AG Rutledge sues Biden administration over student loan debt forgiveness

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Thursday (Sept. 29) a lawsuit against President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the U.S. Department of Education.

The lawsuit claims they violated federal law when the Biden administration announced in August it would cancel student loan debt.

President Biden’s August executive order would cancel $10,000 in debt for those earning less than $125,000 per year and $20,000 for those who had received Pell grants for low-income families.

The AG’s lawsuit alleges that Biden violated federal law, the constitutional principle of separation of powers, and the Administrative Procedure Act when he “skirted Congressional authority to implement this policy.”

“President Biden’s unlawful political play puts the self-wrought college-loan debt on the backs of millions of hardworking Americans who are struggling to pay their utility bills and home loans in the midst of Biden’s inflation,” Rutledge said. “President Biden does not have the power to arbitrarily erase the college debt of adults who chose to take out those loans.”

Joining Arkansas in the lawsuit are the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina.

Rutledge is the Republican nominee for Arkansas Lt. Governor. She is running against Democratic nominee Kelly Krout and Libertarian nominee Frank Gilbert.