What Will the Supreme Court Say About Biden's Loan Forgiveness Plan?

After two federal appeals courts denied bids by the Biden administration to push its $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan through multiple legal challenges, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the plan in February.

For Context: The court said it will hear oral arguments from both sides before issuing a final ruling, likely at the end of its current term in June. Justice Amy Coney Barrett had already turned down two requests to block the program entirely. In a short unsigned order issued Thursday, the court declined to lift the appeals court’s ruling but agreed to fast-track the case, per the administration's request. Last week, President Joe Biden announced that the pause on federal student loan payments would again be extended, this time until June.

Key Quotes: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration welcomes "the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case," and that the program is "legal" and "supported by careful analysis from administration lawyers."

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum seem to agree that it's unclear how the court will eventually rule on the program. Left-rated news sources often focused more on how the legal fight is affecting student loan borrowers; right-rated outlets tended to focus more on legal arguments against the plan. CNN said the administration was "dealt another setback" regarding the plan. A writer for The Federalist argued that oral arguments over the case "seem likely to prove embarrassing to the Biden administration."