Episode 132 Audio: Ro Khanna

This week, we’ve got an exciting debate with Representative Ro Khanna, who joins the show to share his perspective on Biden’s debt relief plan, progressives’ endorsement of Biden, and much more. Congressman Khanna has emerged as a leading elected critic of the Biden administration’s slow and incremental approach to student debt relief in the wake of a Supreme Court Ruling which struck down their initial efforts. Following the Supreme Court decision, we’ve been tracking Biden’s attempts (and lack thereof) to use executive power to follow through on the promises he made to working people on the campaign trail. How do these attempts measure up?

We also just watched the former vanguard of the elected progressive left, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, endorsing President Biden for reelection. We press Congressman Khanna on why he and the Squad and Senator Sanders all jumped in early to back Biden. Their decision to endorse is not only at odds with the left but at odds with a Democratic base that overwhelmingly says they want a contested primary including debates. Our conversation with Representative Khanna gives us a sense of why he and other progressives in Congress are publicly putting their weight behind the incumbent — and we also share our thoughts on why doing otherwise might be a stronger choice for the progressive movement. You can hear it all here and on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

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