Almost half of U.S. governors ask Joe Biden to cut student loan forgiveness plan

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NPR

By AYANA ARCHIE

Nearly half of the country's governors have signed off on a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to withdraw his student loan forgiveness plan that would cancel up to $20,000 for federal aid borrowers.

"As governors, we support making higher education more affordable and accessible for students in our states, but we fundamentally oppose your plan to force American taxpayers to pay off the student loan debt of an elite few..." the governors said in a letter dated Monday.

The governors, all Republicans, argue that the lowest income Americans will be paying the debts of doctors, lawyers and professors "with the most debt, such as $50,000 or more..."

Though, Biden's plan caps relief at $20,000 for those who received Pell grants – awarded to low-income students – and $10,000 for students who did not get Pell grants in college. Additionally, individuals who make more than $125,000 are not eligible for the one-time relief.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2022/09/13/1122613813/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-states

---

The letter: https://www.rga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Joint-Governors-Letter-Opposing-the-Biden-Student-Loan-Forgiveness-Plan-9-12-22.pdf

[underpants]

1. Maybe I need more coffee but this makes absolutely no sense to me

Shifting the burden of debt from the wealthy to working Americans has a regressive impact that harms lower income families. Borrowers with the most debt, such as $50,000 or more, almost exclusively have graduate degrees, meaning hourly workers will pay off the master’s and doctorate degrees of high salaried lawyers, doctors, and professors.

[JohnSJ]

2. Who cares what these grandstanding anti-women, racist, trump supporting POS think

[Handler]

29. Well said. Spot on.

[iluvtennis]

47. x2. n/t

[Mysterian]

3. Fuck 'em

Bunch of trump cultists.

[Magoo48]

74. Fuck em' indeed.

Hell, he should double down on the rescued amounts. And, forgiveness is bullshit. Portions will be cancelled. The paper holders of these extortionist, loanshark inspired “loans” ought to beg the defrauded for forgiveness for their greedy, larcenous ways.

[speak easy]

4. "we support making higher education more affordable ... but"

'We are not racists ... but'

[tblue37]

10. "we support making higher education more affordable ... but"

we have no plans to do so.

[louis-t]

12. "We need to look at our mental health problems, but

we won't do anything about that, either."

[ZonkerHarris]

69. each of them needs to be asked by reporters how they will do this. Plan please...

[Traildogbob]

5. I'm guessing

None of these governors are eligible, based on their salaries. Giving them a boo boo. Fuck em all.

[Biophilic]

6. It's a strickly political move. Do these dufuses ever think about actually governing their states?

[SheltieLover]

17. Nope. Just grifting.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. RePuQ's are completely addicted to bullshit and gaslighting

The bill SPECIFICALLY does not apply to the 'Elite Few' due to its cap at $125K annual income. But they're still gonna front and act like it does because they're lying pieces of human garbage.

And BTW assholes, how are you going to accomplish this:

"we support making higher education more affordable and accessible"

Without taxpayers bearing the burden for your 'elite few'?

Oh, that's right, I'm sure it's the RePuQ solution for basically everything ... break the unions, and pay people less.

I hate these people. And I don't even have student debt cause I luckily went to college when it was affordable. Thanks to the taxpayers.

[Diamond_Dog]

59. I don't have to pay back any student loans

And neither do my three sons,

And I support Biden’s loan forgiveness program.

These GOPukes say they support making higher education affordable. What are they actually doing about it? Zilch! Why didn’t they cry about wasteful spending when Asshole wanted billions for his worthless wall?

Biden should tell these clowns that if they want to opt their states out of the loan forgiveness money, go right ahead. Then send every eligible recipient in their state a letter from the Federal government saying, “Sorry, but your loan forgiveness money has been rescinded, because your Governor thinks it’s wasteful spending.” Do you think these hammerheads would risk the outrage politically?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

62. We're on the same page OG :) nt

Funny, I started typing 'We're', and the auto-fill popped up with that lol ...

[Diamond_Dog]

68. Of course!

[Farmer-Rick]

8. Hmmmm, so where is their letter complaining about all those millions of PPP loan forgiveness?

We tax payers paid for their millions Too.

The lowest income Americans paid for Matt Gatz's, Majority Taylor's and Kushner's loan forgiveness too. But they don't seem to be squealing about all those loans being forgiven. Hmmm, I wonder why?

Why is it just student loan forgiveness that makes them write weird and nonsensical letters?

[spooky3]

23. An excellent point. Nt

[machoneman]

9. Gee, only R governors. One would think an election was around the corner. This is a very dumb move..

..on their part. How many are up for election this cycle? This gives Democratic opponents an edge to exploit. I can hardly believe they think this was a good move.

