NBC News
Supreme Court strikes down Biden's student loan relief plan and limits LGBTQ rights
The court concluded its term today and announced cases it will take up when the next term starts in October.
By NBC News
Latest news from the Supreme Court's rulings
- The Supreme Court delivered its final opinions of the term today with a pair of major cases involving an evangelical Christian web designer who wants to be able to refuse to work on LGBTQ weddings and challenges to President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program.
- In the student debt case, the justices struck down Biden's long-delayed program, which would have allowed eligible borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 in debt and was estimated to cost more than $400 billion. The program has been blocked since the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary hold in October. About 43 million people were eligible to participate.
- The court also ruled in favor of the web designer, Lorie Smith, who opposes same-sex marriage on religious grounds. She sued the state of Colorado in 2016 saying she would accept customers planning opposite-sex weddings but reject requests made by same-sex couples wanting the same service. Smith argued that, as a creative professional, she has a free speech right to refuse to undertake work that conflicts with her views.
- After issuing today's rulings, the justices released a list of cases for the next term.
- Catch up on yesterday's rulings on affirmative action here.
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11:06 AM EDT
GOP senators praise student loan decision
Diana Paulsen
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called Biden's plan "a massive giveway to the wealthy" while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R- Tenn., called it "a socialist plan to redistribute wealth".
Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith, R-Miss., tweeted that she was "relieved" that the court had overturned the "attempt to force hardworking Americans... to foot the debts of others"