MOORESTOWN, NJ — Burlington County businessowner and Republican candidate for Congress Bob Healey today issued the following statement:

“I was fortunate. My father built a successful company and when it came time for college, I didn’t need to worry about loans. But, my wife Bobbi did… and so do countless friends, as well as a number of our 1,600 employees at Viking.

There is no doubt that higher education debt is a real issue and we need to find ways to bring down the cost of getting an education so it is accessible to everyone who wants it. But, asking hardworking taxpayers who sacrificed and saved to pay off their loans – or the nearly 60% of New Jersey residents who never went to college – to shoulder the burden of this, likely illegal vote-buying scheme by President Biden utilizing an executive order, is wrong and I oppose it. A working class family or senior on a fixed income should not be paying off the college loans of a couple making $249,999 a year. Congressman Kim votes with President Biden 100% of the time, so I won’t hold my breath waiting for him to oppose this, but the voters of this district need to know there is a clear difference between us on this issue.

Let me provide an example: John graduates high school and takes out a loan for $50,000 to start his plumbing company. He buys plenty of expensive tools, a work truck, and learns a trade. Chris graduates high school and chooses to take out a loan for $50,000 to go to college to study liberal arts. John works for 5 years to build and pay for his investment. Chris graduates from college with a debt he can’t afford to pay. Chris gets his debt forgiven by Joe Biden. John’s taxes go up to pay for Chris’s unpaid debts. John then gets audited by 1 of the 87,000 new IRS agents, and has to prove his truck and tools are actual work expenses. Welcome to America under Joe Biden.”