(CNSNews.com) - President Biden claims that Republicans want to gut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but that’s just “not true,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said Thursday.
“President Biden says my party, I, want to gut Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and that's not true. Not even George Santos would make up a whopper like that, and the president knows that. He just believes that -- he believes that the federal government is what made this country great. I don't,” Kennedy told Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”
Kennedy was referring to Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was caught lying about his background.
“I think ordinary people doing extraordinary things did, but he thinks that we ought to send all of our freedom and all of our money to Washington and let him make the decision, and so he's happy to keep spending,” he said.
Kennedy said that Biden “is the only person in the Milky Way who thinks our country is headed in the right direction.”
“Look at the facts. Last year our economy grew one percent, one percent. China's economy was shut down. It grew at 3 percent. 13.5 percent inflation, cumulatively. That's what President Biden has given us in two years - average rent up 12 percent. Average 30-year mortgage has gone from three percent to 6.5 percent, average wage, down four percent,” he said.
“Because President Biden wouldn't stand up to the teacher's unions, our kids have experienced the largest learning loss in modern history. I don't mean any disrespect, but if that was my record, I would hide my head in a bag, and it doesn't give me joy to say that, Martha, but those are the cold hard facts,” the senator said.
“Now, the American people can't cite you all the statistics that I just articulated, but I can tell you what they do know. They understand that our national debt is rising faster than our national output. They understand the American people do, that the border is wide open. They understand that crime is way up. They understand that respect for our institutions is way down,” Kennedy said.
“The American people understand that it's harder than ever to get ahead in our country right now, and it's easier than ever to do nothing, and that's why well over 70% of the people think we're headed in the wrong direction,” the senator said.