Oh, and I love the part where they claim Pres. Biden does not have the authority to forgive those loans. This seems to be the new thing: when your losing the argument, claim the Pres., Democrats, et al, don't have authority to do squat. Ah, but they agree with TFG that even as an ex-president, he still retains broad and sweeping powers to declassify top secret files and literally do whatever he wants.

Amazing, eh?

[McKim]

27. Young people will remember this!

Young people will remember this! Hopefully this will encourage the Blue Wave in November. It is a real “. Screw you, I got mine!” A message from the very comfortable to our struggling younger people! Thanks guys for helping we Democrats in November!

[JohnSJ]

11. Title should be changed to republican governors

[Rebl2]

16. Yes it should

[SheltieLover]

18. +1

[AllaN01Bear]

13. and yes dear, they want to keep us in hock and pass the debt to our children and grand kids.

[Farmer-Rick]

21. You can't inherit debt......yet

Not in the US anyway. You have to sign the loan to be responsible for having to pay it back. Collection agencies would like you to think you have to pay back relatives' loans.

All the loan holder can do is take the assets of your estate when you die. They can't turn around and claim your children, your parents or even your spouse has to pay the debt. Except if they signed the loan agreement too or want the assets the loan covers like a mortgage on a house.

[MichMan]

42. The cost of the forgiveness is being added to the national debt

Doesn't that mean it is being transferred to someone else to deal with in the future? That would include peoples children and grandchildren, would it not?

[Farmer-Rick]

64. Ohhh, I see what you mean.

I thought you meant personal debt.

But honestly, we could easily as a country pay off our national debt, as long as we keep voting in Democrats.

[Farmer-Rick]

65. Well thanks for the info.

I had no idea a spouse would have to pay the debt of the other one, even if the spouses name is Not on the loan.

When my spouse passed away, my spouse had co-signed a loan that the primary payer had defaulted on. I was going to honor that debt but the bank said I wasn't on the loan documents and could not give me any information on it. Not even what the monthly payments on the loan were.

How can I pay something I don't have any info on? The bank said I couldn't. It's been five years, they never charged me for the debt and it never showed up on my credit report. Maybe it was a fluke.

[Evolve Dammit]

37. indentured servitude in perpetuity. The good old days for the extremely wealthy.

[patphil]

14. I guess the loan forgiveness gives money to the wrong "elite few".

Republicans are more interested in tax "forgiveness" for an elite few large corporations and wealthy donors, where the money they give to these people, in the form of massive tax breaks, runs in the millions, tens of millions, and up into the billions.

Helping middle and lower class people is beneath them.

[ArizonaLib]

15. Ha! Sounds like affordable education works!

Doctors? Lawyers? Let those doctors and lawyers complain about paying taxes. Paying more taxes means they are thriving.


Those republican governors need affordable education - they don't know how tax systems work or maybe they oppose our market system?

[BradAllison]

19. BUT we're greedy fucks who serve our Republican handmaidens.....

[NCjack]

20. Pres. Joe knows the score. Screw those governors and continue the loan forgiveness.

[Botany]

22. "The governors, all Republicans ...."

Fuck 'em. They don't want this program because it will be popular.

[HillbillyDaoist]

24. "For an elite few"?!?

These fascist rethug assholes have no clue. That party is filled with so much corruption and hate towards the average American. I hope they all go down in fucking flames. GO DARK BRANDON!!

[DURHAM D]

25. It is my understanding that the debt is not actually "paid off".

Period

[Joinfortmill]

26. This is a red herring. They're trying to taint a very popular program. 'F' them.

[sinkingfeeling]

28. Hey, DNC put that in a TV ad .

[SledDriver]

30. Now it's doctors and lawyers?

What happened to basket weaving?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

63. Lol ... right?

Could've sworn last week their story was it's 'Gay African Women's Underwater Basket Weaving' these freeloaders were supposedly all studying.

When you have to deal with compulsive liars and gaslighters, this is the bullshit you get, all day long.

Zero intellectual integrity, nor shame over their blatant hypocrisy, ever.

[raccoon]

31. Mighty funny these Republican governors are concerned about doing this for the "elite few "

Mighty funny these Republican governors are concerned about doing this for the “elite few “

But Republican lawmaker sure had no damn problem giving the rich, I mean, the “elite few” a tax cut right after the Dotard got in office.

[BumRushDaShow]

32. "The governors, all Republicans"

Cased closed.

Agree to remove MY "taxpayer dollars" from the subsidies given to ExxonMobil that had a record almost $20 billion in profits last quarter! Not "year", "QUARTER". THEN maybe we'll "talk".

[ananda]

33. What assholes. So begrudging of helping others who need it.

nt

[riversedge]

35. these govs ARE Republican Govs-so yes, a**holes but not surprising

[riversedge]

34. Almost half of U.S. #Republican governors ask Joe Biden to cut student loan forgiveness plan

Title now corrected

[OneCrazyDiamond]

43. How's about this.

A majority of us governors want the student loan forgiveness program.

