{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Independent\", state = \"VT\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/sanders-va-must-not-be-privatized", "Sanders: VA Must Not Be Privatized", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: VA Must Not Be Privatized\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 30 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs, issued the following statement Friday in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs:\u00a0\r\n\u201cPrivatizing the VA would be an insult to the more than 22 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country and it would significantly lower the quality of health care they receive. Our goal, shared by The American Legion and other major veterans\u2019 organizations, must be to improve the VA, not destroy it. When men and women put their lives on the line to defend us, the president must listen to them, not to the Koch brothers and their extreme right-wing, anti-government ideology. We will vigorously oppose any and all efforts to privatize the VA.\r\n\u201cThe president-elect should listen to American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones, who recently said the nation\u2019s largest veterans\u2019 organization \u2018would like the Trump administration to know that we value our Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 because \u2018dollar-for-dollar, there is no better care or value available anywhere in the United States \u2013 period.\u2019\r\n\u201cThe president-elect should listen to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. \u2018Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Veterans must not stand idle as politicians who never served or use the VA health care system dictate when and where veterans can receive care.\u2019\r\n\u201cThe president-elect should listen to Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who said, \u2018The worst case scenario within the vets community is a total dismantling of everything they worked generations to create. There is a growing fear it is all going to get burned down.\u2019\u201cThe veterans\u2019 organizations are right. We must protect the VA, not destroy it.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-va", "Sanders Statement on VA", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on VA\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 30 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs, issued the following statement Friday in response to reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs:\r\n\u201cPrivatizing the VA would be an insult to the more than 22 million veterans who risked their lives to defend our country and it would significantly lower the quality of health care they receive. Our goal, shared by The American Legion and other major veterans\u2019 organizations, must be to improve the VA, not destroy it. When men and women put their lives on the line to defend us, the president must listen to them, not to the Koch brothers and their extreme right-wing, anti-government ideology. We will vigorously oppose any and all efforts to privatize the VA.\u201cThe president-elect should listen to American Legion Executive Director Verna Jones, who recently said the nation\u2019s largest veterans\u2019 organization \u2018would like the Trump administration to know that we value our Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 because \u2018dollar-for-dollar, there is no better care or value available anywhere in the United States \u2013 period.\u2019\u201cThe president-elect should listen to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. \u2018Politicians, pundits and politically-motivated organizations are using the national crisis in access to care at the Department of Veterans Affairs as justification to dismantle and privatize the VA health care system, with some even proposing that veterans be charged for their service-connected care. The VFW says no! Veterans must not stand idle as politicians who never served or use the VA health care system dictate when and where veterans can receive care.\u2019\u201cThe president-elect should listen to Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who said, \u2018The worst case scenario within the vets community is a total dismantling of everything they worked generations to create. There is a growing fear it is all going to get burned down.\u2019\u201cThe veterans\u2019 organizations are right. We must protect the VA, not destroy it.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/senators-ask-trump-epa-chief-pick-to-disclose-energy-industry-ties", "Senators Ask Trump EPA Chief Pick to Disclose Energy Industry Ties", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Ask Trump EPA Chief Pick to Disclose Energy Industry Ties\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 29, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tDemocrats on the U.S. Senate's environment panel on Wednesday asked President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency to disclose his ties to the energy industry ahead of his confirmation hearing early next year.\r\nThe six senators sent a letter to Scott Pruitt, who as Oklahoma Attorney General led several lawsuits against the Obama administration's EPA to block its environmental rules. They asked him to list his connections to energy companies, to weigh whether these will influence his ability to run the agency.\r\n\"What that conduct says about your ability to lead EPA in a manner that is not beholden to special or secret interests is a subject that we expect will receive a full airing during your confirmation hearing,\" the senators wrote in the letter.\r\nThe senators raised concerns about a 2014 New York Times report, which found that Pruitt's policy positions as Oklahoma's top attorney reflected his close ties to Devon Energy Corp.\r\nContinue reading here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/vermonts-snowmobiling-season-underway_as-new-lvrt-sections-open", "Vermonts Snowmobiling Season Underway,  As New LVRT Sections Open", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Vermont\u2019s Snowmobiling Season Underway,  As New LVRT Sections Open\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 23, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tVermont\u2019s snowmobile season has begun. This year, Vermonters and visitors to our state will be able to enjoy newly opened sections of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT). \r\nWhen complete, the LVRT will be a 93-mile long, multi-use, four-season recreational trail that traverses northern Vermont from Swanton to St. Johnsbury. The rail trail will be longest of its kind in New England. So far, about one-third of the project is complete, said Cindy Locke, the executive director the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST).\u00a0 \r\nThe most recent trail sections completed are the 13-mile section from West Danville to St. Johnsbury and the 17-mile leg from Morrisville to Jeffersonville, Locke said. \u00a0The next section to be created will be from Sheldon to Swanton. \r\nIn addition to significantly expanding VAST\u2019s roughly 500-mile trail network throughout Vermont, the LVRT is providing new opportunities for walkers, runners, bicyclists, horse-riders, dog mushers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.\r\nSen. Bernie Sanders secured $5.2 million for the project in 2006. \u00a0Another $10 million to $12 million will be needed to finish the trail, Locke said, adding that the goal is to complete the project in the next six years.\u00a0 VAST has launched a fundraising effort to help raise resources which could include additional state and federal funds.\r\nLocke said it is hard to underestimate the value of the project for the region\u2019s economy. \u201cWe have seen businesses growing -- businesses being born -- because of this trail,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is like the best story in the world. It is going to do so much for the economy of northern Vermont.\u201d \u00a0\r\nSince the LVRT is a four-season trail, the economic benefit is not limited to winter.\u00a0 Restaurants and biking tour companies, for example, have been given a major boost from the increased tourism along the sections of the trail that have been completed, Locke said. \u00a0\r\n\u201cI see this as playing a significant role in creating jobs in a part of the state where we really need those jobs,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe other thing about the old rail trail is it\u2019s going allow Vermonters to access areas of the state which people have not seen for a very long time in areas that are extraordinarily beautiful.\u201d\r\nThe trail boasts \u201cspectacular views into the heart of Vermont\u2019s working landscape,\u201d VAST states. The trail will take people \"through farms and forests, right into the downtown districts of Vermont\u2019s scenic communities.\u201d\r\nDecember\u2019s snowfall bodes well for a good snowmobiling season, which will translate into an economic boost for the state. \u00a0Locke estimates that snowmobiling has an annual $500 million impact on Vermont\u2019s economy, including equipment sales and money spent on lodging and food. \u00a0Each year, she notes, VAST spends $2 million on grooming trails. \r\n\u201cThis is the first time in seven years when we have actually had trails open on opening day. We are optimistic and hopeful for a good season,\u201d she said. Vermont\u2019s snowmobiling season runs from Dec. 16 through April 15.\r\nHISTORY CORNER \r\nThe history of the Lamoille Rail Trail railway corridor spans two centuries. \r\n\u201cOriginally intended to be part of a rail corridor that would run from the Great Lakes to the Maine coast (the westerly section was never made), the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain Railroad was completed in 1877. Through the years it served Vermont as both a passenger and a freight line,\u201d the group\u2019s website states. \u201cFreight traffic primarily consisted of dairy products for the Boston market as well as timber, limestone, talc and asbestos from the Northern Vermont forests and quarries. Passenger service ended in 1956. The State of Vermont purchased the line in 1973 and renamed it the Lamoille Valley Railroad with freight service continuing until the railroad\u2019s closing in 1994.\u201d \r\n\u00a0\r\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/u-32s-mccann-is-vt-teacher-of-the-year", "U-32s McCann is Vt. Teacher of the Year", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U-32\u2019s McCann is Vt. Teacher of the Year\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Eric Blaisdell \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTimes Argus\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tEAST MONTPELIER \u2014 A mathematics teacher at U-32 Middle & High School has been named Vermont\u2019s Teacher of the Year for 2017.\r\nKatherine McCann, who is in the middle of her 11th year at the school, was chosen for the honor by the Agency of Education. The alternate Teacher of the Year is Rachael Potts, a special education and transition specialist at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury, and a finalist was Corey Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Proctor Elementary School.\r\nMcCann is now Vermont\u2019s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award, which is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers. She will travel this spring to the White House in Washington for a reception where she will meet President Donald Trump.\u00a0\r\nMcCann was told the news at a surprise assembly at the East Montpelier school Tuesday.\r\nShe said in an interview that it was \u201cvery overwhelming\u201d to be picked and she wasn\u2019t sure what it entailed.\r\n\u201cI hope that I can do a good job speaking for teachers throughout the state,\u201d McCann said.\r\nContinue reading here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/social-security-checks-are-being-reduced-for-unpaid-student-debt", "Social Security Checks Are Being Reduced for Unpaid Student Debt", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Social Security Checks Are Being Reduced for Unpaid Student Debt\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Josh Mitchell \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe federal government is increasingly taking money out of recipients\u2019 Social Security checks to recover millions in unpaid student debt, leaving thousands of retired and disabled Americans with below-poverty incomes, according to a report set to be released Tuesday.\r\nThe government has collected about $1.1 billion since 2001 from Social Security recipients of all ages over unpaid student loans, the Government Accountability Office reported. That includes $171 million in Social Security benefits in fiscal 2015 alone.\r\nIn the year through September 2015, about 114,000 Americans age 50 and older had their Social Security benefits reduced to offset defaulted student loans. That figure\u2014which includes 38,000 people age 65 or older\u2014has risen 440% since 2002.\r\nThe report highlights the growing number of baby boomers who are entering retirement with student debt, many of them in default on loans from decades ago. About 4 in 10 borrowers whose Social Security checks were garnished have held the debt for at least 20 years, the report said. Most of the borrowers took out the loans to pay for their own educations, though a big share borrowed to help pay for their children\u2019s schooling.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/study-largest-us-banks-still-charge-high-overdraft-fees", "Study: Largest U.S. banks still charge high overdraft fees", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Study: Largest U.S. banks still charge high overdraft fees\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Kevin McCoy \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tMost major U.S. banks continue to charge high fees when customers overdraft their accounts, according to a new report issued Tuesday.\r\nMore than two out of five banks also rearrange their processing of account holders' transactions with a procedure that maximizes overdraft fees, said the report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, an independent, non-profit organization.\r\nA separate review of overdraft programs at a selection of smaller U.S. banks found many practices are largely comparable to those of larger banks, the report also concluded.\r\nSome of the findings echo previous studies of the issue, including a 2008 analysis by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study in 2013. The new results show a need for banks to institute new policies that prevent their widely-offered \"courtesy\" overdraft programs \"from being costly and unsustainable forms of short-term credit for many financially vulnerable consumers, said Nick Bourke, director of Pew's consumer finance project.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/as-vermonts-ag-donovan-to-focus-on-criminal-justice-reform", "As Vermonts AG, Donovan to Focus on Criminal Justice Reform", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As Vermont\u2019s AG, Donovan to Focus on Criminal Justice Reform\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tLast month, Vermonters elected T.J. Donovan, 42, to serve as Vermont\u2019s next attorney general. He will replace Attorney General Bill Sorrell, who has held the office since 1997.\u00a0 Donovan has served as Chittenden County\u2019s state\u2019s attorney for the last decade and is planning an ambitious agenda as Vermont\u2019s attorney general, including significant criminal justice reform on the state level.\u00a0\r\nIn an interview last week, Donovan outlined some of that agenda:\r\nQUESTION: What are your major goals as Vermont\u2019s attorney general?\r\nDONOVAN: My biggest goal is to simply help Vermonters, wherever they are, whomever they are, and with whatever they need. The Attorney General\u2019s Office has a broad portfolio that touches many different areas. But what I feel passionately about is just helping regular folks with issues that are preventing them from getting ahead or getting by. That could mean helping a small business figure out what the rules and regs are in order for compliance. It could mean making sure that we continue to reform our criminal justice system so we don\u2019t keep people out of upward mobility. It could mean making sure that we\u2019re protecting our environment so we have clean water and clean air. Just being engaged at a really local level -- at a grassroots level -- and helping Vermonters get ahead. \r\nWhat I believe in is in common sense. I believe in the goodness of people. I believe most people want to do the right thing. And I\u2019m excited to be an Attorney General who, hopefully, responds in a way that helps regular folks get ahead. \u00a0\r\nQUESTION:\u00a0 In Chittenden County, you developed the Rapid Intervention Community Court. Can you speak a little about that? Is that the model for a statewide approach to criminal justice reform?\r\n[Note: The Rapid Intervention Community Court is an award-winning pre-charge diversion program started by Donovan in 2010 for non-violent offenders whose crimes were driven by addiction or mental illness.]\u00a0\r\nDONOVAN:\u00a0 I think it is. Most people who are in jail are there because of addiction and mental illness. We have a heroin epidemic. We also have a mental health crisis in this state\u2026 I would say that our largest mental health facility is our jails.