President Joe Biden’s proposal to reduce student loan debt has been blocked by a federal judge in Texas.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump appointee, ruled on Thursday that Biden’s debt relief program was unconstitutional and an overreach by the executive branch.
“In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone. Instead, we are ruled by a Constitution that provides for three distinct and independent branches of government,” Wrote Pittman in his decision. “The Court is not blind to the current political division in our country. But it is fundamental to the survival of our Republic that the separation of powers as outlined in our Constitution be preserved.”
This is not the first legal challenge faced by the Biden administration in its attempt to forgive student loans. The program was already technically on hold from a federal appeals court in October. That decision put a halt to the program until the appeals played out. This latest decision actually struck down the program altogether. The Biden Administration has already filed an appeal. It is anticipated by many that this will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court though as of now they have declined to hear the case.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says that this setback will not stop the administration from pursuing loan forgiveness.
“We are disappointed in the decision of the Texas court to block loan relief moving forward. Amidst efforts to block our debt relief program, we are not standing down. The Department of Justice has appealed today’s decision on our behalf, and we will continue to keep borrowers informed about our efforts to deliver targeted relief” said Cardona in a statement.
The student loan forgiveness program would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans for most eligible borrowers and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. The student loan forgiveness plan was meant to fulfill a campaign promise made by Joe Biden but has been challenged in court by conservatives who claim it is unfair to taxpayers.
[…] a campaign promise to forgive student loans. His effort to make good on that promise has created a legal battle at the federal level, a battle that probably will end at the U.S. Supreme Court. Forgiving ten to twenty thousand […]