ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KERO) — The Biden administration has survived a second challenge to the student debt relief program. This follows the administration’s victory on student debt relief in the Supreme Court.
In September, six Republican-led states had filed suit against the president to try and get the program canceled. A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey wrote in his decision dismissing the lawsuit that the states’ case did not effectively establish standing, meaning it failed to prove that the court has the jurisdiction to hear the case.
The six states, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Iowa, argued, unsuccessfully, that the Biden administration did not have the legal authority to dismiss student debt and that doing so would harm private lenders.
Student loan cancelations worth up to $20,000 per eligible borrower could begin as soon as Sunday.
The program continues to face other lawsuits from the Republican attorney general of Arizona, as well as the Cato Institute, which is a Washington think-tank.
Court observers believe the legal challenge which was dismissed today had the best chance of success.
