Hillary Clinton Slams GOP for Ignoring College Debt at Debate

CLAREMONT, NH -- Hillary Clinton on Tuesday called out Republicans, and specifically Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, for “slashing" the investment in higher education and for ignoring the issue of college debt during the GOP primary debate.

"I bet some of you might have sat through four hours and 17 candidates of debate the other night. Really I admire you, greatly, for that,” Clinton said during a town hall at the River Valley Community College in Claremont, New Hampshire. "But if you go and look at those tapes there was not one word from one of those candidates about making college affordable or dealing with debt.”

Marco Rubio did make a mention of the need to improve higher education, but Clinton, who on Monday unveiled a $350 billion plan to make college more affordable and accessible, took aim at Walker.

“You take somebody like Governor Walker of Wisconsin who seems to be delighted in slashing the investment in higher education in his state,” she said. “Eliminating the opportunities for young people who are doctors or dentists to actually work in underserved areas in return for having their debts relieved; ending scholarships for poor kids; and most surprisingly to me, rejecting legislation that would have made it tax deductible for you, on your income tax, to deduct the amount of your loan payment."

"I don’t know why he wants to raise taxes on students,” Clinton continued, “But that’s the result when you don’t look for ways to help people, who are not sitting around asking for something, who are actually working hard every day to get ahead.”

Walker took to Twitter Tuesday to fight back against Clinton.

In a statement, Walker said Clinton was offering "the same bait and switch as President Obama, making promises to students while delivering higher tuition costs and tax increases," he said. "As governor, I froze college tuition at Wisconsin colleges four years in a row. Americans need a leader who delivers results not empty promises."

Walker is Clinton's latest target. In recent weeks, she and Jeb Bush have sparred over issues of women’s health and college affordability —- both in public venues, and online.

Late Monday night, the two began fighting on Twitter about Clinton’s college debt plan. They went back and forth, changing each other’s graphics and scribbling on each other’s campaign slogans.

The fight will continue Tuesday night, as Jeb Bush is expected to deliver a foreign policy speech blaming Clinton for the rise of ISIS.

The Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Additional reporting by Jordyn Phelps.