The Biden administration filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, urging the justices to reinstate its latest student loan relief plan.
This appeal seeks to temporarily overturn a lower court ruling that currently blocks the implementation of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which aims to restructure repayment terms for student borrowers.
"The rule is a straightforward exercise of the [Education] Department's express statutory authority to set the parameters of income-contingent repayment plans - just as it has done for three decades," U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in the appeal, according to The Hill.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' 3-0 ruling on Friday extended a temporary halt on the SAVE plan, calling it a "vast assertion of newfound power" and criticizing the administration for lacking clear congressional authorization.
The administration's track record with student loan relief appeals to the Supreme Court has been problematic; last year, the justices rejected President Joe Biden's plan to cancel $10,000 in student debt per borrower in a 6-3 decision.
In a Wednesday statement, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reiterated the administration's commitment to "supporting borrowers and fighting for the most affordable repayment options possible for millions of people across the country."
Borrowers currently affected by the ruling have been placed in an interest-free forbearance while the administration fights the legal challenge.
