Vice President Kamala Harris’s endless string of promises to pick up the bill for debt holders hit a snag on Thursday after a federal judge ruled that her plans for student loan cancellation will sit on hold for now.
For months, Biden administration officials have tussled in court with Republican attorneys general pushing back against the president’s plan to unilaterally cancel tens of millions of dollars in unpaid student loans as part of a massive handout that critics say amounts to bribery in an election year. U.S. District Judge Randal Hall, a George W. Bush appointee, smacked down that logic, blocking implementation of the order for another 14 days and complicating Harris’s pledge to pick up the tab with less than 50 days till the election. In the meantime, Judge Hall said he would review the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against Biden’s relief plan, NBC News reported.
The decision is the latest in a string of setbacks for the Biden-Harris administration which has been lobbied by progressives to move aggressively to cancel student debt for millions of Americans. Nationally, borrowers hold $1.74 trillion in student loans, a record high and more than the $1.1 trillion in national credit