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AOC slammed over 17K student debt rant despite making $174K: 'Pay your own darn bills'

Many pointed out that as a member of Congress, with an annual salary of $174,000, her debt was very manageable

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was heavily criticized on social media after she said that it was “ridiculous” that she needed to pay $17,000 in student loans, in a speech on the House floor. 

“I’m 32 years old now,” the lawmaker said. “I have over $17,000 in student loan debt, and I didn’t go to graduate school because I knew that getting another degree would drown me in debt that I would never be able to surpass. This is unacceptable.” AOC also called the notion that “student loan debt is for the privileged” nothing more than a “false narrative.”

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AOC earns more than double the average American household income

Foundation for Economic Education policy correspondent Brad Polumbo has noted that Ocasio-Cortez earns more than double the average American household income. As a member of Congress, her annual salary is $174,000. As a result, he noted that her debt, in all probability, was very manageable. 

"Ocasio-Cortez’s $17,000 in student loan debt sounds like a lot, but it probably only involves a monthly student loan payment of $100-$200. It’s hard to know exactly what her payment is without being familiar with the specifics of her loans, but $100-$200/month is a reasonable estimate given that the average graduate owes $28,400 total, which equates to a $297 monthly payment," he said. ''

"One study found that 'canceling' all student loan debt would give the top 20% of income earners six times more benefit than the bottom 20% of income earners. Even left-leaning think tanks such as the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution have reached similar conclusions... Pay your own darn bills,” Polumbo concluded on social media.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib seconds AOC over student loans

Ocasio-Cortez was not alone in complaining about the student loans. Another member of the Squad, Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), said on the House floor that she is likewise struggling to repay her obligations: “I worked full time, Monday through Friday, and took weekend classes to get my law degree. And still, close to $200,000 in debt. And I still owe over $70,000 and most of it was interest.” 

Daily Wire commentator and bestselling children’s author Matt Walsh responded to the debate about student debt forgiveness by attacking Tlaib, saying: "She’s a perfect example of why we shouldn’t forgive student loans. She makes $175,000 a year and wants the tax payer to assume her debts? No, pay your bills you deadbeat. Student loan forgiveness is upper class welfare. Half of all student debt is held by people with graduate degrees,” he added. “The idea that this is some kind of persecuted class of people who deserve tax funded debt forgiveness is absurd.”

'Pay your own damn school loans'

"I paid off three times that amount on less than half her salary in 15 months," one of them said, while another commented, "If you want to end student debt then say attending universities are now free of charge. The people who already have debt knew the costs when they applied, that is on them. No one is required to protect you from signing a bad agreement."

A third noted, "And these are the same people voting to raise the debt ceiling. Her and talib want people to feel sorry for them. Here's the deal most of Americans also have bills to pay and thanks to them they are going to pay more in taxes."

A commenter tweeted, "Also, before she talk about education loan, can she pay attention to the failures of education itself first?" The next remarked, "There's not a lot of pity for them budget your money better. Here's a thought those two should ask obrandon or nancy to pay off their debt." A person reacted with, "I agree. Pay your own damn school loans. I had to as well as so many others."