Biden Administration Halts Key Regulations Amid Transition to Trump Presidency – JP
President Joe Biden’s administration has announced it will abandon efforts to implement key regulations concerning transgender student athletes and student loan forgiveness, signaling the first steps in a broader plan to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from reworking these initiatives once he takes office.
The White House has acknowledged that the Biden administration is pulling back from unfinished regulations across several federal agencies, citing a need to clear the way for Trump’s team. By withdrawing the rules, the administration aims to prevent the incoming president from making swift changes to policy in his first days in office, a process that would be much faster if the rules were left incomplete.
Among the regulations being pulled back are two major proposals that would have significantly impacted student loan debt and transgender rights. The Department of Education had planned to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, extending relief to an additional 55,000 borrowers. However, the department stated it would now focus its resources on helping borrowers transition back to repayment following the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the transgender rights front, the Department of Education had proposed a rule that would have allowed transgender students to compete in sports according to their gender identity. However, the regulation faced backlash from both supporters and opponents of transgender rights, and legal challenges loomed. The department decided to withdraw the proposal, citing ongoing litigation and the need for further consideration of public comments.
The Biden administration’s move to abandon these policies has drawn mixed reactions. Activists, especially those pushing for student loan forgiveness, expressed disappointment but acknowledged the political realities of the situation. Some Republican lawmakers, like Sen. Bill Cassidy, criticized the debt cancellation plans as a “dishonest attempt” to buy votes, while Biden defended his administration’s record, pointing to $180 billion in student loan forgiveness through existing programs.
As Biden’s term nears its end, the focus is shifting to what regulations will be finalized and which ones will be withdrawn to make way for the incoming administration’s priorities. The withdrawal of these key proposals is seen as a necessary step to avoid legal and political complications under the next presidency.