Biden vetoes bill to overturn student loan forgiveness plan

President Biden has vetoed legislation that could overturn the student debt relief plan, leaving the fate of the program in the hands of the Supreme Court.

Biden tweeted on Wednesday, “Let’s pass a Congressional Republican-led bill that would block my administration’s plan to provide up to $20,000 in student debt relief for working and middle-class Americans. and said. “I will not stop helping hard working people.”

“Let me be very clear, I will never apologize for helping America’s working and middle class recover from this pandemic,” Biden said.

The president’s proposal, which has been a target for Republicans since it was first announced, will affect 40 million borrowers and receive $10,000 loan forgiveness and Pell subsidies for those earning less than $125,000 a year. will be granted a loan forgiveness of $20,000.

Overcoming Biden’s veto would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress, a standard that opponents of Mr. Biden’s efforts cannot reach.

“We are committed to providing affordable colleges and continuing to provide this important relief to borrowers as they work to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic,” Biden said in a statement Wednesday. He said he had vetoed the resolution.

Measures to prevent plans passed the Senate It passed the Republican-majority House of Representatives by a 52-46 vote this month, joining the Republicans with two Democrats.

In the Senate, Democrats Jon Tester (Montena) and Joe Manchin (WV) and independent Senator Kirsten Sinema (Arizona) joined the Republicans to vote against Biden’s proposal. threw.

The action was proposed as a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to override new rules and regulations. Senate Democrats were unable to block the bill because such bills are not subject to filibusters, and they did not need a supermajority of 60 to pass the bill.

The Supreme Court is still considering the plan, but a conservative majority is expected to reject it. At oral arguments in February, judges expressed skepticism that the Biden administration has the power to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans.

Biden officially announced plans in August After making student-loan tolerance a campaign promise and feeling pressure from progressives to act.

Progressives hailed the plan as a good first step toward a pardon, but moderate Democrats and Republicans expressed concern about the estimated cost to taxpayers of about $400 billion.

When the president announced the plan, he also announced that the pandemic-era student loan moratorium, introduced in March 2020 during the Trump presidency and extended several times since, would soon end.

end of pause was locked up Following the passage of a bipartisan debt ceiling agreement that includes a mandatory deadline of 60 days from June 30.

— Updated at 6:18pm