At least six states are seeking a temporary injunction to block President Biden’s student loan cancellation; a federal judge in Missouri will determine whether to temporarily stop the billion-dollar handout.
Attorneys from Republican-led states gave their arguments at a Wednesday hearing.
“Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina challenged the program, claiming that the Department of Education lacks the authority to cancel debt to this degree,” Fox News reports.
“What they’re trying to do is go around Congress, and this they can’t do,” Nebraska Solicitor General James Campbell told U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey at the hearing.
From Fox News:
Biden’s plan calls for the federal government to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt – $20,000 for Pell grant recipients – for borrowers who earn up to $125,000 a year or married couples who make up to $250,000. The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost about $400 billion over the next three decades.
The Justice Department is defending the program, arguing that it is supported by the HEROES Act, a 2003 law that allows the U.S. Secretary of Education to “waive or modify” provisions that apply to federal student loan programs in cases of national emergencies.
“COVID-19 is such an emergency,” the DOJ argued in a court filing.
More over at Fox News:
Federal judge considers whether to block Biden student loan handout https://t.co/8Jn4LHFZzx
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) October 13, 2022