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Columbus Teachers & District Meet With Mediator To End Strike; Biden Outlines Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Plan. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired August 24, 2022 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:51]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Right now, in Columbus, Ohio, the teachers union and the school board are back at the negotiating table. It's day three of the teacher's strike. Live pictures here of the picket line.

Educators in Ohio's largest school system say they want improvements to what they describe as dilapidated buildings. They want air- conditioning and heating for all the schools. They want their over- packed schedules addressed.

This is the first day of school for that district, but students have instead logged onto virtual classes taught by substitutes.

Megan Buscemi is a parent of a second grader within the Columbus City school district there.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Let me start here. Do you support the teachers' decision to strike?

MEGAN BUSCEMI, PARENT OF COLUMBUS, OH, SCHOOL STUDENT: I do, both as a former educator and a parent who understands that these teachers are fighting not only for themselves but for our children.

We very much and very firmly support the CTA and the teachers who are striking. We will not cross a picket line ever.

BLACKWELL: When you say you will not cross the picket line, does that mean you're going to keep your second-grade daughter home from classes or not logging onto the virtual classes I should say?

[14:35:02]

BUSCEMI: As you mentioned, there isn't really a home from class since school is virtual. But we are not logging on. We will not cross the picket line no matter what form it takes.

And there's no really instruction. There's no real instruction happening online. It's a brief check-in with some direction towards YouTube videos to watch, busy work to do.

They're taking attendance to try to maintain funding. It's not really instruction. Certainly, not meaningful instruction.

BLACKWELL: Now, I've read that your daughter is part of a French immersion program in the second grade, which is impressive on its own.

BUSCEMI: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Are there even instructors available who can pull that off online?

BUSCEMI: That is an extremely interesting question. And the answer is there's no accommodation made for language immersion learners at all.

Columbus City schools has a French immersion program and a Spanish immersion program. And the online warehousing of students with unqualified substitutes makes no accommodation for immersion learners whatsoever.

BLACKWELL: So you support the teachers, you won't cross the picket line, but how was this impacting your family now having your daughter back home as this continues?

BUSCEMI: I do admit that my family is an extremely privileged situation. She does have a long-time caregiver she can go to so I can work, which I only do part-time. I'm a freelance writer. And she can be at home with me as much as possible because of my flexibility.

However, we are more the exception than the rule within the district. And there are lots of parents who are being put in serious financial, economic, practical difficulties from this strike.

We're not in that situation. I'm glad to say. But my daughter, this will be her fourth year of school because she did luck into a spot in their pre-K.

She has not had an uninterrupted year of education at Kenwood. As wonderful as that building, that facility, those teachers are, with the pandemic, she has not enjoyed what we, what you and I experienced, what we would consider a normal full school year.

And she will readily admit that she doesn't really like school. And I think a big part of that -- because she loves her classmates. She loves her teachers. She knows that those adults are people who care for her.

But it's been a source of frustration and feeling thwarted over and over and over. And she's only 7.

BLACKWELL: Wow. Yes, when you said that she, at this point, has not had a normal year with the virtual learning.

And then I read that the toys had to be put away because they didn't want the kids using them together at the same time. This certainly has an impact on your daughter.

Let me get your thoughts on what we're hearing from the school board, is that they see the challenges that teachers face. They know there should be air conditioners and heating systems that work in all the schools.

But this is something that should go to voters through a referendum, should be something that's addressed through funding through the city or federal grants, not something that goes into a contract between the union and the school board.

To that, you say?

BUSCEMI: Please excuse my chuckle. This really bothers me.

Dr. Talisa Dixon, the superintendent of Columbus City schools, is on record as saying they have $400 million that she -- and this is verbatim -- "doesn't have time to spend."

There's money there to correct the absolutely deplorable conditions in those school buildings.

My daughter is lucky. She goes to a lovely facility. And even then, there's not great ventilation. And the heating and cooling is iffy.

But we have students who go to schools where the roof does not keep out the rain. There's mold growing up the walls. There's a lack of hot running water. There are cockroaches as big as my thumb and rats running across the floors.

It's horrifying. It's disgusting.

And I trained as an educator. I had seven years in the public-school classroom, not in this district, but I taught in a condemned building. I personally know what it feels like to teach in a classroom that reaches 108 degrees in the summer and gets down to 55 degrees in the winter.

It is extremely challenging not only for the teachers but for the children. They can't concentrate. When you have kids bringing blankets to class to wrap up in it's just not conducive to having a positive learning experience.

And when --

BLACKWELL: Certainly not.

BUSCEMI: No. And when the superintendent says the money is there and she doesn't have time to spend it, well, I think air-conditioning could be purchased for that or pest control or roofs.

[14:40:07]

BLACKWELL: Well, Megan Buscemi, listen, some of the things you describe, I can't imagine anybody, certainly not a child, being productive in that environment.

Our best to you. I thank you for your time. And our best to your daughter, and this really impressive immersion program. That's going to stick with me throughout the day.

Megan Buscemi --

BUSCEMI: I'm so glad. Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: Sure.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Maybe you should try that.

BLACKWELL: I might.

CAMEROTA: I see you're interested.

