Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. took a jab at his primary opponent, President Biden, over the Supreme Court’s decision Friday to shoot down Biden’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 on Twitter.
He added that Biden’s plan “gave the appearance of action,” despite knowing the plan was doomed in the courts.
Kennedy pledged to “galvanize public support to pressure Congress” to implement a debt relief plan if he is ever elected. He did not go into detail about how he would encourage Republicans — who foiled Biden’s attempts to pass the relief, even through executive action — to come to the table.
Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stances, also vowed to take steps to reduce the cost of college education while reducing the military budget.
“Funding higher education is not an entitlement program, it is an investment in America’s future, just as with infrastructure and environment,” he said. “Let’s invest in America’s young people instead of in the forever wars.”
Biden’s 2020 platform endorsed free two-year higher education and an expansion of debt relief, but neither proposal survived difficult negotiations in the tightly-controlled Congress. Biden, however, did advocate for and has increased the defense budget.
Kennedy, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, is the only notable challenger to the incumbent president, falling about 55 points behind Biden in recent polling averages.