A US judge in Texas overturned Biden’s loan forgiveness plan

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – A U.S. judge in Texas on Thursday blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to give millions of borrowers up to $20,000 in federal student loans, a program that had already been suspended as a federal appeals court in St. Louis reviewed a separate lawsuit by six states challenging it.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman, appointed by former President Donald Trump in Fort Worth, said the program usurped Congress’s lawmaking power.

“In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful leader with a pen and a phone. Instead, we are governed by a Constitution that provides for three distinct and independent branches of government,” Pittman wrote.

He added: “The court does not turn a blind eye to the current political division in our country. But for the survival of our republic, it is fundamental to preserve the separation of powers prescribed in our Constitution.”

The debt forgiveness plan cancels $10,000 of student loans for those earning less than $125,000 or for households with incomes less than $250,000. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate greater financial need, will receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness.

The waiver applies to federal student loans used for undergraduate and graduate school attendance, as well as Parent Plus loans.

The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals put the amnesty plan on hold on Oct. 21, hearing efforts by Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and South Carolina to block the program.

Although the suspension temporarily stopped the administration from actually repaying the debt, the White House urged borrowers to continue applying for aid, saying the court order did not prevent applications from being submitted or applications being reviewed. As of the end of October, more than 22 million borrowers applied for debt relief.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.