\u00a0 As state\u2019s attorney, I just started seeing the same folks day in and day out, coming into the criminal court system\u2014mostly poor, uneducated, unemployed or under-employed with an addiction issue or mental health issue. The traditional approach through the criminal justice system is, you really have three different types of responses: you can put them in jail; they\u2019re going to get out. You can put them on probation and ask them to comply with certain conditions that they\u2019re not going to be able to. Or you can ask them to pay a monetary fine that they\u2019re never going to pay because they don\u2019t have any money. \r\nIt created this cycle of recidivism and failure. I don\u2019t think it was making our community more safe. I think it was making our community less safe. It cost a whole lot of money, too. We spend more money on corrections in this state than we do on higher education.\r\nQUESTION: Do you have numbers on that?\r\nDONOVAN: Our corrections budget is roughly $150 million. It costs more than $73,000 a year to incarcerate a woman. It costs about $59,000 to incarcerate a man. \r\nQUESTION: Per year?\r\nDONOVAN: Per year. And we have a recidivism rate of, I think, close to 50 percent -- meaning five out of 10 people who are in our jails are back in our jails, at a cost not only to the taxpayer, but to the individual and to our community. And so I said, \u201cLet\u2019s try something different.\u201d \r\nIf most people are coming in because of addiction, because of mental illness, I think what a safe community looks like is a community where people are sober, are healthy, are stable, are housed, and hopefully working. \u2026\u00a0[The Rapid Intervention Community Court] was about redefining what accountability is. We\u2019d do compliance checks at 30, 60, 90 days. And my point was: if somebody\u2019s in treatment, somebody\u2019s doing what they\u2019re supposed to be doing in the community and they\u2019re in compliance, that\u2019s going to make us more safe as a society than convicting somebody of a retail theft and asking them to pay $200 that they don\u2019t have. \r\nQUESTION: How was that effort received, was there any pushback?\r\nDONOVAN: Of course there was pushback, it was different. But it worked. And that was the difference. When you look at the traditional system, you can\u2019t justify the numbers. You can\u2019t justify the $150 million that the Vermont taxpayers are paying. \r\nQUESTION: I saw you that have said, \u201cThe best form of public safety is a good job.\u201d\r\nDONOVAN: Absolutely. Because, again, any courthouse you go to, any jail you go to, you\u2019re going to see the poor. And you ask yourself the question: why? \r\nThe poor don\u2019t have a monopoly on committing crime, but that is who is represented in the criminal justice system, by and large. And it becomes a cycle \u2026 Poverty plays a role in this. What neighborhoods are being enforced? Who\u2019s getting arrested and for what? What type of lawyer do you have or do you even have a lawyer? All these different variables play out. And poverty is the one constant in it. The poor get the short end of the stick.\r\n\u2026\u00a0 And what that leads to is the marginalization of folks by virtue of having criminal records. Criminal records prevent people from getting jobs, period. We get petitions every week\u2014probably every day -- in the criminal justice system from folks who are trying to get old criminal histories expunged so they can get a job. It\u2019s mostly for minimum wage work. What we\u2019ve done is we\u2019ve marginalized so many people in the name of \u201cpublic safety\u201d and it has not worked. We are more safe when people are working. Give people the opportunity, because here\u2019s the thing -- there\u2019s no judge, and there\u2019s no prosecutor, when that case was adjudicated and the sentence was imposed, that they ever thought that they were sentencing this person to a lifetime of poverty. But that\u2019s what\u2019s happened. \r\nQUESTION: What would you do first, in terms of criminal justice reform?\r\nDONOVAN: I\u2019m a big believer in expunging criminal records because we have to hit the reset button. It is some of the best anti-poverty work we can do. So, expunging old criminal histories -- and it\u2019s not sex offenses and murders -- I\u2019m talking the low-level stuff. It\u2019s the low-level stuff that\u2019s kept people out of the mainstream of society, upward mobility because they can\u2019t get that job. Create the infrastructure in the community for alternatives, not just to incarceration, but alternatives to the criminal justice system.\r\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/credit-card-rates-are-going-up-and-may-keep-rising", "Credit-Card Rates Are Going Up and May Keep Rising", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Credit-Card Rates Are Going Up and May Keep Rising\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 By PETER RUDEGEAIR and  ANNAMARIA ANDRIOTIS \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tCredit-card companies have been spending huge sums to woo consumers with perks and rewards. Now, cardholders are about to be reminded that lenders can dish out higher costs, too.\r\nThe annual percentage rates on millions of credit-card accounts are set to rise following the Federal Reserve\u2019s decision\u00a0on Wednesday\u00a0toincrease its target short-term interest rate.\r\nBorrowers can expect the quarter-point rate increase to pass through to their card balances within the next two billing cycles, saidGreg McBride,\u00a0chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, a firm that tracks credit-card rates.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/employers-nationwide-gave-raises-to-avoid-paying-overtime-now-theyre-taking-them-back", "Employers nationwide gave raises to avoid paying overtime. Now they're taking them back.", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Employers nationwide gave raises to avoid paying overtime. Now they're taking them back.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Jack Smith IV  \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tGarrett Hutcheson, a supervisor at a catering supply company in the southwest, was told he was getting an enormous raise: a $7,000 bump to his salary of around $40,000. The extra cash meant he could move his youngfamily\u00a0out of his girlfriend's parents' house. Instead, he'll be staying there, working long night shifts without overtime pay.\r\n\"This would've gotten us on our feet,\" Hutcheson said. \"I've still got hope, but I'm not optimistic.\"\r\nPay increases like the one Hutcheson got, the result of a\u00a0regulatory rule change by the Obama administration, were set to help more than 4 million workers. Just the expectation of the new rule triggered raises for workers across the country, including managers at\u00a0Walmart,\u00a0. Now, as a result of the\u00a0ongoing tussle between the administration and federal courts\u00a0regarding overtime pay that began in 2014, an injunction against the rule means a victory for big business interests \u2014 and rescinding of raises for Hutcheson and an unclear number of fellow workers.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cummings-and-sanders-raise-concerns-about-assertions-to-congress-by-heritage-pharmaceuticals-while-company-engaged-in-alleged-price-fixing", "Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 16 \u2014 Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Heritage Pharmaceuticals requesting information about the company\u2019s assertions to Congress in 2014 while the company was engaged in alleged price fixing of certain drugs, according to the Department of Justice and Attorneys General from 20 different states.\r\nCummings and Sanders first began investigating Heritage\u2019s pricing practices in 2014 when they sent a letter to the company\u2019s former CEO, Jeffrey Glazer, raising concerns and requesting documents about the sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate.\r\nIn response, Heritage\u2019s counsel sent a letter on October 23, 2014, asserting that \u201cHeritage has not seen any significant price increases for its Doxycycline Hyclate DR product in the United States market.\u201d\u00a0 Heritage declined to provide any of the documents or information the Members requested.\r\nThe individual who signed the letter making these assertions is Gary Ruckelshaus, who served at the time at an outside firm, but now appears to have joined Heritage as Vice President and General Counsel.\u00a0\r\nThis week, the Department of Justice filed charges against Mr. Glazer and former Heritage President Jason Malek for engaging in price fixing with doxycycline hyclate and another drug.\u00a0 Attorneys General from 20 states followed with their own complaint yesterday.\r\n\u201cIn light of these new criminal allegations against Mr. Glazer and Mr. Malek, we are very concerned that your company made these assertions to Congress during the exact time period that your executives were engaged in a price fixing scheme to prevent competition from driving down prices of doxycycline hyclate, according to the Department of Justice,\u201d Cummings and Sanders wrote. \u00a0\u201cIf these allegations are true and Heritage executives sought to keep the price of doxycycline hyclate artificially high through price fixing and other anticompetitive arrangements, your company\u2019s assertions to Congress now seem disingenuous at best.\u201d\r\nIn today\u2019s letter, the Members requested all communications relating to their request and Heritage\u2019s response in 2014, as well as all materials about the company\u2019s sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate. The Members requested this information by December 30, 2016.\u00a0\r\nClick here read today\u2019s letter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/cummings-and-sanders-raise-concerns-about-assertions-to-congress-by-heritage-pharmaceuticals-while-company-engaged-in-alleged-price-fixing", "Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Cummings and Sanders Raise Concerns about Assertions to Congress by Heritage Pharmaceuticals While Company Engaged in Alleged Price Fixing\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 16 \u2014 Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Heritage Pharmaceuticals requesting information about the company\u2019s assertions to Congress in 2014 while the company was engaged in alleged price fixing of certain drugs, according to the Department of Justice and Attorneys General from 20 different states.\r\nCummings and Sanders first began investigating Heritage\u2019s pricing practices in 2014 when they sent a\u00a0letter\u00a0to the company\u2019s former CEO, Jeffrey Glazer, raising concerns and requesting documents about the sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate.\r\nIn response, Heritage\u2019s counsel sent a letter on October 23, 2014, asserting that \u201cHeritage has not seen any significant price increases for its Doxycycline Hyclate DR product in the United States market.\u201d\u00a0 Heritage declined to provide any of the documents or information the Members requested.\r\nThe individual who signed the letter making these assertions is Gary Ruckelshaus, who served at the time at an outside firm, but now appears to have joined Heritage as Vice President and General Counsel.\u00a0\r\nThis week, the Department of Justice filed charges against Mr. Glazer and former Heritage President Jason Malek for engaging in price fixing with doxycycline hyclate and another drug.\u00a0 Attorneys General from 20 states followed with their own complaint yesterday.\r\n\u201cIn light of these new criminal allegations against Mr. Glazer and Mr. Malek, we are very concerned that your company made these assertions to Congress during the exact time period that your executives were engaged in a price fixing scheme to prevent competition from driving down prices of doxycycline hyclate, according to the Department of Justice,\u201d Cummings and Sanders wrote. \u00a0\u201cIf these allegations are true and Heritage executives sought to keep the price of doxycycline hyclate artificially high through price fixing and other anticompetitive arrangements, your company\u2019s assertions to Congress now seem disingenuous at best.\u201d\r\nIn today\u2019s letter, the Members requested all communications relating to their request and Heritage\u2019s response in 2014, as well as all materials about the company\u2019s sales and pricing of doxycycline hyclate. The Members requested this information by December 30, 2016.\u00a0\r\nClick\u00a0here\u00a0read today\u2019s letter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-outpatient-procedure-is-successful", "Sanders' Outpatient Procedure is Successful", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders' Outpatient Procedure is Successful\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 15, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBETHESDA, Md., Dec. 15 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had an outpatient procedure today to remove a small basal-cell carcinoma from his cheek.\r\nThe procedure, which lasted about an hour, was completed successfully. Sanders returned to work after the procedure and, later, took a plane home to Vermont.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/democratic-senators-call-on-trump-education-secretary-nominee-devos-to-pay-53-million-in-unpaid-fines-for-election-violations", "Democratic Senators Call on Trump Education Secretary Nominee DeVos to Pay $5.3 Million in Unpaid Fines for Election Violations", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democratic Senators Call on Trump Education Secretary Nominee DeVos to Pay $5.3 Million in Unpaid Fines for Election Violations\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)\u00a0and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced that they are calling on President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to ensure payment of the $5.3 million in fines and penalties owed by DeVos\u2019 All Children Matter Political Action Committee (PAC) for campaign finance violations dating back to 2008. All Children Matter broke Ohio election law by illegally funneling $870,000 in contributions from its nationwide PAC to its Ohio affiliate \u2013 and accordingly, the state of Ohio levied a record fine of more than $5 million against DeVos\u2019 group. Yet nearly a decade later, the PAC has not paid the debts for its illegal activities.\u00a0\r\nIn a letter to DeVos, the senators expressed their deep concern at the willingness of DeVos\u2019 PAC to both brazenly disregard election law and blatantly refuse to take responsibility and pay its fines. The senators noted that, as Secretary of Education, DeVos would be responsible for seeing to the timely repayment of debt from student loan borrowers \u2013 even as the PAC she chaired refused to pay fines that are nearly a decade old. Roughly 44 million Americans owe nearly $1.3 trillion in federal student loans, creating a crushing debt burden for individuals struggling to make their payments. But when All Children Matter broke election law and was fined a record $5.3 million, DeVos\u2019 group chose to simply cease operations and disband, rather than taking responsibility for its debts.\u00a0\r\n\"The blatant disregard for the law that your PAC demonstrated is deeply troubling. However, when the organization\u2019s violations of law were punished by the Ohio Elections Commission, the PAC\u2019s refusal to take responsibility and pay the fines is unconscionable,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIf confirmed as Secretary of Education, you would be responsible for administering our nation\u2019s student loan programs and ensuring that borrowers repay their loans in a timely manner. However, the PAC that you chaired failed to pay fines that were imposed on it over eight years ago. This demonstrates a serious lack of judgment by the PAC\u2019s board and a willingness to avoid paying legally obligated public debts.\u201d\r\n\u201cPrior to your confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, we request that you take the necessary steps to ensure payment of all fines and penalties imposed on the All Children Matter PACs by the Ohio Elections Commission and the state courts,\u201d the senators continued.\u00a0\r\nDeVos\u2019 leadership role in the All Children Matter PAC is one of her many activities as a longtime billionaire mega-donor for conservative causes, with DeVos stating her own goal to be \u201cbuying influence.\u201d As DeVos wrote in a 1997 op-ed for Roll Call, \u201cmy family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party\u2026. I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now, I simply concede the point. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections.\u201d\r\nThe full text of the letter can be found\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welch-call-for-reversal-of-fairpoint-layoffs-", "Sanders, Welch Call For Reversal of FairPoint Layoffs", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Welch Call For Reversal of FairPoint Layoffs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 14 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Tuesday called upon the CEOs of FairPoint Communications and the Illinois company that is set to purchase it, Consolidated Communications Holdings, to reverse the planned layoff of nearly 10 percent of FairPoint\u2019s workforce.\u00a0\r\n\u201cIt is particularly callous to destroy the livelihoods of loyal FairPoint workers just as the cold weather approaches and as families prepare to celebrate the holiday season,\u201d Sanders and Welch wrote to FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu. \u201cThese workers helped build the company\u2019s value, yet they are being discarded as collateral damage of a sale designed to maximize profits for a tiny group of Wall Street hedge fund investors.\u201d\u00a0\r\nIn their letter to the CEO of Consolidated Communications, which is in the process of purchasing FairPoint, Sanders and Welch outlined FairPoint\u2019s checkered history in dealing with its Vermont workforce, stating \u201cFairPoint\u2019s relationship with its workforce was unnecessarily antagonist.