmed this on Sunday in a forum with young people from the progressive media NowThis, where he reviewed other current issues such as abortion.

There are some who interpret this as a lie while others see it as a new slip of the tongue. In recent days, Joe Biden has slipped up several times which calls into question whether he is fit to continue to govern and run for re-election in 2024.

College debt forgiveness is one of the measures promised by Joe Biden. His goal was to approve it before the midterm elections. The plan consists of forgiving up to $20,000 for each loan approved to those undergraduates who received Pell Grants (awarded to students enrolled in college with low incomes) and up to $10,000 for those who did not benefit from the grants.

Biden's plan will cost, at a minimum, $230 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). The Penn Wharton-University of Pennsylvania Budget Model values the final cost at about $980 billion, or nearly $1 trillion. The cost per contributor would be no less than $2,100. It will also have harmful consequences for Americans. It will raise inflation, increase college tuition and fees, and hurt taxpayers.

Justice acts on Biden's plan

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted Biden's student debt forgiveness plan after the attorneys general of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina sued to stop the administration from moving forward.

In addition, Biden's measure received several complaints. The Legal Action Fund (LAF) of the Job Creators Network Foundation (JCNF) filed a lawsuit against the student debt forgiveness plan, as the federal government "overstepped its executive powers" and the plan "violates the Administrative Procedure Act."

On the other hand, the Pacific Legal Institution filed a lawsuit to block university debt forgiveness after considering that "the administration's actions are flagrantly illegal."

Americans disapprove of college debt forgiveness

Most Americans would not support a candidate who endorses Joe Biden's plan. According to a survey by Convention of States Action and Trafalgar Group, 55.6% reject debt forgiveness compared to 44.4% who believe it is necessary.

By political party, the number of Democrats who support it (89.4%) is very similar to the number of Republicans who reject it (88.5%). Five out of ten independent voters (53.9%) also reject cancelling university debt.

Biden's new lapse

Last week, he once again waved 'into thin air,' a gesture he has repeated on several occasions which sparked rumors about his state of health. Days ago he claimed that his son Beau died in Iraq, when in fact he died of cancer.

In late September, he asked for Republican Congresswoman Jackie Walorski during a conference at the White House. Walorski died on August 3 in a traffic accident, and the president himself issued a statement conveying his condolences to his family and loved ones.