(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson — a critic of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan — supports the new debt relief program for farmers.  “I see those programs as fundamentally different,” Hinson says. The U-S-D-A is providing one-point-three BILLION in debt relief to 36-thousand farmers who face foreclosure or have fallen far behind in loan payments. “That plan is different from the student loan debt plan,” Hinson says. “The student loan debt plan is just a transfer of those dollars. It’s handout to people who may be making more than someone or someone who chose not to go to college has to pay off someone else’s debt that they legally incurred and signed on the dotted line.” Hinson says it’s important to take into the financial pressures on farmers.

“Their input costs are up about 300% — some of them have told me that,” Hinson says, “and that is a huge increase in not only their input costs, but their break even costs.” Hinson made her comments this (Friday) morning with a conference call with Iowa reporters before leaving for her first public event this week. Hinson was admitted to a hospital in Cedar Rapids Sunday for treatment of a kidney infection and released Tuesday. Hinson told reporters this (Friday) morning she feels much better.

“I’m on the road to recovery and I’m so grateful for all the incredible doctors and nurses at UnityPoint (the Cedar Rapids hospital where she was treated),” Hinson says. “…I’m doing great and I’m ready to get out and hit the road.” Hinson, seeking reelection to a second term in the U.S. House, faces Democrat Liz Mathis, of Hiawatha, in Iowa’s new second congressional district which includes Mason City and Dubuque as well as Cedar Rapids.