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Bernie Sanders is the independent U.S. Senator from Vermont. He is the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. He is a member of the Senate's Budget, Veterans, Environment, Energy, and H.E.L.P. (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) committees.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Can't Stop Now (2 comments)
These are tough times for our country. We must continue to push forward. This struggle is not just about you or me or our generation. It is about the future of the country and our children and grandchildren.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 We Must Stop This Corporate Takeover of American Democracy (10 comments)
The US Constitution has served us very well, but when the supreme court says, for purposes of the first amendment, that corporations are people, that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign ads are unconstitutional, our democracy is in grave danger.
Friday, December 30, 2011 2012: Where do we go from here? (10 comments)
As part of any deficit-reduction package, the wealthiest people in this country, many of whom are doing phenomenally well, must be asked to pay their fair share of taxes. We must also do away with the hundreds of billions in corporate loopholes that currently exist, which enable many large and profitable corporations to pay little or nothing in federal taxes.
Saturday, December 17, 2011 Saving American Democracy (5 comments)
When the Supreme Court says that for purposes of the First Amendment, corporations are people; that writing checks from the company's bank account is constitutionally-protected speech and that attempts by the federal government and states to impose reasonable restrictions on campaign ads are unconstitutional -- when that occurs, our democracy is in grave danger. And we have got to fight back!
Monday, December 12, 2011 "Despair Is Not an Option" (3 comments)
Poverty is not just discomfort; poverty is not just a lack of material goods. Poverty is a death sentence. If you are in the bottom 20 percent of income earners, you will die six-and-a-half years earlier than if you are in the top 20 percent. We have got to eliminate this form of capital punishment.
Monday, November 21, 2011 A Pivotal Moment In American History (5 comments)
If Democrats stand with ordinary Americans and make it clear that they are prepared to take on the wealthy and the powerful, they could win both houses of Congress. They could give Obama a fresh infusion of boldness as he enters a second term in the White House.
Saturday, November 19, 2011 Democrats, Stop Caving In!! (16 comments)
If Obama and Dems on the super committee go along with cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the three pillars of the New Deal and the Great Society, and permanently extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent, the American people will shake their heads in disbelief. They will arrive at the valid conclusion that there are no significant differences between the two corporate interest controlled parties
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 Veil of Secrecy at the Fed Lifted, Time for Change (14 comments)
Given the growth of the Occupy Wall Street movement and given the concerns of millions of Americans about Wall Street, we now have a unique opportunity to make significant changes to one of the most powerful and secretive agencies of the federal government. One thing is abundantly clear: Americans deserve a Federal Reserve that works for them, not just the CEOs on Wall Street.
Friday, October 14, 2011 Senators Raise "Serious Concerns" About State Department Study on Tar Sands Oil Pipeline (1 comments)
This is a critically important issue for our environment and the energy future of our country. At a time when all credible scientific evidence and opinion indicate that we are losing the battle against global warming, it is imperative that we have objective environmental assessments of major carbon-dependent energy projects.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Six Demands to Make of Wall Street (6 comments)
Now that Occupy Wall Street is shining a spotlight against Wall Street greed and the enormous inequalities that exist in America, the question then becomes, how do we change the political, economic and financial system to work for all Americans, not just the top 1 percent?
Friday, October 7, 2011 Rein in Wall Street and rescue the middle class (4 comments)
The idea that six giant financial institutions can exert such enormous control over the economy should frighten anyone who believes in a competitive free-market system. Good Republican presidents like William Howard Taft and Teddy Roosevelt broke up Standard Oil, the railroad trusts and other huge monopolies a century ago.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Stand Up And Fight Back! (8 comments)
Today, real unemployment is over 16 percent: 25 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. In my view, the time is now to pass a major jobs bill which will put millions of our fellow Americans back to work.
Thursday, September 22, 2011 Why Do Republicans Hate Social Security? (12 comments)
Republicans have spent years demonizing Social Security and spreading lies about its sustainability. They want to scare Americans and build support for making drastic cuts to the program or privatizing it entirely. Their long-term goal is to end Social Security as we know it, and convert it into a private account system which will enable Wall Street to make hundreds of billions in profits.
Monday, September 19, 2011 On Obama's Deficit Plan (2 comments)
I welcome the president's decision to let states seek health care waivers in 2014 -- three years earlier than under the health-care law. This will give needed support and encouragement to Vermont as we seek to lead the nation in health reform.
