Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. took aim at President Biden Friday over his “failure” to unite Congress, insisting it led to the “predictable” Supreme Court decision to strike down the president’s student loan forgiveness plan.
“The unfortunate SCOTUS ruling striking down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program was the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans,” Kennedy said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
“President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action while accomplishing nothing.
“This is an issue of grave importance to our country. As president, I will galvanize public support to pressure Congress to put down their partisan positions and legislate meaningful relief to the tens of millions of Americans who are drowning in student debt.”
Kennedy, who’s challenging the incumbent president in the 2024 race for the White House, said Biden’s plan to forgive student debt gave the “appearance of action while accomplishing nothing.” (Lisa Lake, Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kennedy said he would also “take steps to reduce education costs for students,” suggesting that college could “be virtually free” in the United States if government “devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education.”
“When I was their age, a college education cost about one-seventh of what it is today. A young person could work their way through college and graduate debt-free,” he said. “If we devoted even a fraction of our military budget to higher education, it could be virtually free to all (as it is in many other countries).
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“Funding higher education is not an entitlement program, it is an investment in America’s future, just as with infrastructure and environment. Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars.”
The Supreme Court April 19, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Kennedy’s remarks came a few hours after the high court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that the White House lacked the legal authority to provide billions in federal loan forgiveness for borrowers, absent clear authorization from Congress.
The move by the Supreme Court will prevent more than 40 million low- and middle-income borrowers from receiving $10,000 in federal loan forgiveness under the Biden administration’s plan and is a major defeat for the president on one of his key 2020 election campaign promises.
Originally announced by Biden from the White House in August, the plan would have canceled $10,000 of federal student loan debt for certain borrowers making less than $125,000 per year and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.
Biden’s plan would have canceled $10,000 of federal student loan debt for certain borrowers making less than $125,000 per year and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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While Kennedy expressed concern over the Supreme Court’s ruling, Republican presidential candidates like Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Vice President Mike Pence applauded the court’s decision.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.