Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Friday rejected a challenge to President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, her second time doing so in recent weeks.
Barrett did not give a reason for denying the emergency application brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative legal group. Barrett similarly rejected an appeal brought by a Wisconsin taxpayers group last month.
Six Republican attorneys general have tried to block Biden’s relief program with their lawsuit, and they’ve been temporarily successful.
A federal judge in St. Louis threw out their case because it lacked standing, but allowed a temporary stay on the Education Department’s ability to hand out relief while the group appealed. He ordered an expedited briefing schedule on the case as the court considers a full block on the forgiveness plan.
Despite the hold, 16 million Americans have been approved for debt cancellation, the White House announced on Thursday, though the relief will not appear on their accounts as the legal challenge plays out. Nearly 26 million have applied for relief so far, and the Department of Education is continuing to accept and process applications despite the program being blocked.
The Biden administration has said about 40 million people could be eligible for student debt relief. Americans can apply for the program if they make less than $125,000 per year. Many will get up to $10,000 in forgiveness, while people who took a Pell grant during school are eligible for up to $20,000.
At a community college in New Mexico on Thursday, Biden called the program “a game-changer for so many people.”
“Close to 26 million Americans have already applied, have already given us information, which they consider life-changing for their families and for them,” Biden said.
Biden on Thursday spoke about his wife’s long time job teaching community college and how the students she meets skew older, including some who go back to school after starting a family.
“Some of the students she meets work two or three jobs while going to school,” he said. “They only ask for one thing in return: a chance. A chance to work hard and build a good life for themselves and their families.”
“Many of those students, just like the students here, had to borrow money to cover the cost of tuition,” Biden added. “This student relief plan is for them.”
Spectrum News’ Austin Landis contributed to this report.
