WSDCC Wrap-up August 26, 2022

Posted on August 26, 2022

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Click on the image to play the video.

Democrats have delivered yet again.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced his administration’s three-part plan to provide targeted student debt relief to working- and middle-class families, and give people breathing room as they prepare to resume student loan payments following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It will: 

  • Provide up to $20,000 in debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 in debt cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. Borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year or households earning less than $250,000 are eligible for debt cancellation.
  • Extend the federal student loan pause a final time through Dec. 31, 2022, to provide borrowers a smooth transition back to repayment.
  • Make the student loan system more manageable for current and future borrowers by cutting monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans and holding schools accountable when they hike up prices.

This is a crucial step forward in relieving students and families from debt, as nearly 90% of relief dollars will go to borrowers earning less than $75,000 per year, helping those who need it most. A post-high school education should be a ticket to the middle class. But college costs have skyrocketed and too many borrowers can’t afford to buy a home, start a business, or save for retirement.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 783,000 Washingtonians carried a total of $28.2 billion in student loan debt as of March 31. Of those residents, about 415,000 had up to $20,000 in debt, and about 249,000 had $10,000 or less. Now, thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, hundreds of thousands of these borrowers will be eligible for forgiveness.

The president’s plan also will make a real difference for current and future students. With the proposed changes to income-based repayment, the average borrower will save over $1,000 per year on loan payments, and the typical college borrower will see their loan payments cut in half.

More information will be available to borrowers in the coming weeks to find out whether they qualify for debt cancellation and more details on the proposed revamp to the repayment program. You can sign up to be notified when this information is available at studentaid.gov/debtrelief.

In just a matter of weeks, Democrats have taken bold, historic actions to combat the climate crisis, lower health care and energy costs, create good-paying jobs, and now student debt cancellation. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said it best: “This is what it looks like when you put people over politics!”

This is exactly why the state party works so hard to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, so we have elected leaders who pass meaningful, progressive policy, which moves us toward a better, fairer, and brighter future for every Washingtonian. 

You’ll find a list of volunteer opportunities below — join our efforts today.

DEMOCRATS IN THE NEWS

Internal emails show WA Republicans fell far short of legislative primary targets

In a dozen state House races identified by the GOP as top pickup opportunities, none of the candidates backed by the House GOP’s campaign arm reached 48% in the primary.

UW professor outlines how states went from laboratories of democracy to working against it

Washington had one of the two biggest swings toward democracy of any state since 2000, driven largely by reforms — all-mail voting, same-day voter registration, online voter registration — that have made it easier to vote.

ICYMI: Washington Democrats Help Pass Inflation Reduction Act, Signed into Law Last Week

The Inflation Reduction Act will lower costs for working families, and marks the single greatest investment in the fight to combat climate change in U.S. history.

Find additional news items and more on our website and social media.

STAFF CORNER

This week, we welcomed Marie Ann Sabangan to our team! She is serving as the state party’s development coordinator, helping ensure we have the necessary resources to get out the vote in every race and every place in Washington state ahead of the midterm.

Marie is a recent graduate from the University of Washington in Seattle, where she majored in communication with a minor in art history. She is passionate about bringing awareness to underrepresented communities, diversity, equity, and inclusivity. During Marie’s free time, she loves to spend it with her dog, Estrella, going on walks.

We are so excited to have Marie on board, and can’t wait to see what she’ll accomplish here!

Want to join our team, or know of someone who’d make a great addition? 
Current openings:

Visit wa-democrats.org/jobs to learn more.

GET INVOLVED

For the week of Aug. 27 to Sept. 2:

Learn more of what’s happening in your neck of the woods and sign up for event alerts HERE. 

From now until November, we have to mobilize every Democratic voter in Washington state — and we need your help to accomplish that. Join our incredible team of volunteers!

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude,

Washington State Democratic Party
Donate

The work we do today wins elections this November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. 


Want to support our work year round? Join Blue Washington, our monthly giving program! It is the most effective way to help candidates, volunteers, organizers, activists, and staff because it gives us the certainty we need to scale up our program with confidence. Your monthly investment ensures we can defend our strong legislative majorities, flip key congressional seats from red to blue, and fight for progressive values. Help us lead the way to victories at all levels of government today!

The work we do today wins elections in November. If you’re ready to elect Democrats in every race and every place in Washington state, invest in our efforts and make a contribution now. Consider supporting our work year round by joining our monthly giving program, Blue Washington!

Washington State Democrats
PO Box 4027
Seattle, WA 98194
United States