The Story
A group of six states won their appeal to block President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan that was announced earlier this fall. The states have argued that Biden overstepped his authority with the move and that they will suffer financial harm. While they lost their initial challenge to a federal judge in Missouri, they were handed a victory by a U.S. Appeals Court that agreed to block the move pending a response from the White House.
The states involved in the challenge include Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Carolina. All the states offer student loans tied to their government, and they believe this program will result in the money from that money disappearing. It’s estimated that 2.8 million people from these states have already filed for the forgiveness program.
The White House claims the states did not demonstrate real financial damage, and they plan to appeal the ruling quickly. An appeal will likely shed more light on the state’s claims and go a long way in swaying the American public.
Significance
Approximately twenty million people have applied for the program already, but their claims will be on hold until the court challenge is resolved. While only six states are involved in the challenge, the hold applies to everyone. This victory for the opposition will likely lead to more challenges being filed and the forgiveness being delayed for months.
This delay will prove significant with the midterms next month and this being one of President Biden’s big campaign promises. It could spell doom for Democrats across the country if they cannot overcome these legal challenges.
What’s Next?
The White House will appeal the ruling, hoping for a speedy ruling that will allow the program to continue before people head to the polls. You can also expect this ruling to spark even more challenges to the plan, leaving its future murky for the time being.
While the court cases will slow the process down, the results of the upcoming elections will likely ultimately decide the future of Biden’s plan.
