Joe Biden’s plan to have American taxpayers incur the cost of student loan debt was dealt a blow by the Supreme Court Wednesday. It’s not the end of the road for other outrageous spending plans either. Democrats are thinking in ways many conservatives may not be – yet – Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project, said on American Family Radio Thursday.
“What we’re see is Democrats – especially the Biden-Harris administration – pushing the envelope, looking to see what they can get away with, what dollar amount falls below threshold before the Supreme Court steps in and shuts it down,” Filitti told show host Jenna Ellis.
The student loan plan has always been about vote-buying near the election, critics say. If Filitti is correct, now it’s a probing mission as well.
It’s about “what costs they can incur on the American public. Democrats will expand to more broad-based programs. If they don’t succeed in this, they’ll keep trying,” Filitti warned.
SAVE Plan punted back to lower courts
For now, the justices declined to allow the implementation of the SAVE Plan, which provides debt relief to lower-income student borrowers. The plan has been tossed back to lower courts and will continue to play out there, SCOTUSblog.com reported.
There were no dissenting opinions in the High Court's decision, and the Eighth Circuit was instructed to act quickly.
The Department of Education revamped its debt-relief efforts to be more targeted after the Supreme Court rejected its original plan to cancel more than $400 billion in student loans after COVID-19.
“You’re wiping off debt and shifting the burden to all American taxpayers to pay for this. You’re looking at a cost of [almost] half a trillion dollars – $400 billion and change,” Filitti told show host Jenna Ellis.
That kind of money catches the attention of the justices.
What the Supreme Court is considering is “whether President Biden can by executive decree make these things happen without Congress allowing it when we’re talking about that much money,” Filitti explained.
As Vice President Kamala Harris runs a presidential campaign without sharing her policy plans, the only thing voters can assume is that she agrees with her boss.
“We do know that when she ran for office in the past she made comments about the cost of education being too high and wanting to make it more affordable for all Americans. She has commented on the burden of student debt, but we don’t know where she stands [now].
“This is the Biden-Harris administration, so you have to assume that she’s in lock step and will take credit for this plan if it ends up being successful. I think she finds it very favorable,” Filitti suggested.
Harris’ opponent does not find it favorable, but voters, again, are left to meditate on past Donald Trump comments on education.
It’s not that he’s avoiding the topic. It’s more that traditional media is “fawning” over Harris, and Trump is having a hard time getting his message out, Filitti said.
“Some of the things he’s talked about in recent months do go to the issues of DEI, they do go to the issues of what higher education is actually teaching students. I do think he would attempt to reign in, as many governors have done, the extent to which these schools can pay federal funds to teach things that are not actually educational that go more toward indoctrinating social values.”
Anti-American policies on American tax dollars
Filitti also believes Trump would take a long, hard look at federal funding for colleges rooted in woke policies.
“He has talked more about looking at the funding of these schools and how much the government pays, especially when you see what’s been happening on college campuses and seeing the anti-American activities, just reigning in how much the government spends on these campuses.”
Republicans overall need a better education strategy, but Filitti argues that Trump’s positions are the “makings of a very good policy.”
It would be good to hear updated comments from both candidates, especially Harris, who has been so light on specifics.
“It’s very problematic for voters," said the Lawfare Project's senior counsel. "So far, the only thing I’ve heard that’s been close to a policy announcement came during the Democratic convention when she said she would have a pathway to citizenship program for illegal immigrants.”
There’s too much at stake with education funding for voters to be left in the dark, he continued, pointing out there are different issues even within education.
“One of the things no one has addressed is the power of the unions on what happens in schools – and you could have Republican governors or federal laws that stop some of the bad parts of DEI. But as long as you have teachers who are backed by the unions that keep promoting this in the classrooms, this will continue being a war. What’s being done about that?”
Public frustrated with public education
Americans are fed up with higher education, according to Filitti.
“You’re seeing college campuses devolve to anarchy at a high cost to students that now the government wants to pass on to all taxpayers. Students are not getting the benefit of what they’re paying for," he noted. "And just like we’ve seen inflation everywhere else the last four years, we’ve seen tuition rise significantly.”
