A Supreme Court decision that killed President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel federal student loan debt for millions of Americans was swiftly criticized by Massachusetts Democrats.

State and federal lawmakers urged the president to explore other avenues for student debt relief, after Friday’s 6–3 court decision, which said the Biden administration had overstepped its authority with the plan.

The decision, with conservative justices in the majority, leaves borrowers responsible for loan repayments that are expected to resume this fall, after having been paused since the start of the pandemic three years ago.

“This fight is not over,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement. “The president has more tools to cancel student debt and he must use them.

“More than 40 million hardworking Americans are waiting for the help that President Biden promised them, and they expect this administration to throw everything they’ve got into the fight until they make good on this commitment.”

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley added, “The people demand and deserve this long overdue economic relief and a promise is a promise. The Biden administration should act immediately.”

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey slammed the court’s decision, stating, “The stolen, far-right Supreme Court majority has no shame.”

“Today’s decision is callous and it will haunt this country,” Markey said in a statement. “President Biden’s plan would have meant the difference for borrowers hoping to build their future, buy a home and start a business. That future will now be lost.”

In a statement, Biden said the ruling was wrong and accused Republicans of “stunning” hypocrisy on the issue.

“The fight is not over,” said Biden, who, according to a White House official, was set to announce a new set of actions to protect student loan borrowers on Friday.

The forgiveness program would have canceled $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income. Pell Grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, would have had an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

Twenty-six million people had applied for relief and 43 million would have been eligible, the Biden administration said. The cost was estimated at $400 billion over 30 years.

The court ruled that the administration needed Congress’ endorsement before undertaking such a costly program. The majority rejected arguments that a bipartisan 2003 law dealing with national emergencies, known as the HEROES Act, gave Biden the power he claimed.

“Six states sued, arguing that the HEROES Act does not authorize the loan cancellation plan. We agree,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell vowed to help the state’s  borrowers “prepare for payments to resume and access the other time-limited debt relief opportunities that are available today.”

“Today’s decision is a judicial attack on the millions of student loan borrowers who have relied on the Biden administration’s debt relief plan and will struggle to make ends meet when repayment resumes in October,” Campbell said in a statement.

Gov. Maura Healey made a similar promise, stating that her administration “will continue our efforts to make higher education and job training more affordable and accessible in Massachusetts, and support federal efforts to provide relief to borrowers who are being crushed by the student debt crisis.”

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.