His administration suffered a devastating blow from SCOTUS
‘I didn’t give any false hope’:
President Biden lashed out at Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who pressed him on why he gave “false hope” to Americans who believed they would receive a student loan handout through his executive order, which was struck down by the Supreme Court.
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On Friday, the court ruled in a 6-3 decision that federal law does not allow Biden’s education secretary to cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt.
Following his comments in response to the ruling, Heinrich asked the president why he had given millions of borrowers “false hope,” citing his past comments questioning his own authority to enforce the order without Congress.
“I didn’t give any false hope,” Biden responded sternly. “The question is whether I will do more than what is asked of me. What I have done is what I thought was appropriate and could do and complete.”
“I didn’t give false hope, but the Republicans took away the hope they were given. And it’s real, real hope,” he added.
As Heinrich points out, Biden himself expressed doubt about his own ability to enact the student loan repeal without congressional approval, saying in February 2021, “I don’t think I have the authority to do it by signing it [with a pen].”
The Supreme Court appeared to agree with Biden, at least for now.
“The Secretary’s plan cancels nearly $430 billion in federal student loan balances, completely eliminates the debt of 20 million borrowers, and lowers the median amount for the remaining 23 million from $29,400 to $13,600,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “Six states sued, arguing that the HEROES Act did not authorize a debt cancellation plan. We agree.”
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in the majority opinion said in July 2021, “People think the president of the United States has the power to cancel the debt. He doesn’t.”
The order, known as the HEROES Act, provides the federal government with up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for people making less than $125,000 a year and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.
Over Republican objections, Biden made an unprecedented push for debt cancellation in August 2022, and his administration approved nearly 16 million applications before the program was suspended for judicial review.
Republicans argue that Biden does not have the authority to unilaterally forgive student loans. Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office put Biden’s plan at a cost to taxpayers of about $400 billion. Republicans were outraged at the whole thing, arguing that the pardon would be unfair to those who paid their way through college, repaid their loans, or never attended college in the first place.
Biden vowed Friday that his administration would keep fighting despite the devastating legal blow.