VIRTUAL DEBATE: Should America Forgive Student Debt?

Last month, President Biden announced he will not support the $50K in student debt forgiveness that many in his own party, including Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, have pushed for. Proponents of generous forgiveness packages like this say it would help level the playing field, stimulate the economy, unbridle graduates to pursue what they want, and offer a life-line during the pandemic. But others argue that it would balloon the federal deficit, waste taxpayer money, and benefit wealthy borrowers who don't need the help. On Thursday, March 25, nonpartisan debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. will host an invite-only preview screening of their latest debate, tackling the motion "Forgive Student Debt."

Arguing in favor of the motion are the Center for Responsible Lending's Federal Advocacy Director Ashley Harrington and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau veteran Dalié Jiménez. Arguing against it American Enterprise Institute resident scholar Beth Akers and Reason editor-at-large Nick Gillespie. Audience vote will determine the winner, based on which side's numbers improve the most between pre- and post-debate votes when the debate is released to the public.

The debate will be released publicly on Friday, March 26 via public radio, video and the Intelligence Squared U.S. podcast. However, there is a private preview screening on March 25 at 5:30pm ET that will include a live roundtable Q&A with debaters. Media can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for press access.

FOR THE MOTION - BIOS

* Ashley Harrington: Federal Advocacy Director and a Senior Counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending
Ashley Harrington is the Federal Advocacy Director and a Senior Counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. She also served as the director of the National Social Justice Program and was a member of the Public Policy and Government Affairs team. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, Ashley earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law, and was later awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for outstanding service to the law school community.

* Dalié Jiménez: Student Loan Law Initiative Director and Professor, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Dalié Jiménez is the Student Loan Law Initiative Director and Professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. She previously worked at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, working on debt-collection, debt-relief, credit reporting and student loan issues. Jiménez chairs the Association of American Law School's (AALS) Section on Consumer and Commercial Law as well as the Law & Society Association's Household Finance collaborative research network. She earned her juris doctorate at Harvard Law School.

AGAINST THE MOTION - BIOS

* Beth Akers: Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute 
Beth Akers is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on the economics of higher education. Previously, she was a is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, fellow at the Brookings Institution and a staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush. Akers is the co-author of "Game of Loans," and author of the forthcoming book "Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on Higher Education."

* Nick Gillespie: Editor-at-Large, Reason 
Nick Gillespie is the editor-at-large of Reason, the libertarian magazine of "free minds and free markets," and the host of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie. A two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards, he is co-author of "The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America."

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Their mission is to restore critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to American public discourse. The award-winning debate series reaches millions of viewers and listeners through multi-platform distribution, including public radio, podcasts, live streaming, newsletters, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps including Roku and Apple TV. With over 180 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008.

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