Minnesota's 5th Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
Minnesota's 5th Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
MINNEAPOLIS—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the statement following the Supreme Court's decision on student debt.
"43 million Americans. That’s how many people the rightwing partisan justices on the Supreme Court just condemned to years—sometimes a lifetime—of debt thanks to their own corruption. This court with a single decision has transferred $1.6 trillion back onto the shoulders of the working and middle class. This will prevent Americans from opening businesses, from starting families, paying rent, and paying medical bills.
"The legal arguments of the majority here are senseless. The HEROES Act explicitly gives the Secretary of Education "expansive authority to alleviate the hardship that federal student loan recipients may suffer as a result of national emergencies." Cancellation is a critical tool in the Secretary’s toolbox and has rightfully been used to provide mass relief for borrowers defrauded by their school and disabled borrowers.
"As President Biden said yesterday following the court’s bad ruling on affirmative action, “We cannot let this decision be the last word.”
"But the illegitimacy of their actions makes more sense once you understand the depth of their corruption. Three of the rightwing justices were appointed by a twice-impeached president who lost the popular vote twice and led an insurrection when he lost the electoral vote. Two others were appointed by another president who lost the popular vote. Two have been credibly accused of sexual assault. Two have taken obscene private gifts—including private jet rides —from their billionaire backers with business before the court. One, Clarence Thomas, even accepted private tuition for a child he was raising from his billionaire backer—especially ironic given his ruling today. Together, the rightwing justices reek of corruption.
"We cannot return to the status quo of mass default and distress. Poll after poll shows that the American people support debt relief for the working and middle class. Every option needs to be on the table to ensure borrowers are protected from economic ruin by being thrown back into a fundamentally broken student loan system come September 1st.
"I want to thank President Biden, Secretary Cardona and the Administration for their brave leadership on this issue—and urge them to continue the fight—to follow through on their promise and ensure that working and middle class borrowers do not have their future cut short."
Original source can be found here.
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