Missouri sues to block Biden's student debt cancellation program, joining 5 other states
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri and five other states sued Thursday in an attempt to halt the Biden's administration's program forgiving student loan debt.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in St. Louis asks for an immediate halt of the program, which seeks to cancel up to $10,000 for millions of borrowers and up to $20,000 for Pell grant recipients. Missouri was joined in the lawsuit by Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.
The legal challenge calls the Biden program "economically unwise and downright unfair," arguing it falls beyond the scope of the president's powers and the federal law cited by the administration. Biden's program "disregards the act's objectives and express requirements and distorts the act beyond recognition in the service of the administration's political agenda on student loans," the lawsuit argues. "It is the epitome of unlawful and arbitrary agency action, and it should be set aside."
In a statement, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican also running for U.S. Senate, called the program "unconstitutional," and said "it will unfairly burden working class families and those who chose not to take out loans or have paid them off with even more economic woes."
"The Biden administration's unlawful edict will only worsen inflation at a time when many Americans are struggling to get by," Schmitt said.
The U.S. Department of Education could not immediately be reached for comment on the lawsuit Thursday. Officials have previously defended the program as constitutional and a permitted use of executive power.
Student loan debt relief:Missouri's Eric Schmitt discussing legal action vs. Biden plan
Schmitt and the other AGs' litigation comes a few weeks after it was reported that private talks were being held among interested parties on how to pursue a court challenge to the program, which was widely criticized by Republicans upon its announcement. But the primary obstacle to such a challenge appeared to be finding plaintiffs with legal standing to challenge the program.
A poll from late August found that 53 percent of respondents supported the plan to cancel $10,000 in federal student loans; a Missouri poll found that likely voters who responded were split, with 45 supporting the proposal and 43 not supporting it. Support was highest among 18-29 year olds, non-white and Democratic voters. Roughly 777,000 people in Missouri hold student loan debt, according to data from the White House.
Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com, (573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri, 5 other states sue to halt Biden student loan forgiveness
