Two federal judges have temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive massive student loan debts, citing constitutional separation of powers and the lack of congressional authority to appropriate taxpayer funds. The decision was met with approval from critics who argue that Biden’s initiative is a form of “vote-buying” and that it rewards irresponsible borrowers while penalizing responsible taxpayers.
The two lawsuits, one in Kansas and the other in Missouri, were filed after Biden announced his plan to cancel up to $500 billion in student loans. However, the judges appointed by left-wing former President Barack Obama rejected the administration’s claim that the president has the authority to unilaterally forgive debts under the HEROES Act.
Instead, Judge John Ross of the Eastern District of Missouri and Judge Daniel Crabtree of the District of Kansas concluded that only Congress has the power to appropriate taxpayer dollars, and that the Education Department lacked the authority to spend money from the Treasury to repay loans on the scale proposed by Biden. Both judges entered nationwide preliminary injunctions blocking further loan forgiveness until the courts can fully examine the merits of the case.
According to estimates, the Biden plan would add at least $475 billion to the federal debt over the next decade, primarily benefiting 4 million borrowers who have defaulted on their loans and an additional 30 million who would seek to have part of their debt forgiven.
Both judges acknowledged that they were entering the injunctions reluctantly, but concluded that the plain text of the statute did not support the administration’s position. Crabtree, in particular, noted that Biden was attempting to expand his statutory authority without clear congressional authorization.
The Biden administration has a history of attempting to sidestep congressional authority, only to be rebuked by the courts. The President’s executive abuses have been challenged in courts on a range of issues, from energy policy to immigration enforcement to gender identity.
