House Republicans unable to reverse Biden’s veto on debt relief plan.

The attempt by House Republicans to overturn President Joe Biden’s veto of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution aimed at nullifying the president’s debt relief plan has failed with a vote of 221–206.

To successfully override Biden’s veto, it would have needed a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, both of which initially passed the resolution.

Biden’s proposal would see the cancellation of up to $20,000 of student debt for around 37 million people—roughly costing taxpayers half a trillion dollars over the next decade.

Republican lawmakers argued the plan doesn’t “forgive debt,” but rather transfers it from the people who willingly took out the loans to those who never attended college or who have already repaid their loans.

Two House Democrats joined with 216 Republicans in condemning the president’s plan to forgive the debt.

The president’s plan is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court by plaintiffs who argue that it goes beyond the scope of the Heroes Act of 2003. This act grants the U.S. secretary of education the authority to modify the federal student loan system during times of national emergencies.

Biden administration officials argue the president is acting within the law, but the plaintiffs challenging the program assert that the law allows only narrow applications of relief, not the widespread loan cancellation desired by the president.

Resolution

Earlier this year, Republicans introduced a CRA measure in the House with the intention of halting student debt relief. This came after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Biden’s plan fell under the jurisdiction of the CRA, which empowers Congress to suspend actions initiated by the president.

In May, the resolution was approved by the House in a vote of 218–203, receiving support from all Republicans and two Democrats, namely Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.

Shortly thereafter, the Senate passed the resolution with a vote of 52–46, as Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, joined forces with Republicans to reject