In recent years, the plight of student loan debt has received national attention in the United States of America. Countless young people willingly take out student loans in order to attend college; years later, they wrap up college and are unable to find work and otherwise settle into the real world. The inability to find work or one’s desired job doesn’t erase the owed debts of student loans, hence the downward spiral which so many Americans have experienced.
There’s been an attempt to quite literally pass the buck when it comes to student loan debt. Democrats who are running in the 2020 presidential election are now promising to “erase” student loan debt; the factual version of that means that if a Democrat weasels their way into office, they’re going to push for legislation which transfers student loan debt to individuals who never signed up for it.
Talks about student loan debt in America have been revived amidst Fox News reports that House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is blaming Republicans for her personal failure to pay her loans.
AOC on Republicans and Her Student Loan Debt
On Tuesday, the congresswoman appeared at the House Financial Services Committee hearing; this gathering focused on reducing the collective $1.5 trillion dollars which is owed in student loan debt.
During this hearing, Ocasio-Cortez confessed that she owes approximately $20,000 in student loan debt. After this admission, the congresswoman pointed the finger at Republicans and noted that she made a modest payment to decrease her debt.
In Ocasio-Cortez’s own words:
“I’m hearing people on this committee say it’s not our job. This is our job. I literally made a student loan payment while I was sitting here at this chair, and I looked at my balance, and it was $20,237.16. I just made a payment that took me down to $19,000 so I feel really accomplished right now.”
The Merits of Personal Responsibility
At the end of the day, this student loan debt crisis is about personal responsibility and smart choices. There are many people who do take out loans and manage to successfully pay them off. There are others who go to college on scholarships. Certain Americans even choose to skip college altogether and forge another path for themselves.
When people choose to take out student loans, they do so with the expectation and knowledge that they must pay these loans back. This isn’t news. Not a single Republican forced Ocasio-Cortez to take out student loans which put her $20,000 in the hole. Perhaps the congresswoman would do well to use her six figure salary to pay off her loans once and for all instead of pointing the finger at the GOP.
How do you feel about AOC blaming Republicans for her issues with student loan debt? Sound off in the comments section below!
