Press

Ben Ritz, Director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s Center for Funding America’s Future, released the following statement in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Biden administration’s attempt to unilaterally cancel up to $20,000 per borrower:

“The Supreme Court has officially ruled what we have known for some time now: U.S. presidents have no constitutional authority to unilaterally spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars without Congressional approval. The Court’s decision comes after bipartisan majorities in both the Republican-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate voted to overturn the president’s attempt to unilaterally cancel over $400 billion of student debt.

“The message to the president from his co-equal branches of government couldn’t be clearer: it is time to move on from this misguided effort. Even if the president’s action were constitutional, there is no sound policy justification for asking Americans who don’t get the benefits of a college education to pay for the debts of those who do.

“We hope the White House will work with Congress on comprehensive solutions to ensure pathways to well-paying jobs are affordable and accessible for all. That means making real reforms to curtail the skyrocketing cost of college rather than using taxpayer funds to paper over the problem, expanding skills-based training options for non-degree students, and offering limited debt relief targeted only toward those most in need.”

PPI recently published a data-driven report on why the far left’s obsession with canceling student debt is deeply misguided and worsens the “diploma divide” in America.

PPI’s Center for Funding America’s Future works to promote a fiscally responsible public investment agenda that fosters robust and inclusive economic growth. It tackles issues of public finance in the United States and offers innovative proposals to strengthen public investments in the foundation of our economy, modernize health and retirement programs to reflect an aging society, and transform our tax code to reward work over wealth.

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C., with offices in Brussels, Berlin and the United Kingdom. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.

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Media Contact: Amelia Fox – afox@ppionline.org