City & State: Pennsylvania pols react to Biden’s student loan cancellation plan

Forgiveness is on everyone’s minds today. Well, almost everyone’s. President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for individuals making less than $125,000 a year has dominated the headlines and elicited mixed reactions from people on every side of the political spectrum. 

Student loan forgiveness has long been a campaign issue for Democrats, as many young voters were anxiously waiting for a decision from the Biden administration before the multi-year pause of loan payments ended on Aug. 31. Now, the pause has been extended one final time through the end of the year, and an estimated 20 million Americans could see their debt completely canceled. 

What follows are reactions from some of the commonwealth’s most prominent politicians – and a few others – who offered a range of thoughts on student loan forgiveness and the potential impacts of Biden’s plan.