Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been mocked for slamming the so-called “lazy barista” after President Joe Biden cancelled a large chunk of student loan debt for millions of borrowers.
The Republican congressman — who infamously abandoned his state for a vacation to Cancun during a deadly winter storm — was outraged by the president’s student loan forgiveness program. Verdict with Ted Cruz Podcast of the week.
In his rant, he dubbed the millions of Americans who would benefit from student loan repayments “slackers” and suggested they might turn out to be Democratic voters if they “get off the hook for a while.”
“If you’re that lazy barista who spent 7 years in college learning absolutely useless stuff and now has a loan and can’t find a job, the real risk is that Joe Biden only gave you $20, “He says.
“Like, holy cow! 20 grand. You know, maybe you’re not going to vote in November and all of a sudden you’ve got 20 jackpots.”
Mr Cruz expressed his concern that plans to reduce the debt of millions of Americans could pose a “real risk” to Republicans in November’s midterm elections.
“And you know, if you can get off the bus for a minute and go to the polling place,” he said.
“Or just send mail-in ballots that Democrats help you send, which could boost turnout, especially among young people.”
Mr. Cruz was quick to educate Democrats and social media users about student loan debt.
Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted a video in which nurses talked about the heavy debt they face for the education they need to enter the profession.
“Senator Cruz, let me introduce you to a group of nurses and working class Americans who in many cases work more than 40 hours a week just to pay off student debt and basic necessities,” he tweeted.
“No, they’re not slackers. They deserve comfort.”
In the video, a nurse reveals that her union’s 120 nurses have a combined $7 million in student loan debt.
“You have to have a college degree to be a nurse, and we’re struggling in hospitals and we need more nurses,” she said.
Another worker was seen telling the senator she was forced to work two jobs to make ends meet because she was paying $1,100 a month in student loans.
“This will be my future for a while,” she said.
Others also condemned Mr Cruz’s comments, with former Ohio Senator Nina Turner comparing Mr Cruz’s work ethic to that of baristas he blasted.
She tweeted: “The barista’s job in one shift is harder than anything De Cruz has done in his life.”
Brandon Friedman, who served as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs in the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Barack Obama, also tweeted: Ted Cruz knew that since the barista had been spitting into his coffee for years, it wasn’t technically suppressed.”
Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced a new student loan forgiveness program that will cancel thousands of dollars in debt for millions of Americans.
Under the program, up to $20,000 in debt will be cancelled for borrowers earning less than $125,000 a year and receiving Pell Grants (educational grants for students from low- and moderate-income families).
Borrowers earning less than $125,000 a year but not receiving a Pell Grant can forgive up to $10,000 of their loans.
While Democrats welcomed the move — progressives say it needs to go further — Republicans immediately slammed the move, claiming that other taxpayers with no debt or college education would lose.
But the hypocrisy of some complainers was laid bare when the White House issued a series of tweets pointing out that they had personally benefited from their own loan forgiveness during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Several Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Kelly and Markwayne Mullin, have been revealed to have forgiven six- and seven-figure Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans.
