Whitmer praises Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, local Republicans blast it

Politicians representing Monroe County stayed on their respective sides of the aisle in reacting to President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.

The plan will see most individual borrowers making less than $125,000 per year, and married couples who file taxes together and earn less than $250,000 per year qualify for $10,000 of forgiveness. Pell Grant recipients will receive up to $20,000 of forgiveness. The pause on all federal student loan repayments, interest and collections has also been extended through the end of the year.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, hailed the news, saying in a press release that, under the president's plan, up to half of Michiganders with federal student debt could have their loans cut in half or forgiven entirely.

“The decision to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients will make a real difference for 1.4 million Michiganders that have student loans, putting money back in their pockets,” Whitmer said. “Nearly 700,000 Michiganders will have their debt cut in half or eliminated entirely, lifting a huge burden off their backs. People can use these savings to buy a home, start a business, get married, or start a family. I will work with anyone to keep lowering the cost of higher education and offering more paths for Michiganders to earn a higher education tuition-free, without going into debt in the first place.”

But two Republicans representing Monroe County blasted the plan.

“President Biden’s student loan bailout scheme is fiscally irresponsible, highly inflationary, and legally indefensible," said Congressman Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. "It will cost billions and won’t pass constitutional muster. This unilateral decree is a direct insult to taxpayers who already repaid their loans or didn’t attend college in the first place. We need to work on responsible solutions to address the student loan crisis that protect students, borrowers, and taxpayers while expanding pathways to meaningful careers. In Monroe, we are fortunate to have a high-quality institution like Monroe County Community College that is preparing students with hands-on skills at a significantly lower cost.”

State Rep. Joe Bellino echoed much of Walberg's thoughts on the plan.

"Again the federal government is overreaching and being completely oblivious to hard-working American taxpayers...," Bellino, R-Monroe, said. "Obviously the President doesn't care about those that worked hard and paid back their obligation, or those that went to community college to make sure they were not over-borrowing to further their education. But it doesn't surprise me that Biden is pandering to his progressive, socialist base - it's the only support he has."

The White House's announcement of the plan said that an application will soon be made available for borrowers to apply for the forgiveness program. However, it also noted that borrowers for whom the Department of Education already has income information should be automatically eligible.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Whitmer praises Biden's student loan plan, local Republicans blast it