By Ben Zeisloft
In a recent speech on the House floor, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called it “ridiculous” that she needs to pay $17,000 in student loans — although her annual salary as a member of Congress is $174,000.
“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.”
Let’s stop advancing this narrative that student loan debt is for the privileged.
Do we really think a billionaire’s child is taking out student loans?
First-generation college students are twice as likely to report they are behind in making student loan payments. pic.twitter.com/KyGnrJCjNq
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) December 3, 2021
As noted by Foundation for Economic Education policy correspondent Brad Polumbo, Ocasio-Cortez earns more than double the average American household’s income. He also pointed out that if properly managed, her debt is, in all probability, very manageable: