Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) issued the following statement responding to the Supreme Court’s Biden v. Nebraska decision, ruling President Biden’s plan to forgive $500 billion of student debt is unconstitutional:
“Forgiving tens of thousands of dollars in debt for those who haven’t made payments in years is insulting to the millions of Americans who have paid back every penny they borrowed,” said Johnson. “The cost of this debt forgiveness would be a baffling $500 billion or more. Our national debt is skyrocketing, and a policy like President Biden’s would only make it worse.”
Johnson has been opposed to the Administration’s policy to cancel student debt since it was announced. He has supported bills such as the Can’t Cancel Your Own Debt Act and the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act. In May, he voted to restart student debt payments.
South Dakota Senator John Thune also issued a statement:
“Not only was President Biden’s budget-busting student loan bailout fundamentally unfair, now it has been found unconstitutional,” said Thune. “Instead of putting together a real plan to lower the costs of higher education, President Biden put forward an unserious scheme to force 87 percent of Americans who do not have student loan debt to bear the costs of the 13 percent of Americans who do. Anyone frustrated by today’s decision should direct their complaints to the White House, where they knew this executive order would likely be struck down by the courts but did nothing whatsoever to meaningfully address exorbitant costs in higher education.”