Washington D.C. – Following today’s Supreme Court ruling in Biden v Nebraska, People For the American Way President Svante Myrick released the following statement:
“Far-right activists have tried to sabotage the Biden administration’s moves to forgive student debt for lower-income borrowers from the start, and today the Supreme Court came through for them. The Biden plan would have eliminated or substantially reduced the student debt payments of millions of lower-income borrowers, which the law allowed. Since the Far Right couldn’t rewrite the law, they got the Supreme Court to do it for them. Now, millions of people, many of whom have experienced extreme economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disparate and persistent harms, will go without the relief they need.
The doctrine used to justify this decision undermines the ability of federal agencies to help improve people’s lives, and has repercussions far beyond student debt relief. Right now, there are lower-court cases questioning the government’s authority to establish basic standards, such as setting minimum wages for federal contractors and requiring COVID vaccines for people working in Head Start centers. And the lower courts are still packed with far-right judges looking for ways to rule against the government on these issues. That’s why it’s so important for us to support our work to fill lower court vacancies while we can. Rebalancing the courts is how we fight back against the ongoing risk of major harm from cases just like this.”
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About People For the American Way
People For the American Way, a national progressive advocacy organization, inspires and mobilizes community and cultural leaders to advance Truth, Justice and the American Way. We convene courageous Americans, produce compelling media and organize campaigns to defend our democracy from authoritarian threats and advance America’s promise that everyone will enjoy freedom, safety and a vote that counts. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org