On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a challenge to President Biden’s grossly unfair student loan bailout scam which sucks hardworking taxpayers dry to forgive irresponsible students who knowingly took out loans they knew they couldn’t afford and had no intention of ever paying back. Despite this fact, and how it’s a slap in the face to responsible college graduates who paid off their student loans or never took them out in the first place, the three networks bemoaned that oral arguments in the Supreme Court challenge didn’t go as well as the activists at ABC, CBS & NBC hoped.
The worst offender was ABC’s World News Tonight and senior national correspondent Terry Moran who covered the day’s oral arguments for his network.
Sympathetically covering the leftist freeloading protesters outside the court, Moran gushed how “they lined up in the cold rain outside the Supreme Court,” and were a “few of the millions of Americans whose financial futures may depend on this case.”
Changing his tune, Moran fretted that “the Supreme Court's conservatives [were] clearly signaling that they think President Biden has gone too far with his $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan, and that Congress must approve such huge sums.”
Of course, there was little emphasis given to how there was no constitutional bases for Biden’s student loan order.
A worried Moran told anchor David Muir at the end of his report that “there is no question that the conservative super majority on this court seems poised to strike down this program, and White House officials have been saying that they have not discussed options. There is no plan B.”
On CBS Evening News, legal correspondent Jan Crawford let a 25-year-old student tell her sob story about how she will be forced to pay back the money she borrowed if the court doesn’t rule in her favor.
“25-year-old Jenaya Moore would see about a third of her $70,000 student loan debt erased under President Biden’s forgiveness plan,” Crawford fretted.
“She’s 1 of 43,000,000 people eligible for some student loan debt relief, those making less than $125,000 a year could get $10,000 in debt forgiven. Those with Pell grants could get $20,000 erased,” Crawford worried.
Much like ABC’s Moran, Crawford seemed disappointed that conservative hopes that the Supreme Court would strike down Biden’s taxpayer heist were “bolstered during three hours of arguments as conservative justices seemed skeptical that President Biden could single-handedly forgive student debt for 95 percent of borrowers.”
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt sorrowly reported that Biden’s “plan appeared to face new headwinds before the Supreme Court as conservative justices questioned whether the President was acting within the law.”
Yet, towards the end of the segment, Holt seemed hopeful that his friend Joe Biden might get his way after all. Turning to correspondent Laura Jarrett, Holt asked “Laura, despite their obvious skepticism about the President's plan, the justices could still dismiss the suit?”
Jarrett dutifully agreed “that's right, Lester. Several of the justices seemed largely unconvinced that the plaintiffs, in this case, were actually harmed and had the legal right to sue.”
This advocacy from the three networks for Biden’s immoral student loan bailout scheme was made possible by Geico on ABC, Fisher Investments on CBS, and Ensure on NBC. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcripts click “expand”:
ABC’s World News Tonight
2/28/2023
6:39:50 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Now, to the Supreme Court tonight. And this question, will President Biden's plan to relieve college debt for millions of students be put on hold? Tonight here, the new audio from the Supreme Court. What the conservative justices are already saying. Justice Gorsuch, for one, asking, is it fair to those who paid back their debt already or who never borrowed in the first place? ABC's Terry Moran has covered the Supreme Court for years for us.
TERRY MORAN: Overnight, they lined up in the cold rain outside the Supreme Court. A few of the millions of Americans whose financial futures may depend on this case. But inside, the Supreme Court's conservatives clearly signaling that they think President Biden has gone too far with his $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan, and that Congress must approve such huge sums.
CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS: I think most casual observers would say if you are going to give up that much amount of money, if you are going to affect the obligations of that many Americans on a subject that's of great controversy, they would think that's something for Congress to act on.
MORAN: The Biden plan cancels $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 a year, and another $10,000 for some lower-income borrowers. The White House says 26 million people have applied so far. Outside, young people describe the stakes.
