Protesters in favor of student loan relief gathered outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning, demanding that the top jurists side with President Biden as they hear two cases challenging his signature student loan debt relief policy.
Biden’s relief program looks to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, but the legal challenges have put the program on hold while the Supreme Court hears the arguments for the cases that jeopardize it.
Activists who showed up ahead of oral arguments told Cheddar that Americans should not have to be burdened with so much student debt.
"I went to college as a first generation college student. My FAFSA said we had zero expected family contribution," said Kristin McGuire, executive director of the advocacy group Young Invincibles. "I borrowed $20,000 to finance my college education, and I currently owe over $55,000."
“We're almost 20 years later, and my debt has doubled. And Americans should not have to go through that,” McGuire continued.
Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass. District 7) also made an appearance outside the Supreme Court.
"The people demand and deserve student debt cancellation," Pressley told the crowd. "Student debt cancellation will change and save lives."
Pressley said that Republican officials are “disconnected from the hardship of everyday folks who are burdened by this debt” and “chose obstruction.”
But, Republicans have called Biden’s plan fiscally irresponsible.
“Our nation is facing a staggering $31 trillion worth of debt and we have closed in on the debt ceiling, yet the Biden administration is still attempting to cancel millions of dollars in student loans,” Senator Rick Scott of Florida has said. “The reality is, a blanket forgiveness of student loans only benefits a small percentage of the population at the expense of millions of other hard working Americans."
The Court’s decisions won’t be released until the early summer, but 26 million people have already applied for the program, with 16 million having already been approved.
Sarah Morris, Director of Open Internet Policy at New America's Open Technology Institute, says nearly a million people called Congress to complain right after the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality.
Facebook, Twitter and Youtube testify on Capitol Hill about combating terror. 21 states challenge the Net Neutrality repeal. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to fall. Steve Bannon faces two subpoenas over the Russia investigation. Elon Musk announces his new $5 million initiative to bring healthy food and gardens to city kids. Karamo Brown stars as the ‘culture guy' of the Fab 5 in the Netflix reboot, “Queer Eye." Online sharing community Imgur is on a mission to provide an uplifting user experience, and differentiate itself from other social platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Former White House advisor Steve Bannon testified in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday with the House Intelligence Committee. The hearing about questions surrounding ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Axios' National Political Reporter Jonathan Swan explains what he's learned about Bannon's testimony, and the way members of Congress are reacting.
Government shutdown looms, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) on his proposed "Stable Genius Act," Drake Bell's new music, Eric Roberts' new movie. With GameSpot, Daily Kos, and Hot Air.
Google's Arts and Culture App takes top spot in the App Store, the latest efforts to save net neutrality, and YouTube's efforts to regain advertisers' trust.
Women and men across the country are gearing up for the second annual Women's March this weekend, and that means a sea of pink hats. Krista Suh, the Founder of the Pussyhat Project, gives her take on where women's rights stand a year into the Trump administration.
President Trump may have gotten a clean bill of health from the White House physician, but that’s not enough for one Democratic lawmaker. Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA) is introducing legislation that, if passed, would require all future presidential nominees of a major party to get a physical and cognitive examination from a presidential physician, to insure they are in a proper physical and mental state to govern. He calls it the Stable Genius Act
The federal government's budget is set to expire this Friday at midnight. In a last-ditch attempt to avoid a fiscal cliff, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is trying to woo Democrats by pushing a short-term stopgap bill that would extend the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years.
Bitcoin continues its downward spiral on regulation fears. The fight for net neutrality is gaining traction after 21 states filed a lawsuit challenging the FCC's recent decision to roll back Obama-era regulations. The spotlight is on Former White House aide Steve Bannon in the Russia investigation. Plus, we'll tell you where Wal-Mart's best ideas are coming from.
Rep. Boyle (D-PA) introduced a bill, the "Stable Genius Act," that would provide a safeguard for Americans by requiring a physical and cognitive exam for presidential candidates.
