1. The Biden administration argued that the federal government has broad authority to offer debt relief, citing decades of precedent allowing similar types of programs. Biden’s legal team also noted the breadth of support for the student debt plan among higher education stakeholders and policy experts.
2. Conservative justices pushed back against Biden’s argument, expressing skepticism over whether it was within the scope of executive power to forgive billions of dollars in federal debts without congressional authorization.
3. Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked pointed questions about whether Biden’s plan could be constitutionally valid if Congress had already declined to pass legislation granting such wide-reaching authority to cancel student loans.
4. Justice Elena Kagan pushed back on the challengers’ argument that Biden had exceeded the scope of his executive authority, arguing that the president has long used his power to forgive student debt as a “tool of public policy.”
5. The Biden administration also faced questions from liberal justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor about why it chose not to pursue legislative options for achieving its student loan forgiveness goals. Biden’s legal team argued that Congress had already discussed legislation related to student debt relief but took no action on the issue, leaving Biden with no choice but to take executive action. The court is expected to issue a ruling in late June or early July. Whatever the decision may be, it will have important ramifications for Biden’s plans to provide student debt relief and could set a precedent for future administrations. Biden has made it clear that he wants to make college more accessible and affordable, but the Supreme Court’s decision may determine how effective he is at achieving his goals. From the arguments presented this week, it appears that Biden faces an uphill battle if the justices decide against him. A ruling in Biden’s favor, however, would be a major victory for his administration and could pave the way for further executive actions on higher education.
Reference Content : https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/28/5-moments-supreme-court-student-debt-00084882