\u201d The Charlotte, N.C.-based phone company purchased Verizon Communication\u2019s landline phone operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in 2007.\r\n\u201cInstead of negotiating a reasonable labor agreement, [FairPoint] pursued drastic cuts to pay and benefits that led to a four-month strike in 2014-15,\u201d Sanders and Welch wrote. \u201cJust three months after the strike ended, FairPoint closed its South Burlington call center and laid-off more than 70 unionized workers. Most recently, FairPoint announced last month that it was laying off nearly 10 percent of its remaining workforce, presumably to make the company more attractive for the sale to Consolidated.\u201d\r\nSanders and Welch said reversing the layoffs would \u201cbe a significant demonstration of good faith\u201d on Consolidated\u2019s part. \u00a0\r\n\u201cWe urge you to reverse FairPoint\u2019s decision and send the clear message that Consolidated values its workers and the communities in which the company operates. We know the CWA and IBEW welcome the opportunity to work with Consolidated to help make its New England operations successful again,\u201d Sanders and Welch wrote.\r\nTo read the letter to FairPoint,\u00a0click here\r\nTo read the letter to Consolidated Communications,\u00a0click here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-secretary-of-state-nominee", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 13 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state:\r\n\u201cMr. Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is sending a very troubling message to the international community. Not only is Mr. Tillerson a pal of Russia's authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, but he is the head of one of the largest oil companies in the world. In this appointment, Mr. Trump is making it abundantly clear that the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry are more important than climate change and the future of the planet. Very sad. Very dangerous. Mr. Tillerson must be opposed.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-secretary-of-state-nominee", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Secretary of State Nominee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 13 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state:\r\n\u201cMr. Trump's nomination of Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is sending a very troubling message to the international community. Not only is Mr. Tillerson a pal of Russia's authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, but he is the head of one of the largest oil companies in the world. In this appointment, Mr. Trump is making it abundantly clear that the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry are more important than climate change and the future of the planet. Very sad. Very dangerous. Mr. Tillerson must be opposed.\u201d\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tPress Contact", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-trump-should-pledge-to-veto-social-security-medicare-medicaid-cuts", "Sanders: Trump Should Pledge to Veto Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts", "2016-12-11", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: Trump Should Pledge to Veto Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSunday, December 11, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 11 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenged President-elect Donald Trump\u00a0Sunday\u00a0to keep the campaign promises he made not to cut\u00a0Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Trump should pledge to veto legislation cutting those programs that Republicans in Congress plan to pass in the new session of Congress, Sanders\u00a0said\u00a0on the CBS News program Face the Nation.\r\n\u201cI challenge Mr. Trump today: tell\u00a0the American people you are going to\u00a0keep your campaign promises.\u00a0Tell the Republicans to back\u00a0off. No cuts for Social\u00a0Security, Medicare, Medicaid and\u00a0go forward with your campaign\u00a0promise to lower the cost of\u00a0prescription drugs,\u201d Sanders said.\u00a0\r\nDuring the campaign, Trump said, \u201cI am not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican. And I\u2019m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican is going to cut\u00a0[them].\u201d\u00a0\u00a0On May 7, 2015, Trump sent out a tweet stating:\u00a0\"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid.\" On another occasion speaking at the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit, Trump scolded Republicans for trying to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u00a0\r\nBut as president-elect, Trump has picked Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who advocated steep cuts in Medicare and Social Security, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.\r\n\u201cAll that Mr. Trump has got to do today is tell his Republican colleagues in the House and the Senate, \u2018Back off. It ain't going to go anywhere. I will veto any legislation that will cut Social Security because I promised the American people that I would not do that.\u2019\u201d\r\nSanders supports expanding Social Security benefits by lifting the cap on\u00a0all income above\u00a0$250,000 a year. \u201cIf we do that we can extend Social Security for 50 years. The top 1.5 percent of people in this country will pay more in taxes. That's the right thing to do.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20161209120704/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/photos/the-fight-for-15", "The Fight For $15", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/converting-methane-gas-to-electricity", "Converting Methane Gas to Electricity", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Converting Methane Gas to Electricity \n            The Washington Electric Co-op is one of two Vermont electric utilities with a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio, thanks in large part to its 8-megawatt generator fired by waste methane on Vermont\u2019s only operating landfill.  Washington Electric\u2019s Coventry landfill facility produces enough electricity from waste methane to power approximately 6,000 homes and generates more than half of Washington Electric\u2019s electricity.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/tapping-vermonts-largest-landfill-for-renewable-energy", "Tapping Vermonts Largest Landfill for Renewable Energy", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tapping Vermont\u2019s Largest Landfill for Renewable Energy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\nCOVENTRY, Vt.\u2014The Washington Electric Co-op is one of two Vermont electric utilities with a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio, thanks in large part to its 8-megawatt generator fired by waste methane on Vermont\u2019s only operating landfill. Washington Electric\u2019s Coventry landfill facility produces enough electricity from waste methane to power approximately 6,000 homes and generates more than half of Washington Electric\u2019s electricity. As organic landfill waste decomposes, it naturally produces methane. Unless captured and converted to energy, the powerful greenhouse gas either would be released into the atmosphere, or burned off by the landfill operators. \u201cIf no generator was here, the landfill would burn it off in a flare,\u201d said Patricia Richards, general manager for Washington Electric, comparing it to \u201ca great big candlestick literally burning the gas. No electricity is produced and it\u2019s just wasted into the atmosphere.\u201d\u201cWe\u2019re a small cooperative, we\u2019re not-for-profit. We have roughly 11,000 member-customers and the Coventry Landfill project is our anchor power supply resource that serves our membership,\u201d said Richards. \u201cThe power plant serves over half of the energy needs of our membership.\u201dThe idea for this methane generator emerged when Washington Electric Co-op set out to replace the electricity it was buying from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. \u201cWe said, \u2018Hey, we want to do renewable power. What about a landfill? Could we build a power plant like this in Vermont and produce renewable power instead of taking power from a Vermont Yankee type resource?\u2019 In 2002, the contract ended with Vermont Yankee and, in 2005, this project came online,\u201d Richards said.Vermont Yankee, which was built in 1972, stopped producing electricity in December 2014. The Coventry generator first came on line with three engines in 2005. Since then, two more engines have been added.The $14.2 million landfill gas-to-energy generator at Coventry \u201ccompletely did away with [our reliance on] Vermont Yankee. We replaced a base-load resource with another base-load resource, which was renewable,\u201d Richards said. \u201cIt runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It\u2019s on all the time,\u201d she said. \u201cSo literally, constantly there\u2019s being electricity produced here.\u201d\u201cThis power is really affordable. It\u2019s the cheapest resource in our mix. It\u2019s six cents a kilowatt hour,\u201d she said.HOW DOES IT WORK?\r\nRichards likes to describe the plant, which employs three Vermonters full-time, in stages. \u201cThe landfill and extraction of gas off of the landfill is stage one. There are several wells that are drilled into the landfill itself. There\u2019s over 80 to 90 wells,\u201d she said. \u201cWe collect all the gas from those wells into one pipe and they come into a staging area outside the Coventry plant. That\u2019s where the actual treatment of the gas begins.\u201d\r\n\u201cAs the gas is collected, it essentially becomes naturally compressed, and it comes off the landfill really, really hot,\u201d she notes. \u201cIt\u2019s 140 degrees.\u201d\u201cThe microbes are doing the decomposition inside the landfill. We collect all that gas \u2026 Basically, water particles start to drip off the gas and the rest of the gas comes into the building,\u201d she said.In the next stage, the gas passes through \u201ca scrubbing system\u201d to remove toxic particles and other pollutants. After the gas is scrubbed, it goes to the engine room to be burned, producing electricity. \u201cWe\u2019ve got five engines and their technical capacity is 1.6 megawatts each,\u201d she said. The facility has proven so effective for Washington Electric and its members that it has been expanded two times \u2013 in 2007 and 2009. The $1.7 million investment currently underway will upgrade the turbines and further improve air quality by installing a new scrubbing system. The methane generator abides by \u201cvery stringent federal and state standards regarding emissions,\u201d Richards said. \u201cWe want to be on as many controls as we can to make sure we are not making pollutants.\u201dTo help finance the project, Washington Electric secured the funding through federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, or CREBs. ##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20161209142425/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/holding-trump-accountable-on-medicare-and-social-security", "Holding Trump Accountable on Medicare and Social Security", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/-us-life-expectancy-declines-for-the-first-time-since-1993", "U.S. life expectancy declines for the first time since 1993", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. life expectancy declines for the first time since 1993\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 By Lenny Bernstein \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tFor the first time in more than two decades, life expectancy for Americans declined last year \u2014 a troubling development linked to a panoply of worsening health problems in the United States.\r\nRising fatalities from heart disease and stroke, diabetes, drug overdoses, accidents and other conditions caused the lower life expectancy revealed in a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics. In all, death rates rose for eight of the top 10 leading causes of death.\r\n\u201cI think we should be very concerned,\u201d said Princeton economist Anne Case, who called for thorough research on the increase in deaths from heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the United States. \u201cThis is singular. This doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d\r\nA year ago, research by Case and Angus Deaton, also an economist at Princeton, brought worldwide attention to the unexpected jump in mortality rates among white middle-aged Americans. That trend was blamed on what are sometimes called diseases of despair: overdoses, alcoholism and suicide. The new report raises the possibility that major illnesses may be eroding prospects for an even wider group of Americans.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20161208070656/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/national-strike-for-15-rally-in-washington", "National Strike for $15 Rally in Washington", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20161209135021/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/photos/hands-off-medicare", "Hands Off Medicare", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-says-protest-critical-in-trump-era", "Sanders Says Protest Critical in Trump Era", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Says Protest Critical in Trump Era\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 7 \u2013 Citing several recent victories, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) thanked striking workers Wednesday for proving the power of protest to make progress under President-elect Donald Trump.\u00a0\r\n\u201cFive years ago, if anybody in America said that folks would be talking and cities would be passing a $15 an hour minimum wage, people would have said you\u2019re crazy, it can\u2019t be done,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cBut you did it.\u201d\r\nMarches led by workers played a critical role in minimum wage increases in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Washington. Over the past four years, 19 million workers nationwide received a stunning $61.5 billion in pay \u2013 12 times as much as the last time Congress increased the federal minimum wage in 2007.\r\n\u201cMillions of workers have received significant pay increases because of your efforts. Thank you for what you\u2019ve done. Today we tell the United States Congress that we have got to go further. We want every worker in this country to earn at least $15 an hour and have a union.\u201d\r\nRecent direct action also halted construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and protests stopped one of the biggest trade deals in history.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re telling Mr. Trump and anybody else that when millions of us stand together we are going to win. Nobody is going to stop us,\u201d Sanders said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-statement-on-trumps-epa-nominee", "Sanders Statement on Trumps EPA Nominee", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump\u2019s EPA Nominee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 7 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency:\r\n\"At a time when climate change is the great environmental threat to the entire planet, it is sad and dangerous that Mr. Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. Mr. Pruitt\u2019s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. The American people must demand leaders who are willing to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. I will vigorously oppose this nomination.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-tells-trump-to-keep-his-promise-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security", "Sanders Tells Trump to Keep His Promise to Protect Medicare and Social Security", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Tells Trump to Keep His Promise to Protect Medicare and Social Security\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 7 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Wednesday on President-elect Donald Trump to keep his promise to protect Medicare and Social Security. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cMr. Trump, we are going to hold you accountable,\u201d Sanders said.\u00a0 \u201cYou told the seniors of this country and you told working people you were on their side. Millions of us are going to demand that you keep your promise. We\u2019re going to tell the Republican leadership in the House and the Senate to forget about all their plans to 'voucherize' and privatize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u201d\r\nDuring his campaign for president, Trump\u00a0repeatedly promised\u00a0to protect Medicare. But he nominated Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who has a long history of supporting cuts to Medicare, to run the Department of Health and Human Services.\u00a0\r\nIn March, the president-elect\u00a0said\u00a0he would\u00a0\u201cdo everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is; to make this country rich again.\u201d But the aides in charge of staffing Trump\u2019s Social Security Administration expressed doubts about the viability of the program.\u00a0\r\nSanders was joined by grassroots organizations delivering a petition to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The petition, which calls on the Republican leaders to follow through on Trump\u2019s campaign promises, garnered more than 1 million signatures.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-statement-on-trumps-epa-nominee", "Sanders Statement on Trumps EPA Nominee", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump\u2019s EPA Nominee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency:\r\n\"At a time when climate change is the great environmental threat to the entire planet, it is sad and dangerous that Mr. Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA. Mr. Pruitt\u2019s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. The American people must demand leaders who are willing to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. I will vigorously oppose this nomination.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/pentagon-buries-evidence-of-125-billion-in-bureaucratic-waste", "Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pentagon buries evidence of $125 billion in bureaucratic waste\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 By Craig Whitlock and Bob Woodward \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe Pentagon has buried an internal study that exposed $125\u00a0billion in administrative waste in its business operations amid fears Congress would use the findings as an excuse to slash the defense budget, according to interviews and confidential memos obtained by The Washington Post.\r\nPentagon leaders had requested the study to help make their enormous back-office bureaucracy more efficient and reinvest any savings in combat power. But after the project documented far more wasteful spending than expected, senior defense officials moved swiftly to kill it by discrediting and suppressing the results.\r\nThe\u00a0report, issued in January 2015, identified \u201ca clear path\u201d for the Defense Department to save $125\u00a0billion over five years. The plan would not have required layoffs of civil servants or reductions in military personnel. Instead, it would have streamlined the bureaucracy through attrition and early retirements, curtailed high-priced contractors and made better use of information technology.\r\nThe study was produced last year by the Defense Business Board, a federal advisory panel of corporate executives, and consultants from McKinsey and Company. Based on reams of personnel and cost data, their report revealed for the first time that the Pentagon was spending almost a quarter of its $580\u00a0billion budget on overhead and core business operations such as accounting, human resources, logistics and property management.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-republicans-block-trump-proposal-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices", "Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Dec. 6 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed an amendment Tuesday to lower the cost of prescription drugs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and allowing for the importation from other countries of low-cost prescription drugs \u2013 both proposals advocated by President-elect Donald Trump.\r\nRepublicans blocked the Sanders amendment.\r\nDuring his run for the White House, Trump called for requiring Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices. In a speech in New Hampshire last Feb. 7, Trump criticized current U.S. law that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies. Trump said: \u201cWe are not allowed to negotiate drug prices. Can you believe it? We pay about $300 billion more than we are supposed to, than if we negotiated the price. So there\u2019s $300 billion on day one we solve.\u201d\r\nTrump\u2019s campaign platform also advocated making it legal to reimport cheaper drugs from other countries.\r\nSanders offered an amendment to implement Trump\u2019s campaign promises.\r\n\u201cI am sure that all of my Republican colleagues will support an amendment in my hands that will do exactly what Mr. Trump said he would accomplish as president,\u201d Sanders told Senate colleagues. But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) objected to holding a vote on the amendment.\r\nWithout those changes in a bill now before Congress, Sanders said he could not support the overall legislation because it caves to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry and cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion.\r\n\u201cIt is incomprehensible to me that we have a major bill dealing with prescription drugs and yet we are running from the most important issue and that is the greed of the pharmaceutical industry,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe prescription drug industry, along with Wall Street, is the most powerful political force in America. I have been fighting the greed of the prescription drug industry for decades. And, as far as I can tell, the prescription drug industry always wins, but the American people lose.\u201d\r\nTo see the amendment, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/senate-republicans-block-trump-proposal-to-lower-prescription-drug-prices", "Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Republicans Block Trump Proposal to Lower Prescription Drug Prices\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\nSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed an amendment Tuesday to lower the cost of prescription drugs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and allowing for the importation from other countries of low-cost prescription drugs \u2013 both proposals advocated by President-elect Donald Trump.\r\nRepublicans blocked the Sanders amendment.\r\nDuring his run for the White House, Trump called for requiring Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices. In a speech in New Hampshire last Feb. 7, Trump criticized current U.S. law that forbids Medicare from negotiating prices with pharmaceutical companies. Trump said: \u201cWe are not allowed to negotiate drug prices. Can you believe it? We pay about $300 billion more than we are supposed to, than if we negotiated the price. So there\u2019s $300 billion on day one we solve.\u201d\r\nTrump\u2019s campaign platform also advocated making it legal to reimport cheaper drugs from other countries.\r\nSanders offered an amendment to implement Trump\u2019s campaign promises.\r\n\u201cI am sure that all of my Republican colleagues will support an amendment in my hands that will do exactly what Mr. Trump said he would accomplish as president,\u201d Sanders told Senate colleagues. But Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) objected to holding a vote on the amendment.\r\nWithout those changes in a bill now before Congress, Sanders said he could not support the overall legislation because it caves to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry and cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion.\r\n\u201cIt is incomprehensible to me that we have a major bill dealing with prescription drugs and yet we are running from the most important issue and that is the greed of the pharmaceutical industry,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe prescription drug industry, along with Wall Street, is the most powerful political force in America. I have been fighting the greed of the prescription drug industry for decades. And, as far as I can tell, the prescription drug industry always wins, but the American people lose.\u201d\r\nTo see the amendment, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-dakota-access-pipeline-decision", "Sanders Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline Decision", "2016-12-04", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Dakota Access Pipeline Decision\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSunday, December 4, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Dec. 4 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) congratulated President Barack Obama Sunday after the Army Corps of Engineers announced it will deny a federal permit needed for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.\r\n\"I appreciate very much President Obama listening to the Native American people and millions of others who believe this pipeline should not be built. In the year 2016, we should not continue to trample on Native American sovereignty. We should not endanger the water supply of millions of people. We should not become more dependent on fossil fuel and accelerate the planetary crisis of climate change. Our job now is to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels, not to produce more greenhouse gas emissions.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/the-really-rich-got-richer-according-to-irss-top-400", "The Really Rich Got Richer, According to IRSs Top 400", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Really Rich Got Richer, According to IRS\u2019s Top 400\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTotal income reported on the top 400 individual tax returns rose 20% in 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Richard Rubin \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe total income reported on the top 400 individual tax returns rose 20% in 2014, according to Internal Revenue Service\u00a0data\u00a0released Thursday.\r\nThe figures reveal the concentration of earnings at the pinnacle of the income distribution, in a club that required $126.8 million of adjusted gross income to enter. That group, out of nearly 150 million tax returns in 2014, received 1.3% of income and 10% of capital gains that get preferential rates. The same 400 households also made 6.9% of all charitable contributions.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-carrier-just-showed-corporations-how-to-beat-donald-trump", "Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe Washington Post: Carrier just showed corporations how to beat Donald Trump\r\nBy Sen. Bernie Sanders\r\nToday, about 1,000 Carrier workers and their families should be rejoicing. But the rest of our nation\u2019s workers should be very nervous.\r\nPresident-elect Donald Trump will reportedly announce a deal with United Technologies, the corporation that owns Carrier, that keeps less than 1,000 of the 2100 jobs in America that were previously scheduled to be transferred to Mexico. Let\u2019s be clear: It is not good enough to save some of these jobs. Trump made a promise that he would save all of these jobs, and we cannot rest until an ironclad contract is signed to ensure that all of these workers are able to continue working in Indiana without having their pay or benefits slashed.\r\nIn exchange for allowing United Technologies to continue to offshore more than 1,000 jobs, Trump will reportedly give the company tax and regulatory favors that the corporation has sought. Just a short few months ago, Trump was pledging to force United Technologies to \u201cpay a damn tax.\u201d He was insisting on very steep tariffs for companies like Carrier that left the United States and wanted to sell their foreign-made products back in the United States. Instead of a damn tax, the company will be rewarded with a damn tax cut. Wow! How\u2019s that for standing up to corporate greed? How\u2019s that for punishing corporations that shut down in the United States and move abroad?\r\nIn essence, United Technologies took Trump hostage and won. And that should send a shock wave of fear through all workers across the country.\r\nTrump has endangered the jobs of workers who were previously safe in the United States. Why? Because he has signaled to every corporation in America that they can threaten to offshore jobs in exchange for business-friendly tax benefits and incentives. Even corporations that weren\u2019t thinking of offshoring jobs will most probably be re-evaluating their stance this morning. And who would pay for the high cost for tax cuts that go to the richest businessmen in America? The working class of America.\r\nLet\u2019s be clear. United Technologies is not going broke. Last year, it made a profit of $7.6 billion and received more than $6 billion in defense contracts. It has also received more than $50 million from the Export-Import Bank and very generous tax breaks. In 2014, United Technologies gave its former chief executive Louis Chenevert a golden parachute worth more than $172 million. Last year, the company\u2019s five highest-paid executives made more than $50 million. The firm also spent $12 billion to inflate its stock price instead of using that money to invest in new plants and workers.\r\nDoes that sound like a company that deserves more corporate welfare from our government? Trump\u2019s Band-Aid solution is only making the problem of wealth inequality in America even worse.\r\nI said I would work with Trump if he was serious about the promises he made to members of the working class. But after running a campaign pledging to be tough on corporate America, Trump has hypocritically decided to do the exact opposite. He wants to treat corporate irresponsibility with kid gloves. The problem with our rigged economy is not that our policies have been too tough on corporations; it\u2019s that we haven\u2019t been tough enough.\r\nWe need to re-instill an ethic of corporate patriotism. We need to send a very loud and clear message to corporate America: The era of outsourcing is over. Instead of offshoring jobs, the time has come for you to start bringing good-paying jobs back to America.\r\nIf United Technologies or any other company wants to keep outsourcing decent-paying American jobs, those companies must pay an outsourcing tax equal to the amount of money it expects to save by moving factories to Mexico or other low-wage countries. \u00a0They should not receive federal contracts or other forms of corporate welfare. \u00a0They must pay back all of the tax breaks and other corporate welfare they have received from the federal government. And they must not be allowed to reward their executives with stock options, bonuses or golden parachutes for outsourcing jobs to low-wage countries. I will soon be introducing the Outsourcing Prevention Act, which will address exactly that.\r\nIf Donald Trump won\u2019t stand up for America\u2019s working class, we must.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-warren-joint-statement-on-trumps-treasury-nominee", "Sanders, Warren Joint Statement on Trump's Treasury Nominee", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Warren Joint Statement on Trump's Treasury Nominee\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 30 \u2013 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement Wednesday after it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump will nominate Steve Mnuchin to serve as Treasury secretary:\r\n\"During the campaign, Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street. Donald Trump\u2019s choice for Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, is just another Wall Street insider. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington \u2013 that is hypocrisy at its worst. After his bank pocketed billions in taxpayer dollars from the bailout, Mnuchin moved on to make a fortune running another bank that aggressively foreclosed on families still reeling from the crisis. This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-the-21st-century-cures-act", "Sanders Statement on the 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on the 21st Century Cures Act\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 29 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday on the 21st Century Cures Act:\r\n\"At a time when Americans pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, this bill provides absolutely no relief for soaring drug prices. The greed of the pharmaceutical industry has no limit, and this bill includes numerous corporate giveaways that will make drug companies even richer. Further, this bill cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $1 billion, while not even guaranteeing funding for medical research or substance abuse treatment.\r\n\"This is a bad bill which should not be passed in its current form. It's time for Congress to stand up to the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies, not give them more handouts.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-hhs-pick", "Sanders Statement on Trump's HHS Pick", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday after it was reported that President-elect Donald Trump will name Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) to serve as secretary of health and human services:\r\n\u201cDonald Trump asked workers and seniors to vote for him because he was the only Republican candidate who\u00a0would not cut\u00a0Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid \u2013 programs that are of life-and-death importance for millions of Americans. Now, he has nominated a person for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, who has a long history of wanting to do exactly the opposite of what Trump campaigned on. Rep. Price has a long history of wanting to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. What hypocrisy! Mr. Trump needs to tell the American people that what he said during the campaign were just lies, or else appoint an HHS secretary who will protect these programs and do what Trump said he would do.