Warren to Biden: Cancel student debt, expunge nonviolent marijuana offenses

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants President Joe Biden to cancel student loan debt and to expunge the records of nonviolent marijuana offenders.

These two things, she says during an episode of Pod Save America, “are both really good things to do,” and could help bridge the racial wealth gap.

“On student loan debt, for example, it actually holds back tens of millions of people who can’t start small businesses, who can’t buy their first homes, who can’t be full participants in this economy,” she said. “And it also has a powerful racial justice issue to it.”

Statistically, 20 years out of college, white people owe about 6 percent of what they borrowed on average. That number for Black Americans jumps to 95 percent on average, Warren said.

“This is the single best opportunity for the president of the United States to help close the Black-white wealth gap for people who have student loan debt — a stroke of a pen,” she said.

On marijuana, Warren says dropping nonviolent marijuana offenses from criminal records could help people “participate in our economy.”

“They have a better chance of getting jobs, they have a better chance of getting promotions, they can apply for scholarships that would otherwise be denied them,” she said. “In other words, what’s your best resource as a nation? It’s your people. These people who should be part of our economy, part of our society.”

Warren also highlighted the differences in marijuana enforcement across racial lines.

“The marijuana enforcement has fallen much harder on people of color,” she said. “It’s time for us to acknowledge that and admit the error of our ways.”

Watch the full clip:

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