BLACKWELL: Get into a second-grade class.

CAMEROTA: That's right. Adjust your seat.

All right, in her debut podcast, Meghan Markle opens up about her marriage and makes some revealing comments about ambition. We'll discuss next.

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[14:45:20]

BLACKWELL: Live pictures here, we are waiting on President Biden to speak on his plan to bring more student loan debt relief.

He has now said that he will forgive up to $10,000 for those making up to $125,000 a year, $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Of course, we'll bring you his comments live as soon as they happen.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, first lady, Jill Biden, has just tested positive for COVID again. Yes, just like her husband, she too is experiencing Paxlovid rebound.

The first lady says she has no symptoMs. She first tested positive last week. And then she was given the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which, as we know, can trigger a rebound in some people.

BLACKWELL: The president, though, he tested negative today.

Next week, the South Carolina state legislature will vote on whether to completely ban abortions with very limited exceptions.

CAMEROTA: Now, the state already severely restricts abortion banning it after six weeks, but now one Republican state lawmakers who voted in favor of that law is having second thoughts.

After learning of a 19-year-old young woman's horrible experience while having a miscarriage, her water broke when she was 15 weeks pregnant and the baby was not viable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. NEAL COLLINS (R-SC): The doctor told me, at that point, there's a 50 percent chance. Well, first, she's going to pass this fetus in the toilet. She's going to have to deal with that on her own. There's a 50 percent chance, greater than 50 percent chance that she's

going to lose her uterus. There's a 10 percent chance that she will develop sepsis and herself die.

That weighs on me. I voted for that bill. These are affecting people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK. Stand by on this.

Here is President Biden talking about the student loan debt forgiveness.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We became not figuratively, literally, the best educated public in the world, and better prepared than any other nation. And I would argue that one of the reasons why we were so successful and have been so successful.

But as you've all observed, other nations have caught up. In the 21st century, in my view, I think the vast majority of Americans 12 years of universal education is not enough. And we're going to be out competed by the rest of the world if we don't take action.

But here's the deal. The cost of education beyond high school has gone up significantly. The total cost to attend a public four-year university has tripled, nearly tripled in 40 years. Tripled.

Instead of properly funding public colleges, many states have cut back their support. We were just talking about that in the Oval. Many states have cut back support for their state universities, leaving students to pick up more of the tab.

In 50 years -- for 50 years, Pell Grants had been a key way for the federal government to help lower-income families, particularly those earning less than $60,000 a year, to send their kids to college.

Those Pell Grants used to cover 80 percent, 80 percent of the cost of going to a public four-year college. Today, Pell Grants cover roughly 32 percent. That's one-third of the cost as opposed to before. It matters.

I remember walking up -- my dad, like probably a lot of your folks, cared a lot about your education. My dad's greatest regret was that he never got to go to college.

And my dad was a very well-read man, particularly history. And -- but it was a great regret.

He always said, Joey, you're going to be a college man. And I'd say, Dad, what does that matter? You can still get fired if you're a college man. He said, yes, but they can never take it away from you. They can never take your education away.

And I remember my senior year, I got into one of the little Ivys, and I got into a number of schools, and we were trying to get the money even with financial assistance to be able to go there. We had four kids, all of us wanting to go to school. And I remember

going down after a baseball game. I went to a really good school in Claymont, Delaware, on the Pennsylvania border.

And I drove down to Newark, Delaware. My dad worked at an automobile agency.

And I walked in and I had my spikes -- because the reason I was going down, when your dad works in an automobile agency, the great advantage, you get a new car to go to the prom or a good used car. You think I'm joking. I'm not joking.

[14:50:01]

And so I went down in my '51 Plymouth with beach towels for seat covers, and I had my uniform on, my spikes off. I ran -- and the woman's name was Mary who ran the place. I say, Mary, where's dad? She said, he's out in the lane going into the repair shop.

Give you my word, true story. My dad was a well-dressed, refined fellow. And I walked out and my dad was pacing back and forth between the big garage door going into the repair shop, and the door going out of the showroom.

And he looked up, he said, oh, Joey, honey, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I thought, god, something happened. This was before cell phones. I thought something happened to one of my brothers or my sister or my mom or something.

I said, what's the matter, Dad? He said. I went to see -- the guy name's name was Charlie Delcher, the vice president of the Farmers Bank, a state-owned bank that did a lot of financing of people wanting to purchase a car.

He said, I went to Charlie and asked to borrow the money. He said he won't lend it to me. He said, I'm so ashamed, I'm so damn ashamed.

You know, my dad would -- you know, my dad was like millions of parents all across the country. Want to help their kids get to school, but there was no way to be able to do it.

You know -- and because he believed, as I do, that education is a ticket to a better life.

But something Jill and I, Kamala and Doug understand deeply, and I'm sure the vast majority of you do as well, over time, that ticket has become too expensive for too many Americans.

All this means is the entire -- an entire generation is now sat saddled with unsustainable debt in exchange for an attempt, at least, at a college degree.

The burden is so heavy, even if you graduate, you may not have access to the middle-class life that the college degree once provided.