Friday, September 16, 2011 Wall Street's Secret Oil Games (13 comments)
Congress recognized last year that excessive oil speculation must end. The Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation required the CFTC to eliminate, prevent or diminish excessive oil speculation by Jan. 17, 2011. Months after that deadline, the commission still has failed to enforce the law, and speculators still are making out like bandits.
Friday, August 26, 2011 Strengthen Social Security (7 comments)
The President's specific campaign proposal was to apply Social Security payroll taxes to all income above $250,000. In other words, the proposal I will be introducing is exactly what the President campaigned on. We have got to keep our word. And, that's exactly what this legislation would do.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 Sanders Demands Regulators Obey Law on Oil Speculation (5 comments)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today said federal regulators should stop thumbing their noses at a year-old law and enforce limits on excessive speculation in oil markets.
Saturday, August 20, 2011 Jobs -- Saving the Middle Class (2 comments)
These are very tough times for our country. There's no question about that. But despair is not an option. This fight is not just about what happens to our lives. More important, it's what happens to our kids and grandchildren. For their sakes, we cannot give up the struggle.
Thursday, July 28, 2011 The American People Are Angry (13 comments)
The Democrats have yielded far, far too much. In December, with the Democrats controlling the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate they extended Bush's tax breaks for the rich and lowered the tax rates on estates for the very rich. In April, they allowed tens of billions of dollars in cuts to vitally important programs for low- and moderate-income Americans.
Monday, July 25, 2011 Deficit Reduction Down to the Wire (2 comments)
At a time of growing hunger in America there will be massive cuts to nutrition programs. We have a crisis in homelessness, and there will be cuts to affordable housing. While we need more funds for research and development in disease prevention and other areas, fewer funds will be available. And on and on it goes.
Friday, July 22, 2011 The Eye Popping Fed Audit (23 comments)
The first top-to-bottom audit of the Federal Reserve uncovered eye-popping new details about how the U.S. provided a whopping $16 trillion in secret loans to bail out American and foreign banks and businesses during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Disaster Warning on 'Gang of Six' (1 comments)
Sanders: "The plan would result in devastating cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and many other programs that are of vital importance to working families in this country. Meanwhile, tax rates would be lowered for the wealthiest people and the largest, most profitable corporations."
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Sanders: Say No to Gang of Six; Opposes Cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (1 comments)
While all of the details from the so-called Gang of Six proposals are not yet clear, what is apparent is that the plan would result in devastating cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and many other programs that are of vital importance to working families in this country. Meanwhile, tax rates would be lowered for the wealthiest people and the largest, most profitable corporations.
Saturday, July 9, 2011 Sanders Warns of Devastating Cuts in Social Security (6 comments)
Cites New Office of Retirement Policy Report
Social Security cuts under consideration by the White House in deficit-reduction talks would drive 245,000 people into poverty and lower widows' benefits $1,200 a year by 2050, according to Social Security Administration calculations provided to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 Mr. President: Enough is Enough (6 comments)
This is a lot of pain the Republicans are tossing out while at the same time they are vigorously protecting their wealthy and powerful friends. In my view, the President of the United States has to stand tall. He has to take the case to the American people and he has to hold the Republicans responsible if, in fact, the debt ceiling is not raised, and all of the repercussions that will occur if that happens.
Friday, June 3, 2011 Republican Budget Extremist and Cruel (16 comments)
The Republican House budget is the most radical right-wing extremist budget ever passed in the modern history of our country, and the more the American people learn about it the more they are rejecting it. The question is, however: Where are the Democrats? Where is President Obama?
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 Single payer health: it's only fair (13 comments)
Twenty-three million Americans still without health insurance after health reform is implemented? This is unacceptable. It is time for us to end private, for-profit participation in delivering basic coverage.
Monday, March 14, 2011 Deficit Reduction Requires Shared Sacrifice (1 comments)
The rich are getting richer. The middle class and poor are getting poorer. What is the Republican solution to the deficit crisis? More tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Savage cuts in programs that are desperately needed by working families.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Sen. Bernie Sanders Statement on Tax Cut Deal (3 comments)
As America descends into totalitarian darkness, there are a handful of members of Congress with the courage to fight back in defiance. Bernie Sanders is a leading light in that tiny group.
