In the battle of the progressives, 2020 Democratic hopefuls Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are trying their best to promise as many “free” programs they can.
A staple for Sanders' agenda is making college a right for anyone to attend, free of charge. Now he vows to eliminate "massive" amounts of student debt and to "go further" than Warren, but neglects to provide specifics.
“Our plan will cancel a substantial amount of student debt and in some ways probably go further than Senator Warren’s,” said Sanders in an interview with CNN over the weekend. “I don’t have the plan in my pocket right now.”
Along with the rights of free healthcare, free school lunches, abortion, and voting even when in prison, Sanders promises all of these at the expense of the taxpayer.
Abortion is health care.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 15, 2019
When we pass Medicare for All, we will be guaranteeing a woman’s right to control her own body by covering comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion.
"School lunch debt" is not a concept that should exist in the wealthiest country on Earth. We must provide free, universal school meals to all children in America. https://t.co/Xqt0qtAy78
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 3, 2019
I’m running for president because we must extend the concept of public education beyond the 12th grade and make public colleges and universities tuition-free. Every young person, regardless of the income of his or her family, should have the opportunity to attend college.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 24, 2019
While he says there is no actual plan for his free college and loan forgiveness programs, he has claimed that it will be more ambitious than his opponent’s plan. As to Warren’s plan, she is calling for universal free public college and says she plans, if elected, to eliminate around 75% of all outstanding student debt. There is about $1.56 trillion in outstanding debt in addition to the over $150 billion per year in federal student aid.
This is all while the U.S. debt has $22.3 trillion in outstanding debt and a nearly $1 trillion deficit for this year.