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SCOTUS Poised to Rule Against Student Loan Forgiveness as Protestors Rally to Save Biden’s Plan
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has questioned the administration’s authority to implement the debt relief program, with Chief Justice John Roberts pointing to the vast impact and expense of the program, estimating that it would cost “a half-trillion dollars.” Kavanaugh suggested that the administration was using an “old law” to implement a debt relief program that Congress had rejected unilaterally.
The post SCOTUS Poised to Rule Against Student Loan Forgiveness as Protestors Rally to Save Biden’s Plan first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Millions of student loan borrowers, particularly those of color, risk losing out on relief if the Supreme Court strikes down President Joe Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan.
The plan, which aims to forgive or reduce the student loan debt held by the millions of eligible Americans that qualify for the program, has faced opposition from Republican-appointed judges on lower courts and now faces an uncertain future as it is being challenged before the land’s highest court.
In a three-hour-long argument on Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts led his conservative colleagues in questioning the administration’s authority to cancel federal student loans due to the COVID-19 emergency broadly.
![Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Q28A5339.jpg)
Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography
It remains unclear whether any of the six justices appointed by Republican presidents will approve the debt relief program. However, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett appeared most open to the administration’s arguments.
As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments, demonstrators converged on the nation’s capital to showcase their support for debt relief.
The People’s Rally for Student Debt Cancellation was the largest-ever mass demonstration by people with student debt in front of the Supreme Court, bringing together individuals from across party lines, industries, faith communities, socioeconomic statuses, and cities and states throughout the country.
Speakers at the rally emphasized the legality and urgency of President Biden’s relief action, citing the ongoing economic distress caused by COVID-19 on borrowers and the history of abuse and mismanagement throughout the student loan system.
![Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Q28A5364.jpg)
Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography
Organizations representing millions of borrowers and supporters co-sponsored the rally to show the broad and growing support for debt relief.
If the Supreme Court strikes down President Biden’s plan, it will negatively impact millions of borrowers, particularly those of color. The administration says that 26 million people have each applied for up to $20,000 in federal student loans forgiven under the plan.
If the plan isn’t allowed to take effect before a three-year pandemic-inspired pause on loan repayments ends no later than this summer, “defaults and delinquencies will surge above pre-pandemic levels,” according to U.S. Solicitor General, Elizabeth Prelogar.
The debt relief program has faced opposition from Republican-led states and lawmakers in Congress, as well as conservative legal interests, who argue that it is a clear violation of Biden’s executive authority.
They claim that the plan is not necessary now to keep defaults roughly where they were before the pandemic and that the 20 million borrowers who would have their entire loans erased would get a “windfall,” leaving them better off than before the pandemic.
The administration argues that a 2003 law, commonly known as the HEROES Act, allows the Secretary of Education to waive or modify the terms of federal student loans in connection with a national emergency.
The law was primarily intended to keep service members from becoming worse off financially while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has questioned the administration’s authority to implement the debt relief program, with Chief Justice John Roberts pointing to the vast impact and expense of the program, estimating that it would cost “a half-trillion dollars.” Kavanaugh suggested that the administration was using an “old law” to implement a debt relief program that Congress had rejected unilaterally.
However, some speakers at the rally argue that the student loan system has a history of abuse and mismanagement that disproportionately negatively impacts people of color. Advocates point out that Black and Latinx borrowers, for example, are more likely to take on debt to attend college and that they are also more likely to struggle to repay those loans.
The issue of student loan debt relief has also become a political issue, with Democrats predominantly supporting President Biden’s plan and Republicans opposing it.
Debt relief advocates say it is necessary to address the financial burden that student loan debt places on individuals and the broader economy, particularly during the ongoing pandemic.
![Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Q28A5366.jpg)
Photos for the NNPA by Mark Mahoney / Dream In Color Photography
The post SCOTUS Poised to Rule Against Student Loan Forgiveness as Protestors Rally to Save Biden’s Plan first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
#NNPA BlackPress
Democrats Call for Fierce Defense of Democracy and Working-Class Values
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats.
![](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DNC-2024.jpg)
By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
In an electrifying moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that likely set the tone for the party’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the opening night, seizing the stage to the triumphant anthem of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.” The crowd erupted with fire in her voice as Harris declared, “I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” The first night of the DNC was more than a celebration; it was a battle cry. Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats. The message was clear: Biden’s work is not done, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are ready to continue that fight.
Speakers who are most familiar with Biden, such as Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and Ashley Biden, shared stories that painted a picture of a president who is unwaveringly dedicated to the American people. “In public and in private, President Biden never backed down from his vision for an America where everyone has a fair shot,” Warnock emphasized. Dr. Biden and Ashley Biden gave heartfelt tributes to the man who led the nation and his family with steadfast devotion. The emotional high point of the evening came when Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, took the stage to a thunderous ovation as “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher” filled the arena. The crowd’s response was deafening, with chants of “We love Joe” and “Thank You, Joe” reverberating throughout the hall, a powerful testament to Biden’s connection with the American people.
In a speech that was as much a rallying cry as it was a reflection on his presidency, Biden delivered a stark reminder of what’s at stake. “Let me ask you… Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden’s words resonated as he recalled the perilous moment of his inauguration, just weeks after supporters of the twice-impeached former president stormed the U.S. Capitol. “You cannot say I love my country only when you win,” Biden asserted. “The winter of peril and possibility has passed, and with a grateful heart, I stand before you to report that democracy has prevailed. But now, democracy must be preserved.” Biden highlighted the progress made under his administration, pointing to economic recovery, healthcare expansion, and the battle against corporate greed. He singled out Harris’s critical role in these achievements. “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world… More Americans have health insurance than at any time in American history. And we finally beat big pharma. Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. Now it’s the law of the land—$35 a month for insulin.”
The evening was charged with passionate speeches that struck the heart of the nation’s issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump, contrasting Harris’s steadfast dedication to American values with Trump’s chaotic legacy. “Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” Clinton declared to thunderous applause. “She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history as the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery endorsement of Harris, framing her as the champion of the middle-class needs. “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez proclaimed. “She understands the urgency of rent checks, groceries, and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home.”
Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back in her critique of Trump, accusing him of being a self-serving demagogue. “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” The night was filled with moments that galvanized the crowd. Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, invoking the words of Steph Curry, declared, “After the results are tallied that night, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night.’“UAW President Shawn Fain tore off his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB,” igniting the crowd into a fervent chant of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”
In one of the night’s most pointed moments, Rep. Jasmine Crockett drew a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: “She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal. Who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet with 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, and 1 porn star to prove it.” The NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Melanie Campbell, the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, led a standing ovation for civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson during the celebration.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with the audience. “I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values… Kamala Harris—she’s got us.” Harris’s words from earlier in the night echoed as the event ended: “We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now will determine the future of our nation. Together, we will fight for the soul of America and build a future where everyone has a fair shot. Our best days are still ahead, and we are ready to lead.”
#NNPA BlackPress
L#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION — DAY 2
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