Staff Reports
The political scene has become quite the circus lately, with the clowns fighting for the center ring. Former President Joe Biden, who seems to be on a never-ending roll of political misfortunes, faced yet another setback this week that would make any self-respecting politician cringe. Just as Biden’s own party pressures him into bowing out of the 2024 race, a federal court delivered a swift kick to one of his favorite policies—much to the delight of those who put stock in fiscal responsibility.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw a wrench in Biden’s ambitious Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which was supposed to rescue drowning student loan borrowers but instead was drowning in legal issues. This ruling was sparked by a lawsuit spearheaded by seven Republican-led states who had the audacity to suggest that Biden might not have the authority to simply wipe away student loan debt like a bad stain on an expensive couch. Apparently, the court agreed that Biden’s grasp on the executive branch could use a solid reining in, agreeing he had taken a detour well beyond the highway of presidential powers.
Biden’s $475B taxpayer-funded student debt cancellation plan blocked in its entirety as federal appeals court issues final decision pic.twitter.com/4AZzmFgCrU
— Jewhadi™ (@JewhadiTM) February 18, 2025
Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey was quick to savor the victory after the court’s decision. He made it perfectly clear that halting this “illegal” student loan scheme was a necessary step in ensuring that average working Americans wouldn’t be tasked with picking up the tab for someone else’s overpriced education at an Ivy League institution. It seems Biden’s attempts at higher education “for all” may have encountered a bit of roadblock—in this case, a very solid legal one.
The timing of this ruling couldn’t be more deliciously ironic, considering Biden’s SAVE plan was a hastily constructed lifeline meant to throw a life preserver to borrowers after the Supreme Court unceremoniously took a sledgehammer to his earlier debt relief program. With funds drained faster than water from a broken sink, Republicans are undoubtedly savoring the sweet taste of justice while Biden’s grand plans slip through his fingers like sand at the beach.
For those keeping tabs on the financial fallout, the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model crunched the numbers and found that the SAVE plan could cost taxpayers a staggering $475 billion over the next decade. It’s safe to say that the average American, busy juggling life’s many expenses, would prefer that their hard-earned tax dollars not be used to cover the debts of those who decided to major in something that offers no clear return on investment. The fact remains that American wallets bear the brunt while big government schemes are propped up like a wayward piñata, just waiting to explode at the next hint of a fight for fiscal sanity.
