(The Hill) – The White House on Monday threatened to veto a Republican-led bill in the House that would block the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program.
In a Statement of Administration Policy, the White House expressed its concerns with a House resolution to disapprove of the student loan forgiveness plan, which provides up to $20,000 in relief for millions of eligible student loan borrowers.
“This resolution is an unprecedented attempt to undercut our historic economic recovery and would deprive more than 40 million hard-working Americans of much-needed student debt relief,” the administration said in a statement, adding that President Biden would veto the measure if it came to his desk.
The White House further warned that overturning the student loan relief program would disproportionately hurt middle-class Americans, noting that roughly 90 percent of the student debt relief is expected to go to individuals earning less than $75,000 per year.
“Americans should be able to have a little more breathing room as they recover from the economic strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” the White House said.
The House is expected to vote this week on the resolution, and it is expected to pass with Republican votes. It faces a far less certain fate in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The House resolution is the latest threat to Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which was a signature policy decision that delivered on a major campaign promise. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of the program in the coming months after a lawsuit was brought by Republican attorneys general.
