High court justices hear cases on student debt plan

Hundreds of debt advocates and progressive political organizers gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday while justices heard oral arguments in two cases challenging President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers.

Several speakers, including members of Congress, defended the president’s decision to cancel the debt and framed loan forgiveness as an economic and racial justice issue.

Inside, the 6-3 conservative majority court considered two central issues: whether the plaintiffs in the cases against the debt cancellation have legal standing to challenge the plan, and whether Biden officials implemented the plan properly.

The court’s conservatives gave a sharply critical hearing to the idea of forgiving more than $400 billion in student loans, arguing that only Congress can approve such a large amount of federal spending.

“We’re talking about half a trillion dollars and 43 million Americans,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told Solicitor Gen. Elizabeth Prelogar at the outset of Tuesday’s argument.

“We take very seriously the idea of the separation of powers and that power should be divided to prevent its abuse,” he said.

The president’s plan for student debt relief could still survive if the justices decide its challengers do not have legal standing to sue.

Taxpayers do not have standing to sue to stop the government from spending money, and it’s not clear whether anyone can show they will be hurt if the government forgives another person’s loan.