Will Kamala Harris Continue Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness and Expand Medical Debt Relief?

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President Joe Biden’s administration has focused on several key issues, with student loan forgiveness being a major priority. During his presidency, Biden canceled $170 billion in student debt for approximately five million Americans.

As the leading Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to continue Biden’s student loan forgiveness initiatives. She has also proposed a plan to address medical debt by utilizing federal funds to eliminate medical bills for many Americans.

Harris has expressed her intention to use federal resources to clear medical debt from health providers. Her efforts have already yielded results in North Carolina, where, in collaboration with Governor Roy Cooper, she helped alleviate medical debt for two million residents. Additionally, she has advocated for the exclusion of medical bills from consumer credit reports alongside the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The White House emphasized in a June statement, “President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that getting sick or caring for loved ones should not lead to financial hardship for American families. Medical debt, often invalid and inaccurate, imposes severe financial consequences, restricting access to credit, increasing bankruptcy risk, and creating barriers to housing and health care.”

Harris has also proposed measures to prevent medical debt from accumulating, including protections against aggressive debt collection practices and charity care initiatives.

In her recent speech in Wisconsin, Harris highlighted her vision for a future where no teacher struggles with student loan debt. She remains a strong advocate for Biden’s SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment program that aims to reduce or eliminate monthly payments based on income. However, this program faces legal challenges and awaits a Supreme Court decision on its legality.

In addition to addressing student and medical debt, Harris’s presidential campaign also focuses on banning price gouging in grocery stores, implementing a $6,000 child tax credit, and providing down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. The Biden administration has already introduced adjusted prescription costs for ten Medicare drugs.

William F. Hall, a political science and business professor at Webster University, praised Harris’s campaign for its emphasis on issues crucial to middle-class voters. Harris has gained support from union workers in key swing states like Pennsylvania, a shift attributed to her campaign’s focus on pro-labor policies compared to the previous administration.

Newsweek has reached out to Harris for further comment.

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