[slightlv]

36. I'm sorry, but my daughter

is nobody's "elite" few of anything or anybody; and she deserves a break. She is raising three boys by herself and works all the time. She deserves a break and a little peace of mind, same as these "elite few" of which these repug governors speak. Man, those with the money and power just hate to see us "little people" get any of the crumbs, don't they?

[Initech]

38. Didn't even need to click on it to guess which half.

[Steve Canuck]

39. Heres an idea.

How about those governors convince their Republican congreemen to vote in affordable education, and then when higher education isn't a ripoff, then and only then, dems would consider removing student loan forgiveness.

[vlyons]

40. Just more lying Republicans

GOP govs lying that the student debt relief goes to the "elite." Merely a political move to nurture MAGAT resentment. God will those people ever stop lying? I wish I had a magic wand to make all their lying tongues fall out.

[Scalded Nun]

41. How about another idea for those GOP assholes

Instead of making your state's residents continuously pay taxes to support the essentially 'no-tax' environment you provide for businesses in your state, how about making them pay a fair share? You speak to low-income earners paying for the loans of higher-earners. Well, those same low-earners are now (and have been) paying for the millions/billions businesses reap yearly and get nothing to show for it except bullshit health-care (if that much), non-existent social safety nets and persecution of women and non-white males.

If you do not get your way you will fuck with Biden all you can. If you do get your way with Biden you will fuck with him all you can. The difference between the 2? Student loan victims get relief you would never provide for them on your own.

Fuck the GOP.

[WinstonSmith4740]

44. Not to state the obvious or anything.

But it does appear that the entire Republican party has lost what little is left of its fucking collective mind. Between this lunacy and this: https://democraticunderground.com/100217151024 they are choosing to double down on the most unpopular stances out there. Maybe they've seen the writing on the wall and have decided to self destruct.
One can only hope.

[SWBTATTReg]

49. I hope that all of these students, who are republicans to begin with, will realize that their

own party wants to cut them off from any help too, w/ the student loans and such that would be forgiven in part or all.

Remember that and then in the future, vote like your future is at stake. It literally is at stake.

They (republicans) of course have no quarrel in helping the 1%ers or the like save an obscene amount of money on their taxes, but when it comes to helping struggling students in paying off their student debt, forget it.

[elleng]

50. Ignorant pieces of crap!

(Pardon my 'french,' please.)

[mn9driver]

51. Force...taxpayers...elite...

Partisan GOP bullshit words parroted by a collection of partisan GOP bullshitters.

That is all.

[PSPS]

52. "The governors, all Republicans..." -- says it all

[Emile]

53. Well we'll just have to tax the rich to pay for it.

[dchill]

54. "Nearly half of the country's governors..."

Dear NPR: "Nearly half" is not "more than half" or even "half." It's actually less than half. Don't play this like it's some kind of legitimate power play. In this Trumpified time, "nearly half" is LOSING! Just like Trump in an election!

Biden won. Big time, assholes.

[Democrats_win]

55. Note: GOP has tried to sabotage higher education for many years.

They cut funding to state colleges, and it was Reagan who began the war on non-loan Federal funding of higher education. Of course they're against the plan!

[Ford_Prefect]

56. GOP slanders working people again!!!!!!

The GOP and certain Democrats are in the pocket of banking and investment industries. This request is complete bull and is intended to shame those most in need of relief. It also pushes the Guilt button for the GOP base.

[867-5309.]

57. I stopped reading at "all republicans"

n/t

[Javaman]

58. almost half is not half or more than half.

fuck them, they are still the minority.

[tishaLA]

60. The headline should be

"REPUB governors ask PRES. Biden to cut student loan forgiveness plan"

[C Moon]

61. C'mon NPR. You know the headline should just read "GOP Governors ask..."

[cstanleytech]

66. The loan forgiveness is very limited so the objections over it are absurd.

I might understand if it was someone pulling in 400k a year that owes 120k but its not even close to that in the amount it forgives and it has an income cap for who can apply for it.

[sarcasmo]

67. Let me fix the headline. Half of U.S. Governors are Assholes.

[DJ Porkchop]

70. If you think this debt relief program will cost us...

Try NOT cancelling it, and see what that costs.

What will saddling 42 million Americans with $1.75 trillion do instead?

[LT Barclay]

71. I think what they are really saying is "stop helping the common person, you're hurting our chances

in the next presidential election".

[kimbutgar]

72. The Biden administration should tell those Republican governors they can reject the loan

Foregivenss and then make commercials on the internet and social media saying those Republican governors don’t want its citizens to have student loan forgiveness. Put it back on those repuke governors.

[FreepFryer]

73. how about fuck you in your governing little asses (nt)