Ronald J. Hansen
Arizona Republic
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and two Democratic colleagues sided with Republicans to seek to cancel President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.
It comes as the debt-ceiling deal between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., requires restarting collection of such debts later this year.
[RELATED] How Sinema helped persuade Senate Republicans to move ahead on ceiling-debt deal
[RELATED] Business adding over 600 new jobs with help from Biden’s investments
Ending Biden’s plans to erase up to $20,000 for those making less than $125,000 annually faces an uncertain future. He is likely to veto the measure, which passed 52-46 in the Senate on Wednesday and narrowly cleared the House on party lines.
The Biden policy is also being challenged by Republican attorneys general in court.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., joined Sinema, I-Ariz., on a vote to block Biden’s plan that had the support of every Republican senator.
The student loan issue stands as an area separating Sinema from Democrats, whom she has worked with, along with Republicans, to avert a government default.
Sinema worked in tandem with Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on trying to keep the aims of a law boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing intact during the negotiations. But she parted ways with most in her former party on the issue of wiping out student loan debts.
.
