Sanders at Supreme Court: Americans shouldn’t have to face financial ruin ‘because you want a damn education’

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spoke outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday as the justices heard oral arguments on the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan.

“In America, we have 45 million Americans, young people, drowning in student debt. And I have talked to people all over this country who literally delay having a family, can’t have any kids, they can’t afford a car, they can’t afford to have a middle class life because they’re drowning in this student debt,” Sanders said, as seen in video footage that also showed protesters outside the court.

“In America, you shouldn’t have to face financial ruin because you want a damn education,” the Vermont senator added.

The majority-conservative Supreme Court is hearing arguments in two back-to-back cases on the Biden administration’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for other borrowers.

Six Republican attorney generals are contending in Biden v. Nebraska that the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, under which the debt forgiveness program was authorized, doesn’t give the Department of Education the authority it needs to carry out the program.

Two student loan borrowers are arguing in Department of Education v. Brown that they were denied the chance to comment on the plan and urge broader eligibility criteria for who can have debt forgiven.

“Today we say to the Supreme Court, listen to the needs of the people, Sanders said on Twitter. “Do the right thing. Support Biden’s proposal to cancel student debt.”

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