U.S. judge in Texas has blocked President Joe Biden’s plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in federal student-loan forgiveness

District Court Judge Mark Pittman said Thursday (Nov. 10, 2022) that the program usurped Congress’ power to make laws

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The program was already on hold while a federal appeals court in St. Louis considers a separate lawsuit by a half-dozen states challenging it

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Pittman is an appointee of former President Donald Trump based in Fort Worth

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The cancellation applies to federal student loans used to attend undergraduate and graduate school, along with Parent Plus loans.

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As of late October, more than 22 million borrowers had applied for debt relief.

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The White House did not immediately provide a response to the ruling.

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Reaction to the ruling was predictably mixed along political fault lines.

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