Many people, many people can't qualify for a mortgage to buy a home because the debt they continue to carry. They, you know, they carry -- it's too high, they can't come up with a down payment, anyway.

A lot of folks are even putting off starting families because of the cost. And the dream of starting your own business is just way off in the distance, with a debt that so many are saddled with.

Many of you had to leave school because the financial strain was much too high. About a third of the borrowers have debt but no degree. And worst of both worlds, debt and no degree.

The burden is especially heavy on black and Hispanic borrowers, who, on average, have less family wealth to pay for it. They don't own their homes to borrow against, to be able to pay for college.

And the pandemic only made things worse. But we responded aggressively to the pandemic to minimize the economic impact of the harm of COVID imposed on individuals, families and businesses.

You all were there. We covered it. Look, we increased unemployment benefits for workers who were laid off. We provided loans to small businesses so they could stay afloat and take care of their families and their employees.

We provided assistance to people to put food on the table. Remember those long lines you guys filmed of cars, decent looking cars, nice cars, just waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk. In the United States of America? Waiting for over an hour to get food in a trunk.

We provided rent and mortgage assistance to keep people from being evicted and thrown out in the streets.

Our approach to help Americans who need it the most was necessary. And it was the right thing to do. And it helped people avoid financial crises, which helped our whole country as a consequence of that. It didn't benefit them. It benefits the whole economy.

Our approach is why America's economic recovery was faster and stronger than any other nation in the world. Now it's time to address the burden of student debt in the same way.

Working closely with the secretary of education -- he's got the hard job. You know, Secretary Cardona.

Here's what my administration is going to do to provide more breathing room for people so they have less burden by student debt.

And quite frankly, to fix the system itself, which, we came in and we both acknowledged was broken, in terms of -- anyway, there are three key factors we're going to do today.

First, we made incredible progress advancing America's economic recovery. We've wound down pandemic relief programs like the ones unemployment insurance and small businesses. It's time we do the same thing for student loans.

The student loan payments pause is going to end. It's going to end December 30th. I'm extending to December 31st, 2022, and it's going to end at that time. It's time for the payments to resume.

[14:55:08]

Second, my campaign for president, I made a commitment, I made a commitment that we would provide student debt relief, and I'm honoring that commitment today.

Using the authority Congress granted the Department of Education, we will forgive $10,000 in outstanding federal student loans. In addition, students who come from low-income families, which allowed them to qualify to receive a Pell Grant, will have their debt reduced $20,000.

Both of these targeted actions are for families who need it the most, working- and middle-class people hit especially hard during the pandemic making under $125,000 a year.

You make more than that, you don't qualify. No high income individual or high-income household on top of the 5 percent in the top 5 percent of incomes, by the way, will benefit from this action period.

In fact, about 90 percent of the eligible beneficiaries make under $75,000 as a family.

And here's what that means. If you make under $125,000, you get $10,000 knocked off your student debt. If you make under $125,000 a year, and you received a Pell Grant, you'll get an additional $10,000 knocked off that total for a total of $20,000 relief.

And 95 percent of the borrowers can benefit from these actions. That's 43 million people. Of the 43 million, over 60 percent are Pell Grant recipients. That's 27 million people who will get $20,000 in debt relief.

Nearly 45 percent can have their student debt fully cancelled. That's 20 million people who can start getting on with their lives.

All this means people can start finally crawl out from under that mountain of debt to get on top of their rent and their youths. To finally think about buying a home or starting a family or starting a business.

And by the way, when this happens, the whole economy is better off.

In the coming weeks, the Department of Education will lay out, in detail, a short and simple form to apply for this relief along with information when this application process opens.

By resuming student loan payments at the same time as we provide targeted relief, we're taking an economically responsible course. As a consequence, about $50 billion a year will start coming back into the treasury because of the resumption of debt.

Independent experts agree these actions taken together will provide real benefits for families, without meaningful effect on inflation.

Let's be clear. I hear it all the time, how do we pay for it? We pay for it by what we've done.

Last year, we cut the deficit by more than $350 billion. This year, we're on track to cut it by more than $1.7 trillion by the end of this fiscal year. The single largest deficit reduction in a single year in the history of America.

And the Inflation Reduction Act is going to cut it by $300 billion over the next decade because Medicare will be paying less for prescription drugs, and over a trillion dollars for the next two decades.

The point is this. There's plenty of deficit reduction to pay for the programs many times over.

I will never apologize for helping Americans working -- working Americans and middle class.

Especially not to the same folks who voted for a $2 trillion tax cut that mainly benefitted the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations that slowed the economy, didn't do a hell of a lot for economic growth, and wasn't paid for and racked up this enormous deficit.

Just as we've never apologized when the federal government forgave almost every single cent of over $700 billion in loans to hundreds of thousands of small businesses across America during the pandemic. No one complained that those loans caused inflation.

A lot of these folks and small businesses are working- and middle- class families. They needed help. It was the right thing to do.

So the outrage over helping working people with student loans I think is simply wrong. Dead wrong.

[14:59:55]

Third thing, we're fixing the student loan program system itself. We've talked about this at length. This is really important. We're proposing to make what's called an income-driven repayment plan simple and fair.