• WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    It wasn’t a case of him creating a “COVID program” bound to fail. Biden used the HEROES Act—a post-9/11 law meant for emergencies—to address debt issues exacerbated by COVID. The Supreme Court’s conservative-shit-stain bloc shut him down. This wasn’t a Biden “setup.” It was an intransigent conservative court doing what they always do.

    After the ruling, Biden didn’t abandon debt relief either. Instead, he did exactly what you’re implying he didn’t: he pivoted to the Higher Education Act, which allows debt cancellation but only through a lengthy rule-making process. He can’t just use the HEA to “cancel” student debt in the way he was trying originally. This route takes longer and still faces legal obstacles, as you might have noticed, but it shows he’s exploring every option available within legal limits, not just “giving up.” He’s also rolled out specific programs for groups like public service workers and adjusted repayment options to reduce debt burdens in the meantime.

    Blaming Biden’s actions on lack of commitment ignores the layers of legal and rule-making shit-fuck layers at play. He’s pushing for debt relief within what’s legally possible, starting with the faster attempt that was killed by Republicans, and now a slower and less sweeping manner as required by the HEA—which continues to be contested by Republicans.