MAKING MOVES

GOP Senators File Amicus Brief Against Biden Student Debt Relief Program

Over 40 lawmakers signed the brief, which argues the president does not have the authority to carry out his student debt relief plan.

As graduates across the country anxiously await news from the Supreme Court on President Joe Biden’s contested student debt relief program, more than 40 Republican senators filed an amicus brief arguing against the plan. The brief contends that Biden’s Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students program is an overreach of authority and that the taxpayer cost—an estimated $400 billion—is an unfair burden on those who have already paid off their student loans. Meanwhile, the Biden administration maintains the president has the authority to implement the program. Biden’s plan currently faces two challenges in the Supreme Court, with rulings expected to come in May or June of this year. The senators’ amicus brief comes after a similar brief was filed by 128 House Republicans last week.