MSNBC's Ruhle: Dems 'fighting like Republicans' for student loans
MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle praised Democrats fighting back against Republicans in defense of President Biden's student loan handouts plan announced on Wednesday.
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle praised Democrats for "fighting" back and "shaming" Republicans in light of the student debt handout plan announced by President Biden last Wednesday.
Monday’s "The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle" featured a segment opening with a clip of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declaring on ABC in February that the Democrats "have decided to win and that’s what we’re going to do."
Ruhle suggested that the latest move by Biden to handout $10,000 of student loan debt for holders earning under $125,000 per year is the Democrats finally choosing to win.
"Democrats are doing something many voters have been begging for, for quite a while. They are fighting like Republicans. Take the recent GOP criticism of the Biden Administration's student debt relief. Republican lawmakers were all over social media complaining the relief was for elites, it was reckless, it was unfair," Ruhle said.
![Stephanie Ruhle](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/11/1200/675/Stephanie-Ruhle.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
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Like the White House, Ruhle also attacked Republicans criticizing the plan, suggesting that their comments are hypocritical based on their support for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and tax breaks.
PPP loans, which were approved by Congress to keep small businesses afloat during government-enforced COVID shutdowns, were designed to be forgiven if companies met certain qualifications, including using most of the money on payroll for employees.
"Well, now, for fact’s sake, loan forgiveness is not nearly as uncommon as they would have you think. The government does it all the time. It is called a tax break. We see it with corporations. The government does not make them pay as much as they owe, which gives them more money to grow and thrive and that is exactly what student loan cancellation is meant to accomplish. Helping Americans have more money so they can succeed," Ruhle said.
She added, "And now, the newly feisty White House Twitter account is trying to drive home the point by publicly naming and shaming Republican members of Congress who took PPP loans, and the truth is, all along with some significant wins, that may finally be helping push President Biden's approval rating higher and possibly crushing the GOP dreams of a red wave come November."
![Karine Jean-Pierre Student loan handouts](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/08/1200/675/KARINE-JEAN-PIERRE-STUDENT-DEBT.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The White House has yet to explain who will pay for the $500 billion student loan handout Biden announced on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Throughout the panel with other guests, she also praised the Democrats’ continuing attacks against Republicans for taking out PPP loans while blasting student loan handouts.
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"Because traditionally, Democrats are way more careful than that. They might say, ‘Well, there are Democratic lawmakers that also got PPP loans,’ but not here. They're punching between the eyes. We haven't seen it before," Ruhle remarked.
Although Ruhle singled out Republicans for opposing Biden’s plan, several Democrats have also criticized these handouts, particularly as they are funded with taxpayer money. Estimated costs for the handout plan is now estimated to cost taxpayers about $500 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
![Joe Biden student loan debt](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2022/08/1200/675/GettyImages-1242691771.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
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)
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Media outlets have previously been supportive of the idea of "canceling" student loan debt. However, some pundits have begun pointing out critical flaws since Biden announced his plan.