Nebraska AG blames Biden, borrowers for getting hopes up despite actively getting loan forgiveness canceled

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) blamed President Joe Biden and borrowers for getting the country’s hopes up about student loan debt relief after he helped litigate to defeat Biden’s student loan relief plan.

The Supreme Court of the United States delivered a decision in the Biden v. Nebraska case on Friday that struck down Biden’s plan to provide sweeping student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers. Despite the fact that Hilgers was one of the litigants against the plan in the case, he puts the blame on Biden for the relief not happening and for expectations being too high for borrowers.

Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers (R), a litigant against student loan relief, says he has “a lot empathy for those struggling” but blames President Biden and borrowers for getting their hopes up:

“Frustrations might have bubbled up … because of false expectations.” pic.twitter.com/smx3qqvYDI

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) June 30, 2023

Even though he said he emphasized with borrowers who felt betrayed by the Court’s ruling, he said they would eventually be grateful for the decision.

“I would say for those individuals who are directly impacted by the policy not being invalidated today by the Supreme Court, I would say I think there will be a day — I think that it’s almost inevitable, whether it’s in a year or two or five years or ten years — somewhere in our lifetime, I think that we’ll look back and have gratitude on maybe another policy that we didn’t like but grateful that this principle was reaffirmed,” Hilgers said at a press conference. “Because a future president won’t be able to do, in an analogous circumstance, what this president tried to do. And I think we’ll all be grateful for that in the years to come.”

The conservative majority on the court ruled 6-3 that the 2003 HEROES Act does not authorize Biden’s $400 billion debt forgiveness plan. The three liberal justices dissented and harshly disagreed with the majority for yet another overreaching decision delivered by Republican-appointed justices.

“I’m every respect, the court today exceeds its proper, limited role in our Nation’s governance,” said Justice Elena Kagan in dissent.

Six Republican led states in the mostly in the Midwest (Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina) brought the case to the SCOTUS and argued that Congress alone should have the authority to cancel student loan debt. They also contended that the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education were abusing emergency authority.

Biden’s plan was announced last August and it would have erased $20,000 of federal student loan debt for borrowers who received a Pell grant and up to $10,000 for others. Biden said Friday that he will use the Higher Education Act to pursue loan forgiveness, even though he conceded it would take longer than the original plan.