Conservative SCOTUS Justices Appear Skeptical of Student Loan Forgiveness

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of the legality of the Biden administration's student loan relief plan on Tuesday, reports said.

The Details: While five of the court’s conservative justices were reportedly skeptical of the plan, Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s liberals in questioning Republican-led states’ standing to sue. Chief Justice John Roberts brought up the issue of separation of powers, arguing that the case “presents extraordinarily serious, important issues about the role of Congress.” 

For Context: Two cases challenging the debt relief plan are being considered by the court. In Biden v. Nebraska, six states with Republican attorneys general — Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, and South Carolina — are questioning the Department of Education’s authority to relieve or cancel debt under the HEROES Act of 2003. In Department of Education v. Brown, two student loan borrowers whose commercially-held debt would not qualify for relief are challenging Biden’s plan. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common across the spectrum. Some coverage from the left focused on debt relief supporters demonstrating outside the Supreme Court building. Meanwhile, Fox News (Right bias) featured its coverage in a homepage section titled, “Your Money,” a potential reference to the argument that Biden’s plan would be a handout from working-class people to the college-educated.