WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Supreme Court ruled that President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is unlawful because Congress did not explicitly approve it.
In a 6-3 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts said the 2003 HEROES Act – which may provide relief for federal student loan recipients due to national emergencies – was not specific enough to allow Biden to release 43 million borrowers from the debt.
CONGRESS MUST AUTHORIZE
The court’s precedent “requires that Congress speak clearly before a department secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy,” Roberts wrote.
The high court used a legal argument called the “major questions doctrine,” stating that federal agencies do not have the authority to make sweeping policies that significantly impact the economy without express authorization from Congress.
WILL BIDEN’S POPULARITY PLUNGE FURTHER?
Student loan relief was a significant political promise that Biden made on the campaign trail in 2020, pledging relief to sway young voters. But the plan, which would have allowed eligible borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 in debt, would have cost taxpayers more than $400 billion.
The three leftist justices on the court issued a dissent. Justice Elena Kagan stated that the court had “exceeded its proper limited role in our nation’s governance.”
The ruling will put pressure on Biden’s campaign now that borrowers will have to begin monthly student loan payments at the end of August after the administration paused them during the so-called COVID-19 pandemic.
