Supreme Court strikes down student loan forgiveness; Biden announces ‘plan B’ for debt relief – National & International News – FRI 30Jun2023

Supreme Court strikes down Biden student loan forgiveness plan.

Armed Jan. 6 fugitive found with explosives near Obama’s D.C. home.

Brazil: Former Pres. Bolsonaro banned from running for office for 8 years.

NATIONAL NEWS

Supreme Court strikes down Biden student loan forgiveness plan

In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court has rejected a bid by the Biden administration to forgive over $400 billion in student loan debt for over 40 million borrowers. Over 26 million borrowers had already applied.

In the majority decision, penned by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court rejected the Biden administration’s contention that the HEROES Act grants the Secretary of Education sweeping authority to forgive student loan debt. The HEROES Act gives the executive branch the authority to modify the terms of debt repayments in times of crisis. The administration had argued that the pandemic represented such a crisis.

Roberts’ decision did not reject the premise that Congress had granted the Education Department the authority to administer loans as it saw fit. Rather Roberts’ argument was one of scale, asserting that Congress must weigh in on sweeping debt relief.

Dissent from Kagan

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan argued that in the majority’s decision, “the Court forgets its proper role“. She questioned the Court’s finding that 6 conservative states had standing to bring the case – in other words, establishing whether they would be harmed by the debt forgiveness. Instead, Kagan said the conservative majority had stretched the case for standing so they could strike down a policy they simply didn’t like.

Biden says debt forgiveness fight is “not over”

In remarks this afternoon, Biden said while the court had “closed one path” to debt forgiveness, “now we’re going to pursue another”. Biden announced that he planned to revive the effort to cancel student debt for millions of Americans, this time using the authority granted to the President by Congress in the 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA).

Ever since Biden first announced his student debt forgiveness plan last year, advocates for debt relief have argued that the administration should have used the HEA to make its case rather than the 2003 HEROES Act since it grants much broader authority to make changes to loans.

Biden said that the case for debt relief under the HEA is “legally solid” but “will take longer”. In the meantime, Biden announced plans to make it easier for borrowers to resume debt repayments in the fall.

Related:

Analysts predict unprecedented levels of default with student loan payments resume.

A review of major Supreme Court decisions this session.

Armed man wanted on Jan. 6 charges found with explosives near Obama’s D.C. home

The Secret Service has arrested Taylor Taranto, 37, of Seattle, WA, after spotting him near a Washington, D.C., home belong to former President Obama. It’s not clear if the Obamas were at the residence at the time.

Taranto was already facing four misdemeanor counts related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He has been charged with being a fugitive from justice, but more charges are likely. Taranto had weapons in his possession, including two guns and a machete. Authorities say Taranto had made threats toward a public figure on social media.  

D.C. Police searched Taranto’s van and found materials to create an explosive device. No fully-assembled device was found. Local authorities have said that while the investigation is ongoing, there is no current threat to the public.

Law enforcement sources have stated that Taranto has been in D.C. for some months. His van has been spotted near a jail where several Jan. 6 defendants are awaiting trial.

It’s not clear if there is any connection to Taranto, but one person wanted for placing explosive devices outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the Capitol riot remains at large at last reporting. Investigators have said they believe the person intended to detonate the devices and draw Capitol Police away from the nearby Capitol building itself. Neither device detonated. The FBI is still seeking help from the public with that investigation.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Brazil: Court bans former Pres. Bolsonaro from running for office for 8 years

A Brazilian court has banned former President Jair Bolsonaro from running for public office for 8 years after finding him guilty of abuses of power. Bolsonaro is a far-right politician seen as an ally for former US President Trump. After his election defeat last fall, Bolsonaro emulated Trump’s effort to have the results of the election thrown out, alleging widespread election regularities. A court censured and fined Bolsonaro and his party for these unfounded accusations.

On Jan. 8, 2023, when president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was to take office, hundreds of Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed a government compound in the capital Brasilia. The compound houses Brazil’s Congress, Presidential Palace, and Supreme Court. The protesters remained at the compound for several hours, started fires, broke water pipes and defecated in the halls. At the time, Bolsonaro was in the US in Florida, where he remained for several months before eventually returning.

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