Ted Cruz says that the White House forgiving some student loans could help Democrats if “slacker baristas” can “get off the bong” long enough to vote.

The US Senator, a Republican from Texas, complained that Joe Biden’s student loan announcement “could drive up turnout” among young voters on the Verdict with Ted Cruz show.

The Biden administration announced earlier this week that it is forgiving up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those Americans earning less than $125,000 per year.

And it will write off up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients earning less than $125,000 per year.

The move has come under fire from some Republicans, who have claimed it shifts the burden to other taxpayers, who have never attended university.

“If you are that slacker barista who wasted seven years in college studying completely useless things and now has loans and can’t get a job, Joe Biden just gave you 20 grand, like holy cow, 20 grand,” said Mr Cruz on the YouTube show.

“Maybe you weren’t going to vote in November but suddenly you have 20 grand and if you can get off the bong for a minute and head down to the voting station, or just send in your mail-in ballot that the Democrats have helpfully sent you, it could drive up turnout, particularly among young people.”

Mr Biden and the White House have mocked Republicans for criticizing the plan, particularly lawmakers such as Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The congresswoman from Georgia has been called out by the president’s team for her criticism of his plan to forgive some student loans.

The White House derided Ms Greene, who has called it “completely unfair”, as she herself had a large Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiven during the pandemic.

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