Missouri Solicitor General Josh Divine argued in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Monday morning that the repayment plan, dubbed the SAVE Plan, was never authorized by Congress.
Divine is representing Missouri along with Republican attorneys general from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.
“The defendants have asserted authority to redistribute $500 billion from teachers, farmers, nurses and truckers to those who haven’t paid off their student loans yet,” he said at the conclusion of his argument. “Congress simply did not give the president or the secretary (of education) authority to make a massive, monumental policy.”
Judge John Ross said it would take him “a couple of weeks” to craft an order. If Bailey gets his way, the court will block the federal government from approving additional borrowers for the SAVE Plan. Those who have already applied would not be affected, which U.S. Department of Justice Attorney Steven Petri said Monday was “news to (him).”