Monday, November 8, 2010 Sanders Cites Olbermann Suspension in Bid to Block NBC-Comcast Merger (7 comments)
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today opposing a merger of Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal that would give the cable giant control of NBC's television and movie business:
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 No to Oligarchy (6 comments)
Wall Street's criminal greed has caused great harm to Americans, with the Responsible Estate Tax Act(S.3533), we can reduce the damage.
Friday, July 23, 2010 No to Oligarchy (15 comments)
The American people are hurting. As a result of the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street, millions of Americans have lost their jobs, homes, life savings and their ability to get a higher education. Today, some 22 percent of our children live in poverty, and millions more have become dependent on food stamps for their food.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Why Do Republicans Want to Raise the Deficit? (2 comments)
Each and every day, it gets harder and harder to listen to my Republican friends who race to the Senate floor telling the American people how "concerned" they are about the $13 trillion national debt and how "we have to get our financial house in order."
Friday, May 7, 2010 We Must End Fed Secrecy (5 comments)
I hope that the Senate will vote on my amendment to end secrecy at the Federal Reserve. I hope that as early as Tuesday, through the efforts of incredibly strong progressive and conservative grass-roots organizations, we will win a historic victory for the American people.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 Bernie Sanders: Stronger Financial Reform Needed to Avert Another Economic Crisis
"We have got to make it crystal clear to Wall Street that the era of wild speculation and greed is over. "Unfortunately, the financial reform bill, as currently written, does not go far enough in making the kinds of changes we desperately need."
Monday, January 25, 2010 Four Reasons Why Democrats Should Oppose the Bernanke Reappointment (7 comments)
In a letter to Senate colleagues, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today offered four reasons why Democrats should oppose the reappointment of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Here is the letter
Friday, January 15, 2010 Where Do We Go From Here? (7 comments)
One year ago the nation gave a collective sigh of relief as the worst and least popular administration in modern American history came to an end. Not only was the Bush administration heading out the door, but the Republican Party was reeling from two consecutive elections in which it suffered massive losses at all levels.
Friday, December 4, 2009 Where Was the Fed?
We need a new Fed chairman. We need somebody who is going to pay attention to small- and medium-sized business, somebody who is going to do everything he or she can to grow our economy and create decent paying jobs, somebody who is going to protect consumers against outrageously high interest rates on their credit cards, and somebody who is going to stand up for ordinary people.
Friday, November 13, 2009 Health Care for All Americans (VIDEO)
We are in a very interesting moment. I would hope from the grassroots of America people would tell Congress to do the right thing on this terribly important issue.
Friday, November 6, 2009 Too Big to Fail - Too Big to Exist (11 comments)
Senator Sanders Unfiltered is a weekly web program produced by Brave New Films.
Friday, October 30, 2009 The Environment and the Economy (3 comments)
Good environmental policy is good economic policy. We are not only helping to save the planet in terms of global warming, we are also moving to get this country out of the economic crisis that we are in right now. Are we making some progress? We really are.
Friday, October 23, 2009 Unfiltered: Health Care Reform (5 comments)
One of the reasons that I am a strong proponent of a single-payer, Medicare-for-all proposal is that it is much less complicated than what we are going to end up with in Congress.
Friday, October 16, 2009 The Dow and the Down and Out (4 comments)
While markets surged past 10,000, the official unemployment rate stood near 10 percent. The United States is in a unique historical position. People on top are doing extraordinarily well, but in the real world the middle class is collapsing.
Friday, October 9, 2009 War and Peace
President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the non-Western world and stress diplomacy. Americans should be proud that we have a president who is restoring respect for our country around the globe. This well-deserved prize is an inspiration for the president and for rest of us to do some really hard thinking about how we create a more peaceful and just world.
Friday, October 2, 2009 Michael Moore & Me (1 comments)
What we have seen in this country is an unfettered type of cowboy capitalism, and the result of that has been, that the people on top have made out like bandits and many of them are bandits.
Saturday, September 12, 2009 Economic Crisis: One Year Later
Sen. Bernie Sanders discusses the collapse of the middle class, who is responsible & his collaboration with an unlikely congressman,Ron Paul, to try to do something about it.
Friday, August 28, 2009 Farewell Senator (VIDEO)
Ted Kennedy will go down in history as one of the giants of the U.S. Senate and one the most accomplished legislators in American history. He will also be remembered, by those who knew him, as an extremely warm and caring human being whose public service was a brilliant reflection of his love and devotion to his country, his friends and his family.