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/trump-vows-to-protect-social-security-medicare-and-medicaid", "Trump Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare  Medicaid", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Trump Vows To Protect Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid \n            Speaking at the New Hampshire Republican Leadership Summit, Donald Trump scolded Republicans for trying to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\n            \n                \n                    \n                       \t\n        \t\t\t\t\n                        \n                            \n                                \n                                \n                                    \n                                    \n                                    \n                                \n                                \n        \t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            \n                        \n                        \n    \t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            \t\n    \t\t\t\t\t\t\n    \t\t\t\t\t\n                    \n                \n            \n        \t\n            \n            \n            \n                \n                \n                \n                \n                    \n                   \tSee Video on YouTube\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                    Copy Link", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-republicans-are-threatening-american-democracy", "Sanders: Republicans Are Threatening American Democracy", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: Republicans Are Threatening American Democracy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 28, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 28 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday after Donald Trump claimed\u00a0\"millions of people...voted illegally\" and made unfounded allegations of \"serious\u00a0voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California\":\r\n\"The threat to American democracy under Republican control is two-fold. First, they will likely move to go beyond the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and end\u00a0all\u00a0campaign finance limitations. Right now, the Koch brothers and the billionaire class can spend as much as they want only on\u00a0independent expenditures. The Republican leadership wants more. They want billionaires to be able to contribute\u00a0directly\u00a0to the candidate and, in essence, make the candidate a full-fledged\u00a0employee\u00a0of wealthy contributors.\u00a0\r\n\"Secondly, the Republicans will likely move aggressively to expand their current\u00a0voter\u00a0suppression\u00a0efforts. When Trump talks his disgraceful and unfounded nonsense about millions of people voting illegally, he is sending a very clear signal that the Republicans will move to make it harder for people of color, the elderly, immigrants, young people and poor people to participate in elections.\r\n\"Our job: State by state and at the federal level, resist all efforts at voter suppression. We must do everything we can to make it\u00a0easier\u00a0for people to participate in the political process, not harder.\u00a0States like California, Vermont and others have already moved effectively in that direction. Others must follow.\r\n\"For many Republicans leaders, 'democracy' means billionaires buying elections and poor and working people being disenfranchised. Too many Americans have fought and died to defend American democracy.\u00a0The Republican anti-democratic vision is not a future we will allow to happen.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-statement-on-carrier-and-outsourcing", "Sanders Statement on Carrier and Outsourcing", "2016-11-26", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Carrier and Outsourcing\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, November 26, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 26 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Saturday:\r\n\u201cDuring the campaign, Donald Trump made a 100 percent commitment to prevent United Technologies from shipping 2,100 jobs from Indiana to Mexico. All of us need to hold Mr. Trump accountable to make sure that he keeps this promise.\r\n\u201cLet\u2019s be clear: it is not good enough to save some of these jobs. We cannot rest until United Technologies signs a firm contract to keep all of these good-paying jobs in Indiana without slashing the salaries or benefits workers have earned.\r\n\u201cUnited Technologies is not going broke. Last year, it made a profit of $7.6 billion and received over $6 billion in defense contracts.\u00a0 It has also received more than $50 million in corporate welfare from the Export-Import Bank and very generous tax breaks.\r\n\u201cIn 2014, United Technologies gave its former CEO Louis Chenevert a golden parachute worth over $172 million. Last year, the company\u2019s five highest paid executives made over $50 million. The firm also spent $12 billion to inflate its stock price instead of using that money to invest in new plants and workers.\r\n\u201cI call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm\u00a0wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico.\r\n\u201cWe need to send a very loud and very clear message to corporate America: the era of outsourcing is over. Instead of offshoring jobs, the time has come for you to start bringing good-paying jobs back to the United States of America.\r\n\u201cIf United Technologies or any other company wants to keep outsourcing decent-paying American jobs, those companies must pay an outsourcing tax equal to the amount of money it expects to save by moving factories to Mexico or other low-wage countries. They must pay back all of the tax breaks and other corporate welfare they have received from the federal government. And they must not be allowed to reward their executives with stock options, bonuses or golden parachutes for outsourcing jobs to low wage countries.\r\n\u201cI will soon be introducing legislation to make sure that Donald Trump keeps his promise to prevent the outsourcing of American jobs. For the sake of American workers, this is a promise that cannot and must not be broken.\u201d\r\nSummary of the Outsourcing Prevention Act\r\nIn February, Carrier and UTEC announced that it would be closing two plants in Indianapolis and Huntington, Indiana shipping 2,100 jobs to Monterrey, Mexico, where workers are paid just $3 an hour.\u00a0\u00a0Both of these plants are owned by United Technologies. This legislation will provide a comprehensive solution to address this problem. United Technologies is not an outlier; it is representative of how so many multi-national corporations are taking advantage of our rigged economic system to pad their profits while hurting American workers. President-elect Trump made a promise during the campaign that he would prevent all of these jobs from being shipped overseas. The Outsourcing Prevention Act would make sure that Donald Trump keeps this promise by:\r\n1.\u00a0Preventing companies that outsource jobs from receiving federal contracts, tax breaks, grants or loans.\r\nLast year, United Technologies received over $6 billion in federal contracts, making it the seventh\u00a0largest recipient of federal contract funds. Over the past 15 years, this Fortune 500 company has used loopholes in the tax code to shelter more than two-thirds of its $38 billion in profits from federal taxation. It has also received over $50 million in corporate welfare from the Export-Import Bank. Under this legislation, companies would be barred from receiving future contracts, tax breaks, grants or loans from the federal government if they have announced plans to outsource more than 50 jobs overseas.\r\n2. Clawing back federal benefits from companies that outsource jobs have received over the last decade.\r\nThis legislation would require all companies that outsource more than 50 jobs in a given year to pay back all federal tax breaks, grants and loans they have received from the federal government over the last decade.\r\n3.\u00a0Establishing an outsourcing tax on companies that move U.S. jobs offshore.\r\nThis legislation would impose a tax on all companies that outsource jobs. The tax would be equal to the amount of savings achieved by outsourcing jobs or 35 percent of its profits, whichever is higher. United Technologies estimated that it would save $65 million a year by moving its jobs in Indiana to Mexico. Under this legislation, the company would be required to pay a tax of no less than $65 million a year. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\n4.\u00a0Prohibiting executives from profiting off of the outsourcing of U.S. jobs.\u00a0\r\nThis legislation would prohibit companies that offshore jobs from enriching executives through golden parachutes, stock options, bonuses, or other forms of compensation by imposing stiff tax penalties on this compensation.\u00a0 In addition, companies that outsource jobs overseas would be prevented from buying back its own stock. In 2014, United Technologies gave its former CEO a golden parachute worth over $172 million. Last year, the company\u2019s five highest paid executives made over $50 million. The firm also spent $12 billion to inflate its stock price instead of using that money to invest in new plants and workers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-slams-court-ruling-against-overtime-pay", "Sanders Slams Court Ruling Against Overtime Pay", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Slams Court Ruling Against Overtime Pay\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 23, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\nBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 23 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday criticized a federal court injunction against a new overtime rule that would have made millions of workers eligible for time-and-a-half pay.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe disastrous district court decision will unfairly harm millions of workers who are working longer hours for lower wages and have gone far too long without a raise. No employer should be allowed to deny overtime pay to Americans, many of whom are working 50 or 60 hours a week by labeling workers earning as little as $24,000-a-year as 'supervisors.' If we are serious about expanding the middle class, we must ensure that workers are paid fairly for all the work they do,\u201d Sander said.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Obama administration did the right thing by updating labor rules to make sure that anyone who makes less than $47,476 a year will receive time-and-a-half pay for working overtime. This is not without precedent. Since 1938, 10 different presidents \u2013 Democrats and Republicans \u2013 have exercised the authority their administrations have to update our nation\u2019s overtime rules,\u201d Sanders added.\r\n\r\nA preliminary injunction issued Tuesday blocks a new U.S. Labor Department rule, set to take effect next week, which would have required employers to pay overtime to workers earning less than $47,476 a year. The previous cutoff for workers to qualify for overtime pay, set in 2004, was $23,660.\r\n\r\n\u201cAnyone who claims to be a champion of working families should be outraged by the misguided and irresponsible court decision. I urge the Obama administration and President-elect Trump to do everything they can to vigorously defend this rule,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cDuring this time of Thanksgiving we must fight to make sure that all Americans receive the pay they have earned and deserve.\u201d\r\n\r\nSanders this year led a push in the Senate to extend overtime pay. To read Sanders\u2019 Feb. 29 letter, signed by 23 Senate colleagues, to Labor Secretary Tom Perez, click\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-vermont-air-national-guard-deployment", "Sanders Statement on Vermont Air National Guard Deployment", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Vermont Air National Guard Deployment\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 22, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 22 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Tuesday after the Vermont Air National Guard announced it would be deploying overseas:\r\n\"The Vermont Air Guard has been recognized for its high degree of training and readiness. As is the case with any deployment, my thoughts are with the service members being sent overseas and their families. In Vermont, I am confident that we will all do everything we can to support those families in their time of need, as we look forward to the safe and speedy return of the Guard members.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-trump-to-keep-his-promise-to-defend-social-security", "Sanders Calls on Trump to Keep His Promise to Defend Social Security", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Calls on Trump to Keep His Promise to Defend Social Security\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 21, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 21 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Monday on President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s promise to protect Social Security:\r\n\u201cThere are many seniors, disabled vets and people with disabilities who are very nervous about Republican proposals to cut Social Security. In my view we should be expanding Social Security, not cutting it.\u00a0But, at the very least, now is the time for Mr. Trump to reassure the American people that he will keep the campaign promise he made when he said, \u2018I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.\u2019 Mr. Trump, keep your promise.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trumps-reactionary-agenda", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Reactionary Agenda", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump's Reactionary Agenda\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, November 18, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 18 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Friday:\r\n\u201cHere is the simple truth. Trump\u2019s reactionary agenda will not be defeated in the halls of Congress. It will be defeated when millions of Americans, at the grassroots level, come together to oppose xenophobia and attacks on the immigrant community. It will be defeated when we stand together against racism, sexism, homophobia and Islamophobia. It will be defeated when working people throughout our country \u2013 black, white, Latino, Asian-American and Native American \u2013 demand a government and economy which works for all, and not just the one percent. Our political task now is to educate, organize and mobilize.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-viewpoint", "Vermont Viewpoint", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Vermont Viewpoint \n            Torin Kearns, 22, of Lincoln, Vermont, said considering the cost of college is stressful. \"When you get out of college -- having all this debt pile up and a job that might not necessarily make you back all that money in a decent amount of time -- it\u2019s scary,\" he said. \"If kids want education, they should be able to have it.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20161208092713/http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-peoples-rally-in-washington", "The People's Rally in Washington", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-joins-senate-democratic-leadership-", "Sanders Joins Senate Democratic Leadership", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Joins Senate Democratic Leadership \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 16 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the following statement Wednesday after he was named chair of outreach for Senate Democrats and ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee:\r\n\u201cReal change doesn\u2019t take place on Capitol Hill. It takes place in grassroots America. It takes place when millions of working people, young people and senior citizens come together to demand that our government works for all of us and not just the 1 percent. When the people lead, the leaders follow.\u00a0\r\n\u201cServing as ranking member of the Budget Committee is a heavy responsibility. It helps shape the priorities of the United States government, and I am going to do everything I can to make sure the budget that leaves the United States Congress is a budget that represents the needs of working families and a shrinking middle class, not billionaires.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-steve-bannon", "Sanders Statement on Steve Bannon", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Steve Bannon\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 16, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 16 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday on the appointment of Steve Bannon to serve as chief strategist and senior counsel in President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s White House:\r\n\u201cThis country, since its inception, has struggled to overcome discrimination of all forms: racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia. Over the years we have made progress in becoming a less discriminatory and more tolerant society \u2013 and we are not going backward. The appointment by President-elect Trump of a racist individual like Mr. Bannon to a position of authority is totally unacceptable. In a democratic society we can disagree all we want over issues, but racism and bigotry cannot be part of any public policy. The appointment of Mr.\u00a0Bannon by Mr. Trump must be rescinded.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/heating-our-cities-with-renewable-energy", "Heating Our Cities With Renewable Energy", "2016-11-10", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Heating Our Cities With Renewable Energy \n            A wood-chip fired heating plant in Montpelier, Vermont, known as District Heat Montpelier, is part of Vermont\u2019s effort to move its energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Thanks to $8 million in federal stimulus funds in 2010, this renewable energy powered heat plant prevents 300,000 gallons of oil from being burned each year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/-heating-cities-with-renewables-", "Heating Cities with Renewables", "2016-11-10", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Heating Cities with Renewables \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, November 10, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tMONTPELIER, Vt. -- With a significant boost from federal stimulus funds, District Heat Montpelier is up and running, heating dozens of state, municipal and private buildings in Vermont\u2019s capital city. Fueled by an innovative wood-chip fired boiler, the project is part of Vermont\u2019s efforts to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. \u201cIt\u2019s been a tremendous success,\u201d Montpelier Mayor John Hollar said. \u201cThe real launch of the program started when the city received an $8 million stimulus grant in 2010. At that point, the project really began in earnest. It was constructed in 2013, operational in the fall of 2014.