It’s Wednesday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 10/04/2023:
| 10:00 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White HouseIn-Town Pool |
| 1:00 PM Remarks | The President delivers an update on the Administration’s efforts to cancel student debt and support students and borrowers Roosevelt RoomIn-House Pool |
| 1:30 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
| 2:15 PM Presidential Daily Brief | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing; The Vice President attends Oval Office Closed Press |
Student Debt Relief Tweet
From Wednesday…
I promised you that my Administration would continue to use every tool at our disposal to ease the burden of student debt so more Americans can be free to achieve their dreams.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 4, 2023
Today, we’re sharing an update on that progress. pic.twitter.com/E7PYYCqyi0
From Wednesday…
Since fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, 715,000 Americans and counting have been approved for student loan forgiveness.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 4, 2023
Tanya and Chad are two of them. pic.twitter.com/0PMNX3sdML
The video is 2 minutes and 18 seconds long. In the video we meet Tanya and Chad. Tanya in May of this year wrote a letter to President Biden thanking him for his student loan forgiveness program. The text on the screen reads *$73,000 of student loans forgiven*. Tanya was very excited to speak with President Biden.
I will not be transcribing the video.
From the White House…
President Biden Announces an Additional $9 Billion in Student Debt Relief for 125,000 Americans
President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families. That’s why from day one, his Administration has taken unprecedented steps to fix the broken student loan system, make college more affordable, and bring the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans.
Marking a key step forward in that effort, President Biden is announcing that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes his Administration has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and by cancelling debt for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities. Today’s announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans.
The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing it has approved:
White House.gov. 10/04/2023.
- $5.2 billion in additional debt relief for 53,000 borrowers under Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.
- Nearly $2.8 billion in new debt relief for nearly 51,000 borrowers through fixes to income-driven repayment. These are borrowers who made 20 years or more of payments but never got the relief they were entitled to.
- $1.2 billion for nearly 22,000 borrowers who have a total or permanent disability who have been identified and approved for discharge through a data match with the Social Security Administration.
The Department of Education is also releasing state-by-state totals of debt relief approved under the Biden-Harris Administration through fixes to IDR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Visit this link to see the state-by-state breakdown.
Today’s announcement builds on all that the Biden-Harris Administration has done to make college more affordable and ensure that student loans aren’t a barrier to opportunity for students and families. The Biden-Harris Administration earlier this year launched the most affordable student loan repayment plan – SAVE – which makes many borrowers’ monthly payments as low as $0 and prevents balances from growing because of unpaid interest. The Administration secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade, and finalized new rules to protect borrowers from career programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on the Administration’s original student debt relief plan, President Biden announced his Administration was pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act.
The Administration took an important step forward in the negotiated rulemaking process last week as the Department of Education announced individuals who will serve on the negotiating committee and released an issue paper to guide the first negotiating session. The paper asks the committee to consider how the Administration can help borrowers, including borrowers whose balances are greater than what they originally borrowed, those who would be eligible for relief under existing repayment plans but have not applied, and borrowers who have experienced financial hardship on their loans that the current loan system doesn’t address.
To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved $127 billion in debt cancellation for nearly 3.6 million borrowers, including:
White House.gov. 10/04/2023.
- Nearly $42 billion for almost 855,000 borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness through income-driven repayment by fixing historical inaccuracies in the count of payments that qualify toward forgiveness;
- Almost $51 billion for 715,000 public servants through Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs;
- $11.7 billion for almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability; and
- $22.5 billion for more than 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
President Biden Gives an Update on the Administration’s Efforts to Cancel Student Debt @1:00 p.m. D.C., time.
Americans with Disabilities Act Celebration Tweet
From Tuesday…
Selma, it was an honor to have you at the People’s House for a celebration of the ADA and Rehabilitation Acts.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 3, 2023
Thank you for lending your voice – for embodying disability pride – to make our country more accessible and just. pic.twitter.com/U4D7xIkgnf
Actress and disability rights advocate Selma Blair introduced President Biden on Monday when he celebrated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018…
The post above contains several photos from her day at the White House. I was able to just hit the arrow and scroll through without having to go to Instagram…
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation/Inflation Reduction Act Tweets
From Tuesday…
On my watch, we’ve lowered insulin prices to $35 and helped 15 million Americans save $800 per year on health insurance.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 3, 2023
That’s why we will continue to fight to lower health care costs – and we won’t stop until the job’s done.
