Teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten has complete meltdown over student debt outside SCOTUS

Teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten had a meltdown outside of the Supreme Court and screamed about how it's 'not fair' that the courts are blocking student debt relief. 

Weingarten, 65, gave a passionate speech on Tuesday in support of Joe Biden's $10,000 debt relief program, which has been stalled in state courts fighting it. The plan is estimated to cost taxpayers $400billion over the next three years. 

'Frankly, and this is what really pisses me off,' Weingarten said. 'During the pandemic, we understood that small businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn’t go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. Big businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn't go to the Supreme Court to challenge it.

'All of a sudden, when it’s about our students, they challenge it, the corporations challenge it, the student loan lenders challenge it. That is that not right, that is not fair, and that is what we are fighting as well when we say cancel student debt. This is about the people, and it is about the people's future, and it is about all of your futures.' 

Following a series of legal challenges, including from six GOP states, the nine justices will hear arguments for Biden's plan to eliminate up to $20,000 in individual federal student loan debt, which could cost taxpayers as much as $400billion.

Randi Weingarten, 65, said it 'pisses me off' that pandemic stimulus provided to small businesses was not challenged, but student debt is. 'Frankly, and this is what really pisses me off,' Weingarten said 

'During the pandemic, we understood that small businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn’t go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. Big businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn't go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. All of a sudden, when it’s about our students, they challenge it' 

The plan, which Biden announced in August, would forgive $10,000 in student loans for those making less than $125,000 and married couples making less than $250,000 jointly. That forgiveness would go up to $20,000 if the borrower received a Pell grant, which aids students from low-income families.

'Today, my Administration argues our case for student debt relief in the Supreme Court,' tweeted President Biden. 'This relief is critical to over 40 million Americans as they recover from the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. We're confident it's legal.'

A ruling from the Supreme Court puts more on the line than student loans. If the nation's highest court decides that Biden's executive action is unconstitutional, it could give more power to states' legal challenges against federal policymaking.

Republicans immediately denounced Biden's order as unfair to those who didn't go to college and would need to help pay through taxes for the forgiveness plan – or to those who have already paid off their loans or never took out loans.

On the other hand, some activists said that the plan didn't go far enough, claiming that all student loan debt should be wiped clean.

'This is about the people,' Weingarten said on Tuesday. 'And this is about the people's future. And this is about all of your futures.' 

The plan, which Biden announced in August, would forgive $10,000 in student loans for those making less than $125,000 and married couples making less than $250,000 jointly. That forgiveness would go up to $20,000 if the borrower received a Pell grant, which aids students from low-income families

Following a series of legal challenges, including from six GOP states, the nine justices will hear arguments for Biden's plan to eliminate up to $20,000 in individual federal student loan debt, which could cost taxpayers as much as $400billion

Six Republican-led states challenged President Biden's proposal, claiming that the administrative process needed to go through a proper comment and response period and also claims that it was an overreach.

The 6-3 conservative majority will give the final say on the matter after it worked its way up through the court system.

Biden's legal basis for trying to cancel a portion of student debt is a 2003 law known as the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, better known as the HEROES Act.

Implemented after the September 11, 2001, terror attack, the law was intended to keep service members from being worse off financially while deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Now extended, the law allows Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to grant relief in times of national emergency - in this case, COVID-19.

The White House argues that ending the national emergency doesn't change its legal standing for canceling student loan debt because COVID-19 affected millions of borrowers who might have fallen behind on their loans during the pandemic.

Activists are asking for all student debt to be canceled. 'This is about the people,' Weingarten said on Tuesday. 'And this is about the people's future. And this is about all of your futures' 

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (pictured) also spoke at the event 

'The economic impact of the pandemic is still real,' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said while concurrently insisting the pandemic is over. 'We're trying to help people get back on their feet.' 

According to their legal brief, the states argue that the proposal seeks 'breathtaking and transformative power' by relying on 'a tenuous and pretextual connection to a national emergency.

Student loan borrowers have been thrown into a year of uncertainty.

Biden's announcement for forgiveness in August also came with him declaring the last extension of student loan deferment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that people would need to resume regular payments on January 1, 2023.

The president, however, decided to extend the moratorium until the summer, when the Supreme Court's term typically ends, and an opinion must be issued on the case.

Since the program launched, 26million borrowers have applied for the relief despite its limbo status.

The White House continues to insist that its approach is legally sound.