More than 100 Democratic lawmakers send letter to White House backing student loan forgiveness plan

More than 100 Democrats are standing behind President Biden’s embattled student loan forgiveness plan as it faces a fight for its future at the Supreme Court, sending a letter of support to the White House.

“We write to express our strong support for your efforts to provide student loan relief to more than 40 million low-to-middle-income borrowers as they recover from the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic,” the lawmakers, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), said in the letter.

“Students and families from working- and low-income backgrounds should not be punished for pursuing an education and developing skills needed for a 21st-century economy,” they wrote.

The support from Democratic lawmakers comes as the legality of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan — which would provide up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for others — was argued in front of the Supreme Court. The court’s decision will determine whether the administration’s plan can continue.

Six Republican-led states are challenging the plan before the Supreme Court. While the oral arguments in the case have already concluded, a decision on the future of the plan is expected sometime in May or June.

The Democratic lawmakers said in their letter that they were confident the administration would prevail in court, arguing that it is within the president’s administrative authority.

“Given that your Administration’s debt relief plan falls squarely within your administrative authority, we expect the legal challenges to the plan will fail, and 40 million Americans will be able to have their debts reduced or eliminated as they return to repayment,” they wrote.

Opponents of the plan have argued that Biden went well outside of his authority to cancel the debt, saying it is an egregious government overreach.

But dealing with student debt was a campaign promise that the president made good on, as the Democratic party grappled with a number of options, including the possibility of fully canceling student debt, to keep their commitments.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.