Maine Dem Bashes Student Debt Relief for ‘Twitterati’

Blue Dog Democrat Jared Golden of Maine blasted “radical leftist elites” who criticized his stance against President Joe Biden’s student debt relief program on Friday, saying he stands by his decision that “working class Mainers shouldn’t foot the bill for someone else’s choices.”

Golden, co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of centrist members of the Democratic Party, was one of two Democrats to vote against Biden’s $430 billion of student debt relief in May.

On Friday, Golden took flak because it was disclosed last week that the Blue Dog Coalition received the maximum donation allowed — $5,000 — from student lending giant Sallie Mae in the wake of his “nay” vote.

Golden took to social media to address two issues with one post — student debt relief and the people accusing him of quid pro quo.

“Sadly, this is what radical leftist elites are learning about ‘democracy’ these days — silence and destroy anyone who disagrees with your views or goals,” Golden said in a post to X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

“I stand by my vote and my opposition to forking out $10,000 to people who freely chose to attend college. They were privileged to have the opportunity, and many left college well-situated to make six figure salaries for life.

“The Twitterati can keep bemoaning their privileged status and demanding handouts all they want, but as far as I’m concerned if they want free money for college, they can join the Marines and serve the country like I, and so many others, have in the past and many more will in the future.

“If they choose to attend college, they can pay back their loans just like working class people pay back home mortgages, car loans, and man other expenses that people choose to take out loans for.”

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., who co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition, was the other to vote against the college subsidy.

Student loan payments, paused amid the COVID-19 pandemic, are set to resume in October after three years. Student loan interest resumes on Sept. 1.