Biden Attends Fundraiser and Talks Student Debt Relief During Los Angeles Visit

President Biden visited Los Angeles Tuesday and Wednesday, attending a fundraiser in Beverly Hills and speaking about student loan forgiveness in Culver City.

Biden attended a fundraiser Tuesday night at the home of Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban. However, Saban and his co-host, Casey Wasserman, were unable to attend the event as they both reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. Biden wished them “the quickest recovery” during his remarks to the crowd.  

In his speech to supporters, which included actress Jane Fonda, Biden focused on the future and “finishing the job,” hitting on topics such as lowering drug prices, the Affordable Care Act, reproductive rights, the GOP and Donald Trump.

“Time and again, Republicans show they’re a party of chaos and disunion,” Biden said to the crowd. “They have no platform,” he later continued.

In his speech to the crowd, the president noted that he’s been “doing this a long time” and was hopeful for the future. “The fact of the matter is, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s chances,” he said. “Never.”

The fundraiser was not the president’s only stop while in Los Angeles. Biden visited the Julian Dixon Library in Culver City Wednesday afternoon, where he spoke about student loan forgiveness. He was accompanied by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Culver City Mayor Yasmine McMorrin.

During a speech at the library, Biden spoke about his SAVE plan, telling the crowd that his administration was “immediately canceling the debt loans for over 150,000 borrowers nearly six months ahead of schedule.”

“Starting today, we are canceling student debt for borrowers who are enrolled in the SAVE Plan and have been paying student loans for as little as 10 years,” Biden said. According to a release from the White House, the plan provides debt forgiveness to borrowers who have taken out $12,000 or less in student loans and have been in repayment for 10 years.

When questioned by reporters at the event, Biden assured that he was not worried about the plan getting shut down in court.