Friday, August 21, 2009 Healthcare Reform 101
At town hall meetings I've hosted in Vermont we proved something that makes us proud. We live in a state where people can have different points of view, yet we can listen to each other and treat each other with respect.
In Vermont, there are many others like me who think the best way to solve the health care crisis (and save $400 billion a year in the process) ...
Friday, August 14, 2009 Health Care Town Meetings (1 comments)
Shouting down and intimidating someone from speaking their mind is not exactly a Vermont town meeting value, nor should it be an American town meeting value. It simply suggests fear of ideas that you may not be familiar with or disagree with.
Monday, August 10, 2009 Senator Sanders Unfiltered: My New Online Show from Brave New Films (1 comments)
This is an exciting new step in using the Internet to shorten the distance between the public and its elected officials. I'm proud to be part of getting it underway.
Thursday, July 23, 2009 We Need an Energy Revolution (23 comments)
What we are talking about is an energy revolution that leads us toward energy independence, the cessation of support for foreign dictatorships and the ability to avoid Mideast wars fought over oil.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 The Health Care Crisis: Letters from Vermont and America (6 comments)
I sent an email to my Senate mailing list requesting support for a single-payer Medicare-for-All system, and for personal stories describing the problems people are having with their health care coverage. Within a few weeks, some 40,000 people signed the single-payer petition and more than 4,000 sent in their personal stories. I collected some of the letters in a booklet,"The Health Care Crisis: Letters from V.t and America."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 We Must Stop the Rampant Fraud in the Health Care Industry (7 comments)
Real health care reform must address the billions of dollars in fraud and abuse that comes from the major corporations in the health care industry.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Health Care for All Americans -- Sign the Petition (1 comments)
The time is now for our nation to address the most profound moral and economic issue we face. The time is now for our country to join the rest of the industrialized world and provide cost-effective, comprehensive quality health care to every man, woman and child in our country. The time is now to take on the powerful special interests in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and pass a single-payer health care program.
Monday, June 8, 2009 Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege (22 comments)
Let's be clear. Our health care system is disintegrating. Today, 46 million people have no health insurance and even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. At a time when 60 million people, including many with insurance, do not have access to a medical home, more than 18,000 Americans die every year from preventable illnesses because they do not get to the doctor when they should.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Socialist Successes (255 comments)
I doubt that there are any other socialists, let alone 17 more, in all of the Congress. I also respectfully doubt that Spencer Bachus understands much about democratic socialism. I hope this is an opportunity to shed some light on a viewpoint that deserves more attention throughout America and in our capital.
Saturday, March 21, 2009 A Growing Outrage (9 comments)
If the bonus recipients want to argue that they had some contractual right to the money, I say let them go to court. Let them explain to a judge and jury why they deserve these bonuses after they helped create the largest financial crisis in our nation's history and after they turned to taxpayers to keep the company from collapsing.
Monday, March 16, 2009 Stop Wall Street Loan-Sharking (19 comments)
Let's be clear. What Wall Street and credit card companies are doing is really not much different from what gangsters and loan sharks do who make predatory loans. While the bankers wear three-piece suits and don't break the knee caps of those who can't pay back, they still are destroying people's lives.
Saturday, December 27, 2008 Senator Bernie Sanders: Where Do We Go from Here? (9 comments)
The next few months will be a pivotal period in the history of the United States and for much of the world. The Bush administration, perhaps the most reactionary and incompetent that our country has ever seen, is leaving office after eight disastrous years. President Barack Obama and an increased Democratic majority take power amidst the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Thursday, December 18, 2008 Navy Sinks Billions into Spare Parts (3 comments)
The U.S. today has a $10.6 trillion national debt and huge unmet needs in such areas as health care, education, infrastructure and sustainable energy. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this the Pentagon, with a greatly expanded budget of $540 billion, continues to waste billions every year.
Friday, November 7, 2008 The Road to Economic Recovery (3 comments)
In these very difficult economic conditions, doing nothing is not an option. When the Senate reconvenes of November 17th, I intend to fight for an economic recovery program that is significant enough in size and scope to respond to the major economic crisis this country now faces.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Now is the Time (15 comments)
When Congress reconvenes, it is clear to me that it must pass a massive "Rebuild America" program in order to address the looming economic crisis. If we can put up $700 billion to rescue bankers from their irresponsible decisions, we must make a major investment putting millions of Americans to work rebuilding our country.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Sanders Amendment: Make Wall Street Pay for Bailout
The Senate today will debate an amendment by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to impose a surtax on the wealthiest Americans to pay for a $700 billion emergency bailout of Wall Street.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Don't Make Working People Bail Out Wall Street (4 comments)
This country faces many serious problems in the financial market, in the stock market, in our economy. We must act, but we must act in a way that improves the situation. We can do better than the legislation now before Congress. This bill does not effectively address the issue of what the taxpayers of our country will actually own after they invest hundreds of billions of dollars in toxic assets.