KERRIANNE TROESCH (STUDENT, PENNSYLVANIA WESTERN UNIVERSITY): You go to school to get a well-paying job, but you are also digging yourself a hole of enormous debt and it's hard that crawl out of.
MYKEISHA WELLS (GRADUATE STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN): Doing things such as buying a house, I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to do that in the timeframe that I want.
MORAN: But is the Biden plan fair to other Americans? That question raised by conservatives. Justice Neil Gorsuch mentioning--
JUSTICE NEIL GORSUCH: People who have paid their loans, people who don't plan their lives around not seeking loans, and people who are not eligible for loans in the first place, and that a half a trillion dollars is being diverted to one group of favored persons over others.
MORAN: But to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the future without this plan looks bleak.
JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR: There's a 50 million students who are -- will benefit from this, who today will struggle. They don't have friends or families or others who can help them make these payments.
MORAN: David, there is no question that the conservative super majority on this court seems poised to strike down this program, and White House officials have been saying that they have not discussed options. There is no plan B. David?
CBS Evening News
2/28/2023
6:36:22 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: President Biden's plan to forgive student loan debt for more than 40 million Americans is facing its toughest test yet, the Supreme Court. The justices heard arguments today on two different challenges brought by six Republican-led states and two student loan borrowers. CBS's Jan Crawford is outside the Supreme Court.
JAN CRAWFORD: Students came to make their voices heard.
JANAYA MOORE (STUDENT): It’s a lot of anxiety and fear.
CRAWFORD: 25-year-old Jenaya Moore would see about a third of her $70,000 student loan debt erased under President Biden’s forgiveness plan.
MOORE: I feel like my life is on the line if it doesn’t get canceled.
CRAWFORD: She’s 1 of 43,000,000 people eligible for some student loan debt relief, those making less than $125,000 a year could get $10,000 in debt forgiven. Those with Pell grants could get $20,000 erased. But that comes at a cost. Nearly half a trillion dollars. Critics say on an issue this big, Congress has to sign off. Missouri attorney general Andrew Bailey is one of the state Republican leaders urging the court to kill the program.
MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDREW BAILEY: As someone who paid for my school in blood, sweat, and tears in service to my nation, that’s an issue that’s near and dear to my heart. I’m confident the court will reach the right decision.
CRAWFORD: A confidence that was bolstered during three hours of arguments as conservative justices seemed skeptical that President Biden could single-handedly forgive student debt for 95 percent of borrowers.
CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS: I think most casual observers would say if you're going to give up that much amount of money, if you are going to affect the obligations of that many Americans on a subject that’s of great controversy, they would think that’s something for Congress to act on.
CRAWFORD: But liberal justices said the law gave the administration power to act during national emergencies like COVID.
JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR: There’s a 50 million students who will benefit from this, who today will struggle.
CRAWFORD: But the Republican leaders who are fighting to stop the Biden plan say all that debt cancellation will cost their states money. A decision, in this case, is expected by the end of June. Norah?
NBC Nightly News
2/28/2023
6:31:44 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: In a pair of cases that will impact tens of millions of student loan borrowers, the Supreme Court heard arguments today on whether the Biden administration had the authority to forgive some of those loans. The President's loan debt relief plan calls for erasing up to $20,000 in student loans for certain borrowers at an estimated cost of $400 billion. But it was put on hold last fall by an appeals court.
Today the plan appeared to face new headwinds before the Supreme Court as conservative justices questioned whether the President was acting within the law. The White House defending the plan tonight as a helping hand for those getting back on their feet after the pandemic. But critics say the program is patently unfair for those who paid their debt or who never took out a loan in the first place. Laura Jarrett has more now from Washington.
[...]
HOLT: Laura joining me live now. Laura, despite their obvious skepticism about the President's plan, the justices could still dismiss the suit?
LAURA JARRETT: That's right, Lester. Several of the justices seemed largely unconvinced that the plaintiffs, in this case, were actually harmed and had the legal right to sue. Meantime, all federal student loan payments will remain on hold for at least 60 days until after the high court rules. Lester?
