WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBOY) — Although the decision on whether or not the Biden Administration’s student loan cancellation plan will be upheld still lies with the Republican-majority Supreme Court, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said he voted against the plan on Wednesday because he thinks that the U.S. cannot afford to uphold it.
Biden’s plan, which is on hold pending a suit in the Supreme Court, aims to forgive $10,000 in federal student loan debt per qualifying borrower and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.
Manchin’s statement was made alongside his vote in favor of resolution 45, which expresses joint disapproval of the plan, and if passed, would nullify the rule that suspends federal student loan payments and discharges debt, regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Today I voted to repeal the Biden Administration’s student loan cancellation proposal because we simply cannot afford to add another $400 billion to the national debt. There are already more than 50 existing student loan repayment and forgiveness programs aimed at attracting individuals to vital service jobs, such as teachers, health care workers, and public servants. This Biden proposal undermines these programs and forces hard-working taxpayers who already paid off their loans or did not go to college to shoulder the cost. Instead, we should be focusing on bipartisan student debt reforms that reduce the cost of higher education and help all Americans.
Sen. Joe Manchin
The resolution has already passed in the House, but President Joe Biden has already said that if resolution 45 passes, he will veto it, according to the White House.
In addition to the cancellation plan, the student loan payment pause is being disputed as it made its way into the high-stakes debt ceiling deal on Wednesday.
