Biden Vetoes Bill to Block Student Loan Forgiveness

Supreme Court already has a chance to decide the issue
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 7, 2023 7:15 PM CDT
Biden Vetoes Bill to Block Student Loan Forgiveness
President Biden crosses the stage to talk with Delaware State University students after delivering a speech about student loan debt relief at the university in October in Dover.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

President Biden issued his fifth veto Wednesday in an effort to save his student debt relief plan—an issue that's already awaiting decisions by the Supreme Court. "Congressional Republicans led an effort to pass a bill blocking my Administration's plan to provide up to $20,000 in student debt relief to working and middle class Americans," Biden tweeted. "I won't back down on helping hardworking folks." His veto could be overridden by the votes of two-thirds of House and Senate members, but the plan's opponents lack that much support, the Hill reports.

Loan forgiveness was a Biden campaign pledge, USA Today points out, and his efforts are in trouble. On top of the bill vetoed Wednesday, this month's debt ceiling deal passed by Congress blocks another extension of the pause on student student loan payments, a pandemic measure. The president brought up the fact that "some of the same members of Congress who want to cut student aid personally received loans to keep their small businesses afloat during the pandemic," per CNN. The program isn't in operation now, and the Supreme Court is projected to decide this summer on two cases that could end it. (More President Biden stories.)

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