\u201d\r\nWhen the US Department of Energy originally announced the funds, Sen. Bernie Sanders praised the project, stating \u201cthis district energy project will make Vermont more energy independent, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create local jobs.\u201d\r\nThe district heating plant is doing just that, as the project replaces approximately 300,000 gallons of oil that would have been burned each year to heat 19 state-owned buildings including the Pavilion Office Building, the Supreme Court and the State House.\u00a0 The project also heats Montpelier\u2019s city hall, police and fire stations, an elementary school, municipal library, a federal building, the county courthouse and sheriff\u2019s office, two churches and several private buildings.\r\nMontpelier\u2019s heating plant is helping Vermont take strides toward reaching its ambitious statewide renewable energy goals.\r\n\u201cOur department keeps track of and sets goals for energy use in Vermont, including renewable energy. One of our responsibilities is to produce the state\u2019s Comprehensive Energy Plan,\u201d said Asa Hopkins, who serves as the director of the Vermont Department of Public Service\u2019s Planning and Energy Resources Division.\r\nThat plan, Hopkins said, builds on the state's goal of getting 25 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2025 to meet our heating, electricity and transportation needs. That goal increases to 40 percent renewable energy by 2035, and 90 percent by 2050. \u00a0\u201cThat 2050 goal is among the most ambitious goals that any state in the nation has set,\u201d Hopkins said.\r\nHEATING WITH RENEWABLES\r\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re thinking about how to get that renewable heat number up, one of the main things you can do is to use wood for heat. You can do wood on the individual house scale. You can get a pellet stove. You can get a pellet boiler. But where you have density -- like what you have in Montpelier with all the state office buildings, the businesses up and down State Street and Main Street -- there you can support a larger centralized biomass heating system that is that much more efficient and cleaner for everybody,\u201d Hopkins said.\r\n\u201cYou don\u2019t have individual buildings trying to support their own oil heat systems anymore. You have one renewable heat system that can work at scale and transform an entire downtown,\u201d Hopkins said of systems like District Heat Montpelier.\r\nThe Montpelier project was a collaborative effort between the city, which runs the distribution system to municipal buildings and private businesses in the downtown, and the state, which owns the heating plant and supplies heat to state government buildings. \u201cThis was a partnership with the state. We worked very closely. It was sometimes contentious, not easy to get there, because there were a lot of issues that we had to work out,\u201d Hollar said. \u201cBut at the end of the day the state doubled the size of its plant \u2026 and built a state-of-the-art new system with about twice the capacity.\u201d\r\nThe unexpected drop in oil prices has changed some of the underlying cost-savings estimates, but the city is confident the wood-fired heating plant will continue to make economic sense over the long term. \u201cThe price is not as competitive with oil as many anticipated, but we knew that going into it,\u201d Hollar said.\r\n\u2018NET ZERO\u2019 ENERGY GOAL\r\nThe environmental benefits of District Heat Montpelier are undeniable.\u00a0 Hollar calls the environmental impact of moving away from oil \u201ca big factor\u201d in the decision to go forward with the biomass project. Instead of burning dirty fossil fuels, the project sustainably sources its wood chips from New England, including Vermont.\r\n\u201cMontpelier has adopted a goal of becoming net zero -- having all of our energy supplied by renewable sources or offset by renewable sources by the year 2030. It\u2019s a very ambitious goal,\u201d Hollar said. \u201cThis is a very important component of that: having all of our core downtown area and all of our municipal buildings heated with renewable resources. So, this tied in very well and complements a significant priority for our city.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-trump", "Sanders Statement on Trump", "2016-11-09", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Statement on Trump\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 9, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 9 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States:\r\n\u201cDonald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.\u00a0 People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer.\u00a0\r\n\u201cTo the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-cummings-request-doj-and-ftc-investigate-cost-of-diabetes-products", "Sanders, Cummings Request DOJ and FTC Investigate Cost of Diabetes Products", "2016-11-04", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Cummings Request DOJ and FTC Investigate Cost of Diabetes Products\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, November 4, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 4 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sent a letter Thursday asking the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potential collusion\u00a0among pharmaceutical companies that manufacture diabetes products.\r\nThe prices of insulin medications, which are used by about 6 million Americans to treat diabetes, have skyrocketed in recent years. The cost of insulin more than tripled between 2002 and 2013, from $231 to $736 per year per patient.\r\n\u201cNot only have these pharmaceutical companies raised insulin prices significantly \u2013 sometimes by double digits overnight \u2013 in many instances the prices have increased in tandem,\u201d Sanders and Cummings wrote in the letter to\u00a0Attorney General Loretta Lynch and\u00a0Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. \u201cWe are concerned that the potential coordination by these drug makers may not simply be a case of \u2018shadow pricing\u2019 but may indicate possible collusion.\u201d\r\nThree diabetes drug makers have continuously raised their prices over the years, and in numerous instances the price increases have mirrored one another precisely. In May 2014, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk each raised their prices for a vial of diabetes medication by 16.1 percent within a day of each other. Six months later, the companies both raised the medication price by 11.9 percent.\u00a0\u00a0There have been 13\u00a0reported\u00a0instances of such tandem price increases between those two companies since 2009.\r\nEli Lilly has also on several occasions matched price increases of its insulin products with Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly and other companies have previously been fined in Mexico for colluding on insulin pricing.\r\n\u201cWe believe this egregious behavior warrants a thorough investigation,\u201d the members wrote.\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-welcomes-obama-step-on-dakota-access-pipeline", "Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-11-02", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 2, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Nov. 2 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders applauded President Barack Obama for saying Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining ways to reroute the Dakota Access Pipeline to avoid culturally sensitive lands of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI am very grateful to President Obama for listening to the voices of Native Americans and their many allies who have been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nSanders sent a letter to the White House last week urging the president to halt the pipeline construction.\r\nSanders again on Wednesday urged the president to suspend all federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline until the Corps of Engineers completes a full cultural and environmental review. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe protesters at Standing Rock have insisted all along that in addition to encroaching on their sacred lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline will also threaten our most important natural resource, water,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nIf completed, the pipeline would transport nearly 20 million gallons of crude oil every day, potentially threatening dozens of bodies of water, including the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for 10 states and 28 tribes.\r\nMoreover, Sanders again questioned whether it makes sense to build new oil pipelines at a time when we should be focusing on building a clean energy infrastructure.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe are already seeing the consequences of global climate change, including rising sea levels, drought, wildfires and extreme weather. We should be transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. This pipeline, if completed, will do the exact opposite. It will lock us into burning more and more fossil fuels for generations to come,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nRead Sanders\u2019 letter to President Obama\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-welcomes-obama-step-on-dakota-access-pipeline", "Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-11-02", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Welcomes Obama Step on Dakota Access Pipeline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 2, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSen. Bernie Sanders applauded President Barack Obama for saying Tuesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is examining ways to reroute the Dakota Access Pipeline to avoid culturally sensitive lands of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI am very grateful to President Obama for listening to the voices of Native Americans and their many allies who have been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline,\u201d Sanders said.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSanders sent a letter to the White House last week urging the president to halt the pipeline construction.\r\n\r\nSanders again on Wednesday urged the president to suspend all federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline until the Corps of Engineers completes a full cultural and environmental review. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe protesters at Standing Rock have insisted all along that in addition to encroaching on their sacred lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline will also threaten our most important natural resource, water,\u201d Sanders said.\r\n\u00a0\r\nIf completed, the pipeline would transport nearly 20 million gallons of crude oil every day, potentially threatening dozens of bodies of water, including the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for 10 states and 28 tribes.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nMoreover, Sanders again questioned whether it makes sense to build new oil pipelines at a time when we should be focusing on building a clean energy infrastructure.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are already seeing the consequences of global climate change, including rising sea levels, drought, wildfires and extreme weather. We should be transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable sources of energy. This pipeline, if completed, will do the exact opposite. It will lock us into burning more and more fossil fuels for generations to come,\u201d Sanders said.\r\n\u00a0\r\nRead Sanders\u2019 letter to President Obama\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/an-industry-in-crisis-regional-foresters-struggle-to-survive", "An industry in crisis: Regional foresters struggle to survive", "2016-11-01", "2016", "2016-11", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "An industry in crisis: Regional foresters struggle to survive\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Robert Audette \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBrattleboro Reformer\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 1, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBrattleboro - Despite the importance of the forestry industry to Vermont's economy, fundamental shifts in the market for low-grade wood threaten the survival of many small businesses and the viability of the state's forests.\r\n\"We manage our forests for all kinds of things including durable wood products,\" said Michael Snyder, Commissioner of Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation. \"We specialize in high-grade, high-value-added wood products. In fact, they are world renowned. But in order to grow that high-quality product, we need to manage the woods.\"\r\nAnd managing the woods entails - just like cultivating a garden - pulling the weeds, said Paul Frederick, Wood Utilization and Wood Energy Project Leader for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. \"We need to weed out the garden to let the healthier trees utilize the space. If we don't have the markets for the soft wood, that work is very difficult.\"\r\nAccording to the National Forest Service, there are 88 different tree and shrub species in Vermont, the most common of which are beech, birch, maple, ash, aspen, oak, fir, spruce, hemlock, brambles, raspberry hobblebush, viburnum, and spirea. Hemlock is the leading softwood species, often found growing with eastern white pine. Balsam fir and spruce are the primary species used in the manufacture of wood fiber. Of the hardwood species, sugar maple is the most prevalent, followed by American beech, red maple, yellow and paper birch, and white ash.\r\n\"Forest products are an economic engine in Vermont and are responsible for $1.4 billion every year,\" said Snyder.\r\nTo read the full article, click here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/103116", "News October 31", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 31\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 31, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tColumn: AT&T-Time Warner Deal \u201cIn a letter to the Justice Department calling for the rejection of the AT&T-Time Warner deal, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said AT&T was already violating net neutrality principles by allowing customers to stream its DirecTV programming onto their mobile devices without having to pay the data-use charges that would normally apply,\u201d Jim Rutenberg wrote for The New York Times. \u201cThat would appear to give the company\u2019s own television service a price advantage.\u201d\u00a0\r\nWorld\r\nItaly Hit By Another Earthquake An earthquake, believed to be the strongest to hit Italy since 1980, struck the center of the country on Sunday, four days after two back-to-back quakes severely damaged buildings and left thousands homeless in the area, The New York Times reported. The temblor on Sunday also caused fresh damage to the towns destroyed by a quake that killed nearly 300 people in August.\r\nNational\r\nDAPL After another round of tense standoffs between activists and law enforcement over the Dakota Access Pipeline, an uneasy peace settled over this region of North Dakota that has become ground zero for opposition to a $3.7 billion project that would move domestic crude oil across four states, CNN reported.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nWater For much of the summer, Vermont escaped the drought that shriveled up crops and depleted some drinking water wells in parts of southern New England. Despite recent rain and snow, much of Vermont is now in a drought and the state is encouraging residents to conserve water when possible and report shortages, The Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/vt-warming-up-to-heat-pumps", "Vermont warming up to heat pumps", "2016-10-30", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Vermont warming up to heat pumps\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Gareth Henderson \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBusiness Vermont\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSunday, October 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tGodnick\u2019s Grand Furniture in Rutland is now home to Green Mountain Power\u2019s largest installation of heat pumps, which have helped boost energy savings for a number of customers in recent years.\r\nGMP recently installed 20 of these hyper-efficient, ductless heat pump heads at Godnick\u2019s, where they\u2019re estimated to reduce fuel usage by 40 percent during the heating season. The heat pumps are also expected to save the business about 30 percent in electricity consumed by air conditioning in the summer.\r\nThe heat pumps transfer air from the outdoors to heat the building, and in the summer, they transfer heat out to cool the building \u2014 making them far more cost-effective than traditional heating and AC systems.\r\nBrian Godnick, owner of Godnick\u2019s Grand Furniture, said the business had a 40-year-old air conditioning system which it hadn\u2019t used in a few years, since it is highly inefficient.\r\nTo read full article, click here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102916", "News October 29", "2016-10-29", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 29\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, October 29, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tDakota Access Pipeline Sanders called on President Barack Obama to intervene in the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline on Friday. In a letter, Sanders implored the president to reevaluate the environmental impact of the oil pipeline, The Bismarck Tribune, Los Angeles Times, ATTN and Portland Press Herald reported. Sanders called on President Barack Obama to send Department of Justice personnel to guarantee safety and First Amendment rights for protesters, The Associated Press and The Huffington Post reported.\r\nWhat\u2019s Next Sen. Sanders makes clear in a Boston Globe op-ed published Friday that he\u2019s ready to go head to head with the next administration, the day after the election, if it ignores the progressive causes he holds dear \u2014 from taking on powerful special interests to appointing cabinet officials who will \u201cfight for working people,\u201d USA Today and TIME reported.\u00a0\r\nSanders, Warren Call Out KPMG Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders fired off a letter on Thursday to KPMG, calling the accounting firm out for failing to discover the widespread illegal behavior at Wells Fargo, CNN reported.\r\nBiotech Stocks Down Political jitters have fueled a sell-off in biotechnology shares in recent weeks as investors weigh the growing prospects of a Democratic sweep. One biotech analyst contended a Democratic sweep would strengthen the hand of activist lawmakers such as senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, The Boston Globe reported.\r\nColumn: Corporate America on the Defensive \u201cLet's be blunt. Corporate America is in delusional denial about how much the ground in Washington has shifted against it. The rise of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both inside the halls of Congress and throughout the country, is more than just a passing fad. Just ask Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf,\u201d Jake Novak wrote for CNBC.\r\nWorld\u00a0\r\nE.U. Trade Deal A group of dairy farmers in the Wallonia region single-handedly threatened to derail a landmark accord to deepen commerce between Canada and the European Union, which traded $69 billion in goods last year, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nEmail Investigation Federal law enforcement officials said Friday that the new emails uncovered in the closed investigation into Hillary Clinton\u2019s use of a private email server were discovered after the F.B.I. seized electronic devices belonging to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Mrs. Clinton, and her husband, Anthony D. Weiner, The New York Times reported.\r\nColumn: Dakota is the New Keystone \u201cThe Native Americans who have spent the last months in peaceful protest against an oil pipeline along the banks of the Missouri are standing up for tribal rights. They\u2019re also standing up for clean water, environmental justice and a working climate. And it\u2019s time that everyone else joined in,\u201d Bill McKibben wrote in The New York Times.\r\nVermont\r\nDebate on Public Speech A Republican legislative candidate\u2019s tweet that Democratic President Barack Obama should be hanged and a school board member\u2019s Facebook posts widely deemed racist and sexist are generating heated debate about what\u2019s acceptable in public speech, The Associated Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102816", "News October 28", "2016-10-28", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 28\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, October 28, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSanders: Here\u2019s What I\u2019ll Do After the Election \u201cThis is a historic and pivotal moment in American history,\u201d Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in The Boston Globe. \u201cNow is the time for our next president to rally the American people against Wall Street and corporate greed and stand up vigorously for the declining middle class.\u201d\r\nAT&T-Time Warner Sanders laid out his disapproval of the merger between AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc. in a feisty letter addressed to Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata B. Hesse on Wednesday. The deal has major consequences for democracy, Sanders said, since one company will now have control over a wide range of brands, The Huffington Post, The Street, Arab American News and Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic reported. A Judiciary Committee hearing on the merger has been set for Dec. 7, reported The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.\r\nCabinet Blacklists Leading liberal lawmakers \u2014 including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders \u2014 have started conveying, privately and publicly, guidance on top Clinton appointees and legislative priorities, The Washington Post reported. The assembly of a Clinton administration would be the first major test of power for progressives since Sanders\u2019s unsuccessful presidential run.\r\nWall Street\u2019s Wake Up Call If Hillary Clinton is elected president, Warren will most likely shape the future of financial services in the U.S., CBS News reported. At a Colorado rally in mid-October, the appearance of both Warren and Sanders, whose grassroots movement brought national attention to Wall Street \u201cgreed,\u201d underlined that message.\u00a0\r\nColumn: Why Bernie Sanders Matters \u201cBernie Sanders has been as big a mensch as any politician ever has been. He has been a far bigger mensch than a lot of his supporters on and off your social media feeds and in and out of the actual media itself,\u201d Charles P. Pierce wrote for Esquire. \u201cSanders' formal party allegiance doesn't matter a damn. He is a man with a substantial public following who, in the main, supports everything that the progressive wing of the Democratic party stands for and then some.\u201d\u00a0\r\nWorld\u00a0\r\nRussian Role in Ukraine Uprising A group of Ukrainian hackers has released what it says are the emails of a senior Kremlin official that show a direct Russian role in creating and directing the rebel uprising in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The group claimed to have hacked the account of Vladislav Y. Surkov, for years President Vladimir V. Putin\u2019s chief domestic political adviser and now the top official overseeing Russia\u2019s Ukraine policy, The New York Times reported.\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nDakota Access Fight Police in riot gear faced off with protesters on horseback as the months long protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline came to a head Thursday, CNN reported. At least 117 protesters were arrested after law enforcement Humvees and helicopters began to flood the area to break up a protester encampment near the pipeline's path.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nHealth Board Agrees to All-Payer The Green Mountain Care Board voted Wednesday morning to sign an agreement with the federal government to set up an all-payer model for health care reform. The board cited more than 20 letters of support it received from major health care companies and hospitals, VTDigger reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-president-to-intervene-in-dakota-access-pipeline-dispute", "Sanders Calls on President to Intervene in Dakota Access Pipeline Dispute", "2016-10-28", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Calls on President to Intervene in Dakota Access Pipeline Dispute\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, October 28, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 28 \u2014 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama Friday requesting he intervene to protect Native Americans peacefully protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.\r\nAt least 140 people were arrested at the construction site in Cannon Ball, N.D., Wednesday after militarized police moved in with tanks and riot gear, using sound cannons, pepper spray and rubber bullets. Hundreds of Native American protectors have gathered at the site since April to protest the pipeline\u2019s construction on land they claim is tribal under the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.\r\n\"I urge you to take all appropriate measures to protect the safety of the Native Americans protesters and their supporters who have gathered peacefully to oppose the construction of the pipeline,\" Sanders wrote in the letter.\r\nSanders asks that President Obama direct the Justice Department to send observers to the site to protect protestors\u2019 safety and First Amendment rights; call North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple to remove the National Guard from the protest camp; and direct the Army Corps of Engineers to issue an order to stop work on construction of the pipeline near the protest site to reduce tensions while awaiting judicial action.\r\nSanders again called on the president to suspend construction of the pipeline\u00a0until the Army Corps of Engineers completes a full cultural and environmental review.\r\n\"It is deeply distressing to me that the federal government is putting the profits of the oil industry ahead of the treaty and sovereign rights of Native American communities,\" Sanders wrote.\u00a0\"Mr. President, you took a bold and principled stand against the Keystone pipeline \u2013 I ask you to take a similar stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline.\"\r\nSanders previously called on the president to block construction of the pipeline\u00a0during a rally outside the White House with leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other tribal nations in September.\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102716", "News October 27", "2016-10-27", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 27\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 27, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tAT&T-Time Warner Merger Sen. Bernie Sanders called on the Justice Department Wednesday to block the $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger. Sanders warned in a letter to the department's antitrust division that the combination could result in a \"gross concentration of power\" in news media, and suggested that blocking the deal would help \"preserve our democratic discourse,\u201d CNBC and The Associated Press reported.\r\nFears of Growing Progressive Power Hillary Clinton\u2019s lead in presidential-election polls has Wall Street increasingly focused on the battle for control of Congress\u2014and bracing for a less friendly environment if Democrats retake the Senate and give new clout to the party\u2019s left wing led by Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, The Wall Street Journal reported. Republicans in Congress are also worried about the power of progressives, The New York Times reported.\r\nLiberal Priorities Buoyed by the strength of Sanders in the primary and the enduring star power of Warren, liberal Democrats are expected to push hard for new curbs on Wall Street and dig in on policy issues including trade, health care, taxes and college tuition, The Wall Street Journal reported. Liberal Democrats are already looking past Election Day \u2014 and relying on arren to become the thorn in chief in Mrs. Clinton\u2019s side, scrutinizing her appointments and agenda, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nHELP Committee Sanders, who is wielding newfound influence that he gained during his presidential bid, continues to signal interest in the HELP gavel, though he is in line to become chairman of the Senate Budget Committee should Democrats come back into power, Politico reported.\r\nExecutive Action on Drug Prices A group of progressive Democratic lawmakers, including Sanders and Warren, agree that under a thirty-six-year-old law, the Bayh-Dole Act, the executive branch is empowered to get pharmaceutical companies to reduce prices on drugs invented with the help of federal research funds, Washington Monthly reported.\r\nColumn: Pressure from the Left \u201cPressure from Sanders and other progressives \u2014 Warren being the most prominent among them \u2014 can give Clinton cover to propose more liberal policies. Sanders\u2019s (and Warren\u2019s) popularity with voters can also help shift the public debate on Clinton\u2019s proposals to the left,\u201d James Downie wrote for The Washington Post. \u201cIt will drive a Clinton White House crazy sometimes, but active pressure from Sanders is much more likely to help Clinton and the Democratic Party than to hurt them.\u201d\r\nWorld\u00a0\r\nRefugees There are 67 days left in 2016, but on Tuesday the number of people who have died this year trying to reach European shores via smuggling routes across the Mediterranean Sea surpassed last year's grim total. A spokesman for the United Nations' refugee agency said that 3,800 had died attempting the voyage this year, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\r\nTrump Voters Talk Revolution Big crowds still mob Donald J. Trump when he comes to town, with fans waiting in long lines to attend his rallies, where they eagerly jeer his Democratic rival and holler happily at his message, The New York Times reported.\u00a0 Some worry that they will be forgotten, along with their concerns and frustrations. Others believe the nation may be headed for violent conflict.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nAll-Payer Vermont\u2019s Green Mountain Care Board voted Wednesday morning to sign an agreement with the federal government designed to transform the state's health-care payment system.\u00a0 The new model would reimburse participating providers for health outcomes, rather than for every procedure they perform. Seven Days reported.\r\nHydroelectric The final report of the Vermont Hydroelectric Power Acquisition Working Group, issued Tuesday, recommends that the state should not pursue buying the TransCanada\u2019s dams or even enter into a partnership with potential buyers, VTDigger reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/upward-bound-an-education-success-story", "Upward Bound: An Education Success Story", "2016-10-27", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Upward Bound: An Education Success Story\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 27, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThis fall, Krysta Gingue, 20, became a junior at the University of New Hampshire. The Lyndonville, Vermont, college student credits Upward Bound for helping her get there. \u201cI can absolutely say that it is the best thing that has happened, academically and socially, in my life,\u201d she said.\r\nGingue, who is a first-generation college student, was one of hundreds of students who gathered in Castleton this summer to recognize what they have been able to achieve, thanks to Upward Bound.\r\nStudents from Vermont, New Hampshire and New York met to celebrate their achievements made possible through federal TRIO program, which helps low-income students who are hoping to be the first generation in their families attend college.\r\nGingue become involved in Upward Bound as a freshman in high school at Lyndon Institute. \u201cI was encouraged to apply to Upward Bound by my math teacher who saw my potential and, correctly, believed that the program would benefit me,\u201d she said.\r\nThe following summer she grew \u201cinto a more engaged and active student\u201d through the Upward Bound program.\r\n\u201cFor five weeks in the summer I lived on a college campus surrounded by gifted students who pushed me to achieve greatness in all aspects of my life. Participating in this program showed me the importance of putting effort into all my work and continuing to push myself to do my absolute best in a variety of situations. I went from a passive, average student my freshman year, to the top 1 percent of my graduating class,\u201d she said.\r\nIn her senior year of high school, \u201cUpward Bound was the helping hand that many students unfamiliar with the college process need,\u201d she said. \u201cI learned how to balance my academics, extracurriculars, and college application process with ease because of the preparation I received.\u201d\r\nAlthough she is now in her third year of college, she continues to tap the resources of Upward Bound.\u00a0 \u201cI have continued to use the skills that Upward Bound showed me during my time in high school and I continue to turn to my Upward Bound Director Rick Williams as a source for knowledge when I feel stuck,\u201d she said.\r\n\u00a0\r\nTo Learn More\r\nON THE WEB: Click here to learn more about\u00a0Upward Bound\u00a0and other\u00a0TRIO programsCALL BERNIE\u2019S OFFICE: 1-800-339-9834\r\n  Read more Vermont articles, click here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/drug-maker-thwarted-plan-to-limit-oxycontin-prescriptions-at-dawn-of-opioid-epidemic", "Drug maker thwarted plan to limit OxyContin prescriptions at dawn of opioid epidemic", "2016-10-26", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Drug maker thwarted plan to limit OxyContin prescriptions at dawn of opioid epidemic\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 26, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWELCH, W.Va. \u2014 The warning signs of what would become a deadly opioid epidemic emerged in early 2001. That\u2019s when officials of the state employee health plan in West Virginia noticed a surge in deaths attributed to oxycodone, the active ingredient in the painkiller OxyContin.\r\nThey quickly decided to do something about it: OxyContin prescriptions would require prior authorization. It was a way to ensure that only people who genuinely needed the painkiller could get it and that people abusing opioids could not.