Ohio Sen. JD Vance, former President Trump's pick for his running mate, has emerged as a vocal critic of the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan. President Biden's proposal aimed to cancel a portion of student loan debt for borrowers earning up to $125,000 a year, a move that faced strong opposition from Republicans.
Sen. Vance, in his 2022 U.S. Senate race against Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan, strongly opposed the student loan handout, labeling it as a 'massive windfall to the rich, college-educated, and university administrators.' He argued that forgiving student debt would unfairly burden Ohio workers with paying off loans for Harvard Law students.
Following his Senate victory, Vance cosponsored a bill to reject the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness regulation, which ultimately failed to override President Biden's veto. Legal challenges to the proposal led to the Supreme Court blocking the plan in June 2023, prompting the White House to pursue alternative, legally sound proposals.
In addition to his stance on student loans, Vance introduced a bill named Domenic and Ed's Law in May, aiming to reform other aspects of federal student loans. Despite the setbacks faced by his efforts to block the student loan forgiveness plan, Vance remains committed to advocating for reforms in the student loan system.