In a renewed effort to win over young voters—who will be critical to the election outcome in November—US President Joe Biden unveiled new plans on Monday to lower student loan debt for millions of Americans.
The Democrat's plans follow after his earlier, more ambitious plans to wipe out several hundred billion dollars in debt were rejected in June by the US Supreme Court, which is presided over by conservatives.
The White House said in a statement that "the plans, if implemented, would provide debt relief to over 30 million Americans" ahead of Biden's speech in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Under the proposed plans, the burden of student debt would be lifted for four million borrowers, accrued interest would be eliminated for 23 million borrowers, and over 10 million borrowers would receive a minimum of $5,000 in debt relief, according to the statement.
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"It means breathing room, it means freedom from feeling like your student loan bills compete with basic needs, like grocery or health care," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told reporters.
Undeterred by opposition, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre affirmed that Biden would persist in his efforts to cancel student debt, using all available means, regardless of how many times Republican elected officials tried to impede his progress.
A senior administration official said the new plans were "entirely consistent" with the court decision last year, which the White House had studied "carefully."
To overtake Republican candidate Donald Trump in the 2020 election, Biden must win over younger voters, who were crucial to his victory.
A significant contributor to that has been Biden's student loan policy, which was thrown off course when his proposal to erase more than $400 billion in debt was overturned.
With three justices that President Trump appointed while in office, the Supreme Court has shifted significantly to the right in recent years, most notably with the historic decision to overturn the federal right to an abortion last year.
