'Such public commitments to the common good can go a long way toward motivating voters who don’t believe politicians from any party care about them,' writes William J. Barber II and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
. By forgiving twice as much for borrowers who qualified for Pell Grants as undergraduates, Biden’s plan does target relief to low-income families, which are disproportionately Black, brown, Asian, and Native. Equally important to the plan is its hedge against interest going forward. For borrowers who pay 5% of their expendable income toward repaying the undergraduate loans each month, interest will be forgiven.
But it’s not enough. The $20,000 cap for Pell Grant recipients, for instance, leaves millions of those most severely impacted by predatory lending. To experience the full benefit of Jubilee, we need to wipe the slate clean for those who are carrying the heaviest burdens of debt. As Christian pastors, we know that the false promise of a “Christian nation” has persuaded millions of Americans to support policies that hurt God’s people. In a multi-faith democracy, we don’t need our faith to be privileged by state power. But every faith can and should inform our vision for our common life.
Biden’s student-loan forgiveness plan won’t bring the Jubilee we pray for every day, but it’s a step in the right direction. Some of us would love to hear the President and other Democrats talk more about how policies like this help poor and low-income people, not just the “working class.” Such public commitments to the common good can go a long way toward motivating voters who don’t believe politicians from any party care about them.
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