Biden appeals to Sanders’ base

Former Vice President Joe Biden released proposals Thursday to expand student debt forgiveness and lower the Medicare eligibility age. He hopes to gain support from the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party now that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has exited the presidential race.

How progressive are his proposals? If elected president, Biden said he would drop the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60, still far short of Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan. Biden also said he would forgive student debt for low-income and middle-class students who attended public or historically black colleges and universities and underfunded minority-serving institutions. Sanders wanted to make all public colleges and universities free for students whose families made less than $125,000. Biden is expected to name a committee to vet potential running mates next week. He already has committed to choosing a woman to join him on the ticket.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read my article in The Stew on the growing socialist faction in the Democratic Party.