Sunday, September 21, 2008 The Middle Class Must Not Be Forced to Bail Out Wall Street Greed (18 comments)
This proposal as presented is an unacceptable attempt to force middle income families (and our children) to pick up the cost of fixing the horrendous economic mess that is the product of the Bush Administration's deregulatory fever and Wall Street's insatiable greed. If the potential danger to our economy was not so dire, this blatant effort to essentially transfer $700 billion up the income ladder to those at the top would b
Friday, September 19, 2008 Billions for Bailouts! Who Pays? (14 comments)
The current financial crisis facing our country has been caused by the extreme right-wing economic policies pursued by the Bush administration. These policies, which include huge tax breaks for the rich, unfettered free trade and the wholesale deregulation of commerce, have resulted in a massive redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the very wealthy.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 This Election is Not a Soap Opera or a Football Game: It is About the Future of Our Country (34 comments)
An election is not a soap opera which deals with the trials and tribulations of the candidates and their family members. Election coverage must not descend into becoming a pre-game football show, one which deals only with "who's going to win" polling data and never-ending tactical discussions of "what the candidate must do" to win this or that state.
Thursday, July 17, 2008 Health Care for All (3 comments)
Our health care system is deteriorating. There are now 47 million people who have no health insurance, 8 million more than when President Bush took office. Millions more are uninsured. Costs are soaring. The result is not only widespread human tragedy but major economic problems.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 From Staffer to Contractor: Stopping the Pentagon's Revolving Door (6 comments)
As Congress prepares to consider the annual Department of Defense authorization bill and other military spending legislation totaling more than $700 billion, the need for more aggressive scrutiny is abundantly clear. A good place to start would be by slowing down the "revolving door" that allows high level Pentagon bureaucrats and military officers to go to work for major defense contractors.
Monday, April 21, 2008 Bernie Sanders on The Colbert Report (1 comments)
Vermont's independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders will be a guest Monday night on The Colbert Report. Sanders said, "I've been on the O'Reilly show a couple of times, so I don't think this can be any worse than that. In fact, it should be a lot of fun."
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 The Harvest of Shame
In my view, the American consumer does not want the tomatoes they eat to be picked by workers who are grossly mistreated, underpaid, and in some case even kept in chains. This must not happen in the United States of America in 2008.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Bernie Sanders: The Finnish Success Story (14 comments)
Why did I ask the Ambassador from Finland to come to Vermont to talk a little bit about his country? The answer is pretty simple. We as a state and nation should do our very best to learn as much as possible about the best kind of economic and social models that exist throughout the world and, where these models make sense, we should see how we can adopt them to this state and this country. This is especially true today.
Friday, March 7, 2008 Changing our National Priorities (16 comments)
We have a moral responsibility to put children ahead of millionaires and billionaires. That is why, during the Senate's consideration of the budget resolution, I will offer an amendment to restore the top income tax bracket to 39.6 percent for households earning more than $1 million a year.
Friday, October 26, 2007 Why I Will Vote "No" on Mukasey (12 comments)
The attorney general of the United States must be a defender of our constitutional rights. Because President Bush thinks he can do whatever he wants to do in the name of fighting terrorism, we need an attorney general who can explain to the president what the Constitution of this country is all about.
That is why I will be voting against his nomination.
Monday, September 3, 2007 Sen. Bernie Sanders: Why He Opposes the Nussle Appointment as OMB Director (5 comments)
Personally, I like Jim Nussle. We came to Washington together and I worked with him for 16 years in the House of Representatives. He's smart. He is passionate.
Now, some of my colleagues may say ask, well if you like Mr. Nussle, and you believe that he is smart and passionate, why are you so opposed to his nomination?
That is a very fair question. Let me give you an answer.
Saturday, July 28, 2007 Open Access Essential To Media Reform
Media ownership in this country is facing the largest crisis of ownership since the era of William Randolph Hearsts yellow journalism.
