Biden brags about cutting $138 billion in student debt in front of the Supreme Court and promises to give public teachers a raise

President Joe Biden bragged about wiping out $138 billion in federal student loan debt since taking office despite the Supreme Court blocking his student loan forgiveness plan. 

The president touted canceling the debt during his State of the Union address Thursday night just feet from where the Supreme Court justices were seated in attendance. 

'When I was told I couldn't just universally change the way in which we did debt with student loans I fixed two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly four million Americans including nurses, firefighters and others in public service,' Biden said.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled against Biden's $400 billion plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans. But Biden vowed to continue to fight in other ways.

To date he has canceled student loan debt for nearly 3.9 million borrowers despite the Supreme Court killing his plan last June.

President Biden touted canceling student loan debt for four million Americans since taking office during his State of the Union address

Keenan Jones (left) who benefitted from the public service loan forgiveness program was in attendance for the State of the Union address as a guest of First Lady Jill Biden

Some of the steps the White House has taken include changes to the public service loan forgiveness and income-driven repayment programs. 

One of First Lady Jill Biden's guests for the State of the Union address on Thursday was Keenan Jones, a public school educator from Minnesota, who benefited from the public service loan forgiveness program and received a shoutout from the president.

'He’s educated hundreds of students so they can go to college. Now he can help after debt forgiveness get his own daughter to college,' Biden said. 

'Such relief is good for the economy because folks are now able to buy a home, start a business, start a family,' the president continued.

During his State of the Union address, Biden also called for a raise for public school teachers, a line that got a big cheer from some members in the audience. 

'While we're at it, I want to give public school teachers a raise,' Bide said. 

But while Biden has vowed to work to cancel more student loan debt, his efforts have not come without criticism.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona standing alongside President Biden at the White House after the Supreme Court blocked the president's original $400 billion plan to cancel student loan debt

The Biden administration has been working on several approaches to cancel student loan debt after the Supreme Court blocked the previous plan including launching the SAVE plan and going through the rulemaking process

Republicans and some critics have slammed the move to cancel student loan debt arguing it is a burden of taxpayers who chose not to take out student loans or pursue expensive college degrees and an overreach of the president's authority.

But advocates calling for student loan forgiveness celebrated the president including the issue in his annual address.

'The Biden Administration has now cancelled the most student loan debt in American history,' said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. 

'Behind these numbers are real-life Americans whose lives have been changed for the better due to the Biden Administration's efforts to tackle the student loan debt crisis,' Pierce continued.

The group said the president must finalize and deliver on his plan. 

The administration is working through the rule making process on further cancel student loan debt. 

Last month, the White House announced it would start canceling debt for borrowers enrolled in the new Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.

The SAVE plan is an income driven repayment plan for borrowers who have been making payments for at least ten years and had originally taken out $12,000 or less for college. 

Moving forward, the Education Department will continue to identify and cancel student loan debt under the plan on a regular basis. 

Republicans have tried to block the plan but have not had the numbers in Congress to do so.