LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas leaders are joining their voices to those coming out against the federal student loan debt forgiveness plan announced Wednesday.

President Joe Biden says the new program aims to lower student loan debt for those making under $125,000 per year.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson came out against the Biden plan a couple hours after the announcement, citing, as others have done, what he called “unfairness” in the proposed program.

“Broad student loan ‘forgiveness’ is a misuse of executive authority. Shifting the burden from those who willingly took out a loan to all taxpayers is inconsistent with the American ideal of personal responsibility and will further discourage those who took a different path, including work or lower-cost schools.  If President Biden anted to provide relief to Americans with student loan debts, he could work to permanently lower interest rates instead of across-the-board forgiveness. ‘Forgiving’ student loan debts will reward high-cost schools and add to the inflated cost of higher education.”

Gov. Asa Hutchinson

Hutchinson has indicated a willingness to run for president in 2024. He is term-limited in his current role and will leave the capitol in January of 2023, when his successor is sworn into office.

The governor is among the many Republican lawmakers coming out against the new plan. Within hours of Biden’s announcement, members of the Arkansas delegation came out against the plan, predominantly citing its being unfair to those not in debt.