Staff Reports
Republican attorneys general from states like Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio have decided to throw a legal monkey wrench into President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plans, claiming the administration has turned into the student debt version of a game show host, just giving away money without regard for rules. The latest lawsuit filed aims to disrupt what Democrats consider a cornerstone of Biden’s campaign – the promise to wipe away student debt and, in doing so, curry favor with an increasingly disgruntled electorate.
In the aftermath of a Supreme Court ruling that left Biden’s initial student loan relief plan in shambles, the administration hastily slapped together a new, more modest scheme. This new plan is less about waving a financial magic wand and more about lowering monthly payments and providing a sliver of forgiveness to about 27.6 million borrowers. However, like a magician whose tricks are increasingly transparent, Biden’s administration is accused of using smoke and mirrors to enact a rule that would allow federal student loan debts to be forgiven at a breakneck pace. This certainly sounds like another case of just trying to sidestep the law.
WEX MIN: GOP-led states file suit against Biden’s student loan plan, Ramaswamy downplays abortion impact, "From the river to the sea" not hate speech.
READ:https://t.co/aU8ddZvXhXhttps://t.co/NzkevyGUkbhttps://t.co/E9q5xRe8Ud pic.twitter.com/ukdW5FM5S1
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 4, 2024
According to those in the know, the Department of Education could start handing out relief as soon as this week, thanks to some cleverly manipulated documents. The lawsuit claims that this quick draw is a breach of a law that requires the Education Secretary to wait 60 days after a rule’s publication before it can take effect. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is leading this legal charge, doesn’t mince words when predicting that he believes a judge will put a stop to this latest attempt at what he describes as “cloak and dagger” tactics.
Bailey makes a fair point that if the courts thwarted past attempts to implement similar schemes, why should anyone expect this time to be any different? He has thrown down the gauntlet, stating that while the Biden administration might be tossing ideas at the wall to see what sticks, his office is ready to meet them with a legal response at every turn.
As for the Education Department, it remains tight-lipped on the lawsuit but continues to champion itself as a protector of borrowers struggling to make ends meet with their federal student loans. The tensions surrounding the issue indeed evoke a sense of theater in the political arena: a showdown between those preaching fiscal responsibility and those eager to write checks that the country might have a hard time cashing. The implications of this legal battle make one thing clear—the fight over student debt is far from over, and it will provide plenty of fodder for both sides as the political stakes grow ever higher.