You have my word.
Not a single Republican in Congress voted for our lower drug prices law.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 3, 2023
From Wednesday…
For decades, drug companies made record profits while Big Pharma worked to block Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 4, 2023
My Administration finally changed that last year when we passed the Inflation Reduction Act – with zero Republican votes.
Tuesday the White House announced 10 drug companies that would participate in the Drug Price Negotiation Program.
Inflation Reduction Act (08/16/2022).
Calls with the Allies Tweet
From Tuesday…
Today, I convened a call with allies and partners to coordinate our ongoing support for the people of Ukraine.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 3, 2023
We discussed getting Ukraine the resources it needs, and our work to address the global energy, economic, and food challenges caused by Russia’s war of choice.
From the White House…
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Allies and Partners
Today, President Biden convened a call with allies and partners to coordinate our ongoing support for the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal invasion. President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, with fellow leaders echoing their commitments. The leaders discussed efforts to provide Ukraine with the ammunition and weapons systems it needs to defend its territory against Russian aggression, to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses to protect its critical infrastructure from Russia’s aerial assaults now and in the coming months, and to repair and harden its energy infrastructure through this winter. They also discussed ongoing work to align and broaden donor efforts to support Ukraine’s economic recovery, as well as to work together with the global community to address the energy, economic and food security challenges caused by Russia’s war of choice.
Joining President Biden on the call was Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, President von der Leyen of the European Commission, President Michel of the European Council, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Kishida of Japan, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, President Duda of Poland, President Iohannis of Romania, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom, and Foreign Minister Colonna of France.
White House.gov. 10/03/2023.
Other calls…
Readout of President Biden’s Call with President William Ruto of Kenya
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with President William Ruto of Kenya today to thank him for answering Haiti’s call to serve as the lead nation of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. They welcomed the successful vote at the United Nations Security Council yesterday authorizing the MSS to bring relief to the people of Haiti, who have suffered for far too long at the hands of violent criminals.
President Biden also congratulated President Ruto for hosting the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit and expressed appreciation for the U.S.-Kenya strategic partnership, which is founded on a pursuit of shared solutions to global challenges. Together, they discussed additional opportunities to promote regional security and mutual prosperity by spurring new investments, jobs, and sustainable growth.
White House.gov. 10/03/2023.
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar. The two leaders confirmed their strong bilateral partnership and commitment to working together to address regional and global challenges. President Biden expressed his appreciation for Qatar’s support for talks with Iran that led to the return of five wrongfully detained U.S. citizens, as well as Qatar’s ongoing support for the Afghan people. They also discussed their commitment to deepen defense and security cooperation in the region. President Biden and the Amir plan to continue their efforts to advance their shared vision for a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East region.
White House.gov. 10/03/2023.
DACA Tweet
From Tuesday…
You’ve got my word.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 3, 2023
I’ll use every tool at my disposal to preserve and protect DACA, fight for Dreamers, and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. pic.twitter.com/XfkR8puHhi
The video clip is 1 minute and 18 seconds long.
Remarks by President Biden at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 46th Annual Gala
So, until Congress acts, I’m going keep using every tool at my disposal as president of the United States to preserve and protect DACA, keep fighting for DREAMers, and build a safe, orderly, humane immigration system. (Applause.) I mean it.
First, we’ve put in place policies that process people in a fair and fast way.
Second, we’re significantly expanding legal pathways for entry so businesses can get the workers they need, families don’t have to wait for a decade to be together.
I’ve also directed my team to make a historic increase in the number of refugees admitted from Latin America — (applause) — people fleeing violence and persecution who simply want their kids to have a better life.
[snip]
Third, we’re supporting states and cities that have seen a surge in immigrants. We’ve developed federal experts and deployed them to help train city workers. We’ve launched outreach campaigns helping over a million eligible migrants apply for work permits. (Applause.) And we’re accelerating a process for work permit applications.
Right now, most migrants have to wait six months after filing their claim before they can go to work. Only Congress can change that.
White House.gov. 09/22/2023.
This is an Open Thread.
