Twitter Is A Mess As Joe Biden's Attempt At Student Loan Relief Gets Blocked
A federal judge in Texas has declared President Joe Biden's new student loan plan unconstitutional, yet another legal hurdle blocking millions of Americans from receiving much needed relief. According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman's ruling called the program an "unconstitutional exercise of Congress's legislative power."
While Joe Biden's approval rating certainly took a serious turn for the better when student debt relief was announced, the plan has already had a fair share of pushback since its announcement back in August. In a statement released by the White House, Joe Biden presented his three-part plan to provide student debt relief for millions of Americans, promising borrowers up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness. Per AP News, courts in Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and South Carolina, and now Texas have all made efforts to block the relief plan.
According to CNBC, many Americans feel that for-profit education systems are "predatory" that sends people into crippling debt after receiving an education and have called for abolishment of these loans. Advocates for student debt relief reference the 2008 recession, claiming that if big businesses can be bailed out of debts for the good of the economy, then student debt can too. This topic has been a hot topic of debate on practically every stage at every level, from politicians to Twitter users.
Student debt is at an all-time high as courts fight to block forgiveness efforts
According to Education Data, almost 43 million Americans have federal student loan debt, with the average borrower owing $40,780 along with private loan debt, all to receive an education. Since the news of District Court Judge Mark Pittman's ruling, #studentloanforgiveness has been trending on Twitter.
Many people on Twitter are recalling the PPP loans that many members of congress received during the pandemic who are now fighting student debt relief. In response to the ruling, one Twitter user wrote, "Handouts are only for the wealthy! Didn't you get the memo?!" Another user criticized those who celebrated the ruling, tweeting, "How miserable of a person do you have to be to take a victory lap on social media because millions of people no longer have access to what could have been a life changing debt relief policy?"
According to Reuters, "26 million Americans have applied for student loan forgiveness," and are now confused about whether or not they will receive their relief. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed Judge Pittman's ruling, and announced that an appeal has been filed by the Department of Justice. In a statement expressing their disagreements about being sued over an attempt to assist millions of Americans in need, Jean-Pierre concluded with, "We will never stop fighting for hard working Americans most in need — no matter how many roadblocks our opponents and special interests try to put in our way."