Statement by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on District Court Rulings on the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE Plan
We strongly disagree with today’s rulings on our SAVE Plan and the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the SAVE Plan.
Since day one, the President and his Administration have fought to fix a broken student loan system and make sure borrowers aren’t saddled with unmanageable student loan debt. Part of that effort includes creating the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever — the SAVE Plan — which for months has allowed 8 million Americans access to lower monthly payments and has already helped hundreds of thousands of borrowers get their remaining debt cancelled more quickly.
It’s unfortunate that Republican elected officials and their allies have fought tooth and nail to prevent their constituents from accessing lower payments and a faster path to debt forgiveness — and that courts are now rejecting authority that the Department has applied repeatedly for decades to improve income-driven repayment plans.
Today’s rulings won’t stop our Administration from using every tool available to give students and borrowers the relief they need. That’s why the Department of Education will continue to enroll more Americans in SAVE and help more students and borrowers access the benefits of the plan that remain available, including $0 payments for anyone making $16 an hour or less, lower monthly payments for millions more borrowers, and protecting borrowers from runaway interest if they are making their monthly payments.
President Biden and his Administration will continue to build off of the progress made delivering debt cancellation to over 4.75 million Americans through various actions, and we will never stop fighting for students and borrowers – no matter how many roadblocks Republican elected officials and special interests put in our way.
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