Who is Mark Timothy Pittman? Judge appointed by Trump puts Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan on ice
FORT WORTH, TEXAS: District Court Judge Mark Timothy Pittman, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, has struck down Joe Biden's student debt waiver plan on Thursday, November 10, 2022. He said that the president’s plan to waive up to $20K in student debt for federal borrowers making under $125K a year is illegal.
The 26-page-order read, "No one can plausibly deny that it is either one of the largest delegations of legislative power to the executive branch or one of the largest exercises of legislative power without congressional authority in the history of the United States. In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone. Instead, we are ruled by a Constitution that provides for three distinct and independent branches of government." The order further stated, “The Court is not blind to the current political division in our country. But it is fundamental to the survival of our Republic that the separation of powers as outlined in our Constitution be preserved.” In response to this, the Biden administration filed an appeal to challenge the ruling. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a statement confirming the appeal, said, "We strongly disagree with the District Court's ruling on our student debt relief program," reports Axios.