\r\nBut an investigation by STAT has found that Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, thwarted the state\u2019s plan by paying a middleman, known as a pharmacy benefits manager, to prevent insurers from limiting prescriptions of\u00a0 the drug.\r\nThe financial quid pro quo between the painkiller maker and the pharmacy benefits manager, Merck Medco, came to light in West Virginia court records unsealed by a state judge at the request of STAT, and in interviews with people familiar with the arrangement.\r\n\u201cWe were screaming at the wall,\u201d said Tom Susman, who headed the state\u2019s public employee insurance agency in the early 2000s and led the push to limit OxyContin prescribing in West Virginia.\r\n\u201cWe saw it coming,\u201d he said of the\u00a0opioid\u00a0epidemic, which today causes 28,000 overdose deaths a year in the United States. \u201cNow to see the aftermath is the most frustrating thing I have ever seen.\u201d\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102616", "News October 26", "2016-10-26", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 26\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 26, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tAT&T-Time Warner Merger If AT&T figures out a way to use its control over major broadband networks to give HBO and Warner Bros. content a leg up over content from other companies, that\u2019s going to put independent content companies at a systematic disadvantage in the marketplace. That, say critics like Sen. Bernie Sanders, would be bad news for consumers, Vox reported. \u201cWe must reject the AT&T-Time Warner merger,\u201d Sanders told The Washington Post. \u201cWe need more diverse media ownership, not less.\u201d\r\nDrug Industry Sanders took another swing at the pharmaceutical industry on Tuesday, calling out drug companies for spending more on marketing and sales than research and development, ATTN reported.\r\nTom Hayden Tom Hayden\u2019s image, as that of a 1960s radical and ringleader of the antiwar protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, comes from an era that for many Americans feels like ancient history. Hayden\u2019s legacy is one that is still felt today in the activism of liberal groups from Occupy Wall Street to the insurgent campaign of Sanders, The Boston Globe reported.\r\nEditorial: Accountability for Obamacare \u201dSo now the liberal line is that ObamaCare has a few problems, but don\u2019t worry: The same geniuses who wrote the law know how to fix it,\u201d The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote. \u201cThe Bernie Sanders-Elizabeth Warren left wants a new \u201cpublic option,\u201d higher subsidies, more price controls and even more intrusive regulatory control. Hillary Clinton has endorsed all of this.\u201d\u00a0\r\nColumn: The Center Left and Right \u201dIn truth, Bernie Sanders\u2019s movement fractured the Democratic Party almost as much as Trump did the G.O.P., but that fissure has been temporarily plastered over by the overriding need to defeat Trump,\u201d Thomas Friedman wrote in The New York Times. \u201cIf Clinton wins, that fissure will quickly reopen and some basic questions will have to be answered.\u201d\r\nColumn: AT&T Faces Political Opposition \u201cAT&T is running corporate finance smack into a populist uprising. The company\u2019s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner would consolidate an industry already controlled by a small group of companies. It is the sort of concentrated power that helped give rise to opponents like Donald J. Trump and Bernie Sanders,\u201c China Chon wrote for The New York Times.\r\nColumn: Progressive Answer to Trumpism \u201cA serious progressive agenda should grapple with the grave challenges that many Trump supporters face. To that end, Sen. Bernie Sanders \u2014 who won strong support from working-class whites in the primaries \u2014 offered a useful blueprint,\u201d Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote for The Washington Post. \u201cTo start, we need a more progressive trade policy that gives priority to working people over corporate lobbyists and profits.\u201d\r\nWorld\r\nCalais Migrant Camp Demolished As French authorities began demolishing parts of the notorious \u201cJungle\u201d camp Tuesday, hundreds of migrants lined up with all of their possessions for transport to asylum centers elsewhere in France. More than 2,500 migrants have left the camp since Monday, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nPhRMA Gets Cash Influx The pharmaceutical lobby is requiring member companies to fork over an additional $100 million per year as the industry gears up for a bruising post-election battle over drug prices, Politico reported. PhRMA's decision to hike membership dues 50 percent will increase the trade group's considerable coffers to more than $300 million per year.\r\nTrump Halts Big-Money Fundraising Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has effectively shut down his high-dollar fundraising operation for the rest of the campaign, a highly unusual move that deals another serious blow to the GOP's effort to finance its get-out-the-vote operation before Election Day, The Washington Post reported.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nFirst Amendment The American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont is arguing that the criminal prosecution of a man who distributed Ku Klux Klan fliers in Burlington last year would narrow First Amendment freedom of speech, The Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/-sanders-urges-justice-department-to-block-atandt-time-warner-merger", "Sanders Urges Justice Department to Block AT Warner Merger", "2016-10-26", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Urges Justice Department to Block AT&T-Time Warner Merger\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 26, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 26 \u2013 Warning of a \u201cgross concentration of power\u201d in the news media, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter Wednesday urging the U.S. Department of Justice to block a proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner, Inc.\r\n\u201cThis proposed merger is just the latest effort to shrink our media landscape, stifle competition and diversity of content, and provide consumers with less while charging them more,\u201d Sanders wrote in a letter to the head of the department\u2019s antitrust division. \u201cThis merger represents a gross concentration of power that runs counter to the public good and should be blocked.\u201d\r\nAT&T announced Saturday that it had agreed to an $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner, a move which must be approved first by federal regulators.\r\n\u201cThe diversity of programing would be further diminished by truncating the relationship of content and distribution. When one giant company owns both the content and the means of distribution, there is a clear disincentive to provide additional choices to consumers,\u201d Sanders wrote.\r\nConsumers have seen negative outcomes from companies who use their scale and power to raise prices in the past. After AT&T acquired DirecTV in 2015, AT&T raised prices for DirecTV services. AT&T also exempted DirecTV streaming video from data caps on AT&T's mobile Internet service.\r\n\u201cThe media and telecommunications landscape is changing. It is important that public policy concerns guide these changes, so that we may preserve our democratic discourse and open competitive markets for speech and commerce,\u201d Sanders wrote.\r\nTo read the letter,\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/drug-lobby-adds-100m-to-war-chest-ahead-of-pricing-battle", "Drug lobby adds $100M to war chest ahead of pricing battle", "2016-10-25", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Drug lobby adds $100M to war chest ahead of pricing battle\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Sarah Karlin and Anna Palmer \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 25, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe pharmaceutical lobby is requiring member companies to fork over an additional $100 million per year as the industry gears up for a bruising post-election battle over drug prices, POLITICO has learned.\r\nPhRMA's decision to hike membership dues 50 percent will increase the trade group's considerable coffers to more than $300 million per year \u2014 a financial advantage it hasn\u2019t enjoyed since\u00a02009, when drug makers came out largely unscathed in Obamacare negotiations. PhRMA is bolstering its war chest as it gears up to spend hundreds of millions on ads pushing back against politicians from both parties who have attacked its members over pricing.\r\nRecent high-profile price increases of life-saving treatments, including EpiPens, have crystallized voter anger over drug costs. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have called for allowing the government to negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries and allowing drug importation from other countries. Recent polling shows a majority of Republican and Democratic voters favor both ideas.\r\nPhRMA\u2019s board voted to raise dues at a meeting this summer,\u00a0POLITICO reported\u00a0in August, but it wasn\u2019t clear by how much at the time. To help build its war chest, the board also voted to add new members, including Teva, the world\u2019s largest generic drug manufacturer.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102516", "News October 25", "2016-10-25", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 25\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 25, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tA Thorn in Hillary\u2019s Side Sen. Bernie Sanders, a loyal soldier for Hillary Clinton since he conceded the Democratic presidential nomination in July, plans to push liberal legislation with like-minded senators with or without Clinton\u2019s support if she is elected\u2014 and to aggressively oppose appointments that do not pass muster with the party\u2019s left wing, The Washington Post reported.\u00a0\r\nAT&T-Time Warner Shares in AT&T and Time Warner fell on Monday as Wall Street investors expressed concerns that political and regulatory roadblocks may thwart AT&T\u2019s $85bn takeover of the Hollywood movie studio and owner of CNN and HBO, The Guardian and Minnesota Public Radio reported. Sanders said the government should \u201ckill\u201d the deal as it would lead to higher prices and less choice for customers, NBC News reported.\r\nComplicated Future If Clinton wins the election and Democrats also carry the Senate, she would have more leeway in getting through nominees for top jobs. Liberals with ties to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sander have already started outlining specific people they're hoping end up in senior posts at the White House and agencies, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Vanity Fair reported. Sanders and Warren have both crisscrossed the country for Clinton.\r\nWorld\r\nAleppo Syrian government forces and their allies on Monday captured strategic high ground in embattled Aleppo as Russia \u2014 a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad \u2014 said it was not planning more \u201chumanitarian pauses\u201d in the fighting in the city\u2019s eastern, rebel-held districts, The Associated Press reported.\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nCost of Health Plans to Rise Premiums for midlevel health plans under the Affordable Care Act will increase by an average of 25 percent next year, while consumers in some states will find significantly fewer insurance companies offering coverage, the federal government said Monday, The New York Times reported. But the Obama administration said three-fourths of consumers would still be able to find plans for less than $100 a month with the help of federal subsidies.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nTeachers\u2019 Union Contract The Burlington teachers union ratified a tentative employment agreement Monday afternoon, possibly putting an end to 15 months of bitter negotiations over a one-year contract with the School Board, The Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/102416", "News October 24", "2016-10-24", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 24\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 24, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tAT&T-Time Warner Deal AT&T Inc's proposed $85 billion takeover of Time Warner Inc. generated skepticism among both Democrats and Republicans on Sunday, making it more likely that regulators will closely scrutinize the effort to create a new telecommunications and media giant, The Associated Press, The New York Times, MarketWatch, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, BuzzFeed and The Wall Street Journal reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders said on Twitter that the administration should \"kill\" the Time Warner takeover because it would mean higher prices and fewer choices for consumers.\r\nThis Week \u201cDonald Trump is pointing at the moon which is a very frustrated working class part of the country, the same thing that Bernie Sanders pointed at in the Democratic primary,\u201d Matthew Dowd said on ABC\u2019s This Week. \u201cThat's not going away. That's been growing and building for 30 years.\u201d\r\nMeet the Press The roundtable during NBC\u2019s Meet the Press discussed the role Sanders played in the primary. \u201cI think the primary between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton really showed that Hillary Clinton is where the head of the Democratic party is, but the people really are with Bernie Sanders, particularly on trade,\u201d Eliana Johnson said. \u201cI think Bernie Sanders kind of blew up the Democratic party, but it was patched over because of the urgency of defeating Donald Trump who was a much greater threat,\u201d Thomas Friedman babbled.\r\nJob Training Sanders has announced a $4.3 million federal grant to a St. Albans-based nonprofit to allow it to expand job training for low-income seniors, The Burlington Free Press reported. The money will help Vermont Associates for Training and Development expand job training efforts in Vermont, Maine and large parts of New York and Pennsylvania.\r\nColumn: Millennials \u201cSanders' movement, still alive despite his primary loss, has persuaded many young people that traditional politics can be used to further their goals,\u201d Leonid Bershidsky wrote for Bloomberg. \u201cThe Sanders movement is one reason why the data flagged by Foa and Mouk shouldn't lead to apocalyptic predictions about the future of democracy.\u201d\r\nWorld\r\nSyria As rebel-held sections of Aleppo crumbled under Russian bombing this month, the Obama administration was secretly weighing plans to rush more firepower to CIA-backed units in \u00adSyria, The Washington Post reported. The proposal, which involved weapons that might help those forces defend themselves against Russian aircraft and artillery, made its way onto the agenda of a recent meeting President Obama held with his national security team.\r\nNational\r\nDown Ballot Candidates Clinton moved aggressively on Sunday to press her advantage in the presidential race, urging black voters in North Carolina to vote early and punish Republican officeholders for supporting Donald J. Trump, even as Mr. Trump\u2019s party increasingly concedes he is unlikely to recover in the polls, The New York Times reported.\r\nVermont\r\nEditorial: Sen. Leahy The Burlington Free Press editorial board recommends Patrick Leahy for U.S. senator. Leahy, the longtime incumbent Democrat, brings to Washington the experience and influence that comes with serving seven terms \u2013 42 years \u2013 in the Senate on behalf of Vermont. His super-seniority gives this tiny state an outsized presence and influence in Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/blue-ribbon-child-care", "Blue Ribbon Child Care", "2016-10-24", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Blue Ribbon Child Care\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Emerson Lynn \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSt. Albans Messenger\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 24, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe need to find affordable, high-quality child care is routinely listed as one of the challenges that retards the state\u2019s ability to prosper, and one that is a compounding force on the effects of poverty and neglect in our communities.\r\nOn Nov. 1, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing High Quality, Accordable Child Care is scheduled to issue its report on how Vermont can address the issue, including estimates as to what it would cost and how we might proceed.\r\nIt\u2019s a critical issue, and what the commission advocates will be crucial in how the public and our elected leaders respond.\r\nIt\u2019s a critical issue forced by demographics. The percentage of our population over 65 has increased 12.5 percent from 2010-2013, those between 55-64 grew by almost six percent. In those same years the two age groups that saw the biggest decline were those between 35-54 and 0-4.\r\nClearly, we are short of workers, with the trend going forward being even more dire. If we are to have an economy that prospers we will need to have a workforce free from the worry of not being able to find suitable child care.\r\nIt\u2019s just that clear.\r\nBut our worry is this: It\u2019s relatively easy to put a figure on what it would cost to provide good child care. And it\u2019s relatively easy to make the case that providing suitable child care is fundamental to Vermont\u2019s economic and social future.\r\nWe need more than that. If the commission reports out a cost figure without the context of how it could be most efficiently delivered, