WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday kept on hold the latest multibillion-dollar plan from the Biden administration that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts.
The justices rejected an administration request to put most of it back into effect. It was blocked by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In an unsigned order, the court said it expects the appeals court to issue a fuller decision on the plan “with appropriate dispatch.”
The Education Department is seeking to provide a faster path to loan cancellation, and reduce monthly income-based repayments from 10% to 5% of a borrower’s discretionary income. The plan also wouldn’t require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person.
Last year, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority rejected an earlier plan that would have wiped away more than $400 billion in student loan debt.
Cost estimates of the new SAVE plan vary. The Republican-led states challenging the plan peg the cost at $475 billion over 10 years. The administration cites a Congressional Budget Office estimate of $276 billion.
Two separate legal challenges to the SAVE plan have been making their way through federal courts. In June, judges in Kansas and Missouri issued separate rulings that blocked much of the administration’s plan. Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that allowed the department to proceed with a provision allowing for lower monthly payments. Republican-led states had asked the high court to undo that ruling.
But after the 8th Circuit blocked the entire plan, the states had no need for the Supreme Court to intervene, the justices noted in a separate order issued Wednesday.
The Justice Department had suggested the Supreme Court could take up the legal fight over the new plan now, as it did with the earlier debt forgiveness plan. But the justices declined to do so.
“This is a recipe for chaos across the student loan system,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, an advocacy group.
“No court has decided on the merits here, but despite all of that borrowers are left in this limbo state where their rights don’t exist for them,” Pierce said.
Eight million people were already enrolled in the SAVE program when it was paused by the lower court, and more than 10 million more people are looking for ways to afford monthly payments, he said.
FILE - The Supreme Court is seen at sundown in Washington, Nov. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Zack Littell shut down Cleveland for six innings and rookie Logan Driscoll hit his first career homer, a two-run shot, sending the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 win over the AL Central-leading Guardians on Friday night.
Littell (7-9) allowed just two hits in his second straight strong start. He blanked Baltimore for five innings last week and has thrown 13 consecutive scoreless frames. The right-hander is 4-0 in his career against the Guardians.
Littell's performance followed Tampa Bay's bullpen shutting out Cleveland over the final seven innings in Thursday's series opener.
“We downplayed it a little but we needed a strong outing from the starter and he certainty provided that,” manager Kevin Cash said of Littell, who retired his final 11 batters. "He had to get the off-speed pitches going and he did, and got deep in the ballgame for us.”
The Guardians didn't score until the eighth, when rookie Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry hit back-to-back doubles off Mason Montgomery. Fry's shot to left missed being a two-run homer by inches.
Cash brought in Edwin Uceta, returning from his two-game suspension for throwing at Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos, to get two outs in the eighth. Uceta then worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save.
“He’s done that every outing but one,” Cash said. "He’s really set the bar high for himself. We’re fortunate to have him and some other young pitchers. They’re getting some good reps in this type of atmosphere on this trip.”
Cleveland's loss coupled with Kansas City's win reduced the Guardians' division lead to three games. The Guardians are 1-4 against the Rays.
“This Tampa team knows how to pitch,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us the next two days.”
Cleveland played without All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan, who was scratched with back soreness.
Driscoll connected in the third inning off Tanner Bibee (11-8), who had an up-and-down outing. Bibee gave up two homers and finished with nine strikeouts after striking out the side in two innings.
Jonathan Aranda also homered for the Rays, who are facing three division leaders — Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cleveland — and are 4-4 on a 10-game trip.
“For us, it’s win every game right now, but this road trip has been circled all year,” Littell said. "We've done a really nice job. We got swept in Philly, but every game we were in and it just kind of didn’t go our way.”
Driscoll's shot into the right-field seats in the second came moments after Jose Siri narrowly missed a homer with a blast to center field that hit the yellow line marking the top of the wall.
With Siri on third following a triple, Driscoll, who drove in the winning run in his MLB debut on Sept. 3, homered. He received a warm welcome in Tampa Bay's dugout as the Rays raised their arms to form a tunnel for him to run through.
“It was one of those things where you don’t really realize what happened in the moment until the game ended and I was able to kind of process things,” Driscoll said, who got the souvenir ball, trading a signed bat with a fan.
“I’ve got find a spot for it,” he said. “That's for sure.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: LF Christoper Morel was replaced in the third inning with right Achilles tendon discomfort. Morel accidentally got stepped on by Cleveland's Brayan Rocchio on Thursday night and appeared to be favoring his foot on two plays in the field. Cash said he'll like get Saturday off.
Guardians: RHP Ben Lively (bruised thigh) threw a bullpen session and is on track to start Sunday's series finale. Lively was lucky to not be more seriously hurt after being hit with a line drive in Chicago.
UP NEXT
Guardians rookie LHP Joey Cantillo (1-3, 5.96 ERA) starts Saturday in his first game since taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against the White Sox. The Rays will start Drew Rasmussen in a bullpen game.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll, left, celebrates with relief pitcher Edwin Uceta, right, after they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Edwin Uceta pitches in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Logan Driscoll, left, celebrates with relief pitcher Edwin Uceta, right, after they defeated the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Caballero reacts after a called second strike in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. Caballero struck out in the at-bat. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Siri tosses his bat after striking out in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. Guardians catcher Bo Naylor is at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, left, gestures after tagging out Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe (8) in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jhonkensy Noel catches a fly ball hit for an out against Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda in the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Jose Caballero walks back to the dugout after striking out in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, right, slides safely into second base under the tag of Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Jose Caballero, left, inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, left, tags out Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe (8) in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Logan Driscoll, right, is congratulated by teammate Jose Siri (22) after hitting a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tampa Bay Rays' Zack LIttell pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
