Biden asks SCOTUS to pause second ruling against student debt cancellation

President Joe Biden on Friday asked the Supreme Court to place a ruling against his student debt cancellation plan on hold, one day after the court announced it would hear arguments in a different case challenging the plan.

The Supreme Court this week agreed to hear arguments in one case during the February 2023 session. That case involves a suit from six Republican-led states and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has already blocked the program.

The Biden Department of Justice, however, wants the court to put a separate case challenging the plan on hold. The second suit involves two student borrowers who sued because they could not qualify for the full $20,000 in debt relief that Biden proposed. The Appeals Court for the 5th Circuit on Wednesday rejected the DOJ bid to pause the order.

The Biden plan would cancel up to $10,000 of student debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the plan would cost taxpayers up to $400 billion.