Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids distances herself from Biden student debt cancellation plan
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids is distancing herself from President Joe Biden’s move to partially cancel student debt from millions of Americans.
In a Wednesday statement, the Kansas Democrat, who faces a tough reelection fight, said her focus would have been reducing the cost of education.
“It’s not how I would have addressed the issue,” said Davids, a two-term incumbent. “I think we should focus on making higher education and technical schools more affordable in the first place and expose students to trades and apprenticeships that help them get good-paying jobs—like those created by the new infrastructure law—without a four-year degree.”
Biden’s plan cancels $10,000 in student debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year. Borrowers who received Pell Grants are eligible for up to $10,000 in additional loan forgiveness.
The plan was swiftly criticized by Republicans, who argued the president’s plan would increase inflation while rewarding individuals who delayed paying off their loans. U.S. Rep Ron Estes, a Wichita Republican, called it an “election-year gimmick.”
Biden’s party faces a difficult challenge in keeping control of Congress in November. The president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections. Davids’ seat in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District in the Kansas City suburbs will be among the most competitive districts in the country.
Davids’ move to distance herself from Biden’s student debt plan comes as her November opponent, former Kansas Republican Party chair Amanda Adkins, has consistently criticized her for aligning herself too closely with Biden.
“Paying lip service to voters on the latest inflation-increase scheme from Biden doesn’t change the fact that Sharice Davids has a 100% voting record with Joe Biden,” Adkins said in a statement Wednesday evening after Davids criticized Biden’s student debt plan. “The Biden economy is a result of Sharice Davids rubber stamping his agenda.”
Davids, a first generation college student who holds a law degree from Cornell University, holds between $100,000 and $250,000 in student loans, according to her financial disclosure form filed in May with the U.S. House. Adkins, a former Cerner executive and a beneficiary of a family trust worth between $1 million and $5 million, reported no student loans on her financial disclosure.
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican seeking a third Senate term, said the plan was “unfair to the millions of Americans who worked their way through college, chose careers that didn’t require a college degree, saved money and paid off their own debt or enlisted in the military.”
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the GOP nominee for governor, was quick to tie the proposal to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
“So shameless to buy votes like this – and so unfair to families and students who paid their own way, like by joining the military to pay for college,” Schmidt said. “They just don’t get it – Kansas families are struggling and the government just keeps spending more and more.”
For her part, Kelly didn’t directly answer a question about whether she supported the plan, instead speaking broadly to the cost of college.
“College tuition costs are no longer affordable for our students – especially throughout the past few years,” Kelly said. “That’s why I worked with both parties to ensure we put enough money for our universities to freeze tuition hikes in my latest budget, along with passing the Promise Scholarship Act into law which provides scholarships for students in trade schools.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids distances herself from Biden student debt cancellation plan."
