*A federal judge has ruled that the Biden administration can move forward with its student loan forgiveness plan, potentially providing relief to millions of Americans.
MSNBC reports that U.S. District Judge Randal Hall in Georgia will let expire a temporary restraining order against the administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, just weeks before the November election. The initiative could assist approximately 75% of federal student loan borrowers, as estimated by the Center for American Progress.
Per CNBC, Biden’s plan aims to forgive student debt for four categories of borrowers: those who owe more than their original loan amounts, individuals who have been repaying for decades, students from low-value institutions, and those eligible for forgiveness under an existing program but who have yet to apply.
Meanwhile, seven GOP-led states filed a lawsuit against the aid package. These states—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, and Ohio—contend that the U.S. Department of Education’s debt cancellation initiative is illegal. However, Judge Hall ruled that Georgia had no legal basis to pursue the case. He instructed that the case be moved to Missouri, “since the states claim Biden’s plan would most harm student loan servicer Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority,” per MSNBC.
The GOP-led states now want a federal judge in Missouri to determine whether Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan should remain blocked.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education slammed the effort to stop the relief agenda.
“The fact remains that this lawsuit reflects an ongoing effort by Republican elected officials who want to prevent millions of their own constituents from getting breathing room on their student loans,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not stop fighting to fix the broken student loan system and provide support and relief to borrowers across the country.”
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Biden to Forgive $7.4 Billion More in Student Loan Debt for 277,000 Borrowers | WATCH
