Biden comms director: Student loan handout is ‘good for the economy,’ about ‘fairness writ large’

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WH comms director: Student loan handouts about 'fairness writ large'

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield defended Biden's student loan handouts plan on MSNBC's "Hallie Jackson Reports."

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield could not defend the fairness of President Biden’s student loan handouts Wednesday and instead pivoted to talking about how "the tax code has long been unfair."

On Wednesday, Biden announced plans to cancel $10,000 in federal student loans for certain borrowers making under $125,000 a year as well as up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. This plan is set to cost taxpayers approximately $300 billion.

Although some Democrats and media members applauded the announcement, Republicans and some progressives criticized and scrutinized the amount.

Bedingfield argued on behalf of the president while appearing on MSNBC’s "Hallie Jackson Reports" shortly after Biden spoke.

US President Joe Biden announces student loan relief with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (R) on August 24, 2022 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

CBS NEWS REPORT: BIDEN STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT WOULD BENEFIT WEALTHY, RAISES QUESTION OF ‘FAIRNESS’

Some constituencies, like the NAACP, wanted more from the administration. Jackson first asked, "What is your message to folks on that end of the spectrum who think this simply isn't enough?"

"Well, I would say look at what this is going to do for families across the country. This is going to be a massive, massive amount of breathing room for people who are currently under student debt. That's preventing them from doing things like buying a house or starting a business. This is giving breathing room to the middle class, to people who are going to use it both to make their family stronger and more secure. And it's also going to contribute to the economy writ large. It is good for our competitiveness. So it's an incredibly important step," Bedingfield said.

On the other side, "Why should people who did not go to college or who’ve paid off their tuition have to foot the bill as taxpayers for those who do have loans?" Jackson asked next. 

A sign asking President Biden to Cancel Student Debt is seen posted on Pennsylvania Ave near the White House staff entrance during a demonstration demanding that President Biden cancel student loan debt in August on July 27, 2022 at the Executive Offices in Washington, DC.  (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million)

Bedingfield didn't explain how the debt handout is fair, instead she again defended the plan then spun to talking about "fairness writ large" and the tax code.

"Well, as you heard the president say, he's never going to apologize for helping working people, for helping middle-class people. And that's what this does. This gives breathing room to people who have worked hard, who have gone to college, who are struggling under an enormous amount of debt. College is incredibly expensive. As you heard the president say, a Pell grant, for example, does not go nearly as far now as it used to many years ago. So this is about giving those folks breathing room. But it’s also, as I say, it is good for our competitiveness writ large. It's good for the economy writ large," she continued.

"I think another important point here, Hallie, is also about fairness writ large. If we're having a discussion about fairness, the tax code has long been unfair. It has cut middle class folks and working folks off at the knees while giving the biggest corporations and the wealthiest a pass. And so, what President Biden's doing is across the board, making the tax code more fair and doing everything in his power to give working people some breathing room. And that's what today's announcement is about," she said.

BIDEN COMMITTING ‘REVERSE CLASS WARFARE’ WITH STUDENT LOAN HANDOUTS: WATTERS

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield delivers remarks during the daily White House Press Briefing on March 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Education Secretary Miguel Cardona confirmed with Fox News after Biden’s announcement that those who have already paid off their student loans would not benefit from the handouts.