After the recent controversial affirmative action ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has ruled against President Joseph Biden’s (D) plan to forgive up to $400 billion in student debt.
In another 6-3 ruling, SCOTUS ruled that Pres. Biden’s use of the HEROES Act was not within his power. The lawsuit was brought to the court by six states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina) who stated that Biden was overstepping his power.
The President has pledged to eradicate student debt using an alternative route.
“I’m announcing today a new path consistent with today’s ruling to provide student debt relief as quickly as possible. We will ground this new approach in a different law than my original plan with the Higher Education Act,” said Biden.
According to NerdWallet, the HEA allows the Education Secretary to waive the loans without specific requirements, such as a national emergency, and it has been used before, such in the case of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-driven repayment programs, where eligible borrowers’ debt is erased after they make payments for an allotted period of time. Moreover, it is for full-time employees of federal, state, local and tribal governments or not-for-profit organizations.
Because of the lack of specific requirements, the HEA differs from the HEROES ACT.
Many voters and U.S. Representatives have commented on the hypocrisy of the court, while also criticizing its legitimacy.
Texas Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D) offered words of hope in the midst of his disappointment.
"I am disappointed and disheartened at the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Student Loan Forgiveness. This doesn’t stop the fight, Congress has the power to lift the burden of student loans from borrowers. We must keep pushing for legislative solutions to this issue,” said Rep. Gonzalez.
I am disappointed and disheartened at the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Student Loan Forgiveness. This doesn’t stop the fight, Congress has the power to lift the burden of student loans from borrowers. We must keep pushing for legislative solutions to this issue.
— Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (@RepGonzalez) June 30, 2023
Biden stated that he believed that the court misinterpreted the Constitution.
The interpretation of the law has caused critics to question SCOTUS’s ruling. Furthermore, they have drawn comparisons to the many wealthy business owners who had their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans forgiven during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was trying to provide students with $10,000 to $20,000 in relief,” said Biden.
“The average amount forgiven in the PPP program was $70,000…the hypocrisy is stunning."
