This week, the House of Representatives failed to override President Joe Biden’s veto of a bill aimed at blocking his plan to cancel student loan debt. Republicans were hoping to prevent Biden from forgiving up to $20,000 in student loans for certain borrowers, which they argued would cost American taxpayers a whopping $400 billion.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that Biden’s plan was subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), giving Republicans a glimmer of hope in blocking the president’s proposal. Earlier this year, House Republicans moved swiftly to block the looming student debt forgiveness plan, arguing that it was unfair to those who had repaid their loans and never attended college.
The CRA resolution passed both the House and the Democrat-majority Senate, thanks in part to the support of three Democrats: Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana, and Kyrsten Sinema, an Independent from Arizona. But in June, the president vetoed the resolution, claiming that relieving student loan debt would help struggling borrowers offset the financial strains caused by the pandemic.
Despite an initial victory in passing the resolution, the wheels have since fallen off for conservatives. On Wednesday, House Republicans failed to garner enough support to overturn Biden’s veto, and the resulting vote of 221-206 was set to maintain the president’s plan. However, Republicans are not backing down, and the Supreme Court is now expected to rule on the measure, which many Republicans argue is “an illegal abuse of executive power.”
“The House’s failure to override the president’s veto is a clear indication that Democrats prioritize handouts to their base over fiscal responsibility and sensible governing,” lamented a spokesperson for the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. “Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt is a slap in the face to millions of hardworking Americans who saved and sacrificed to pay off their student loans. It’s a terrible policy that will cause economic ruin for our country and sets a dangerous precedent for unchecked executive power.”
It’s clear that the battle over student loan debt relief is far from over, with conservative groups and Republican lawmakers vowing to continue fighting against Biden’s plan. Although they were unable to overturn the president’s veto, conservatives remain optimistic that their legal challenge to the plan will succeed in the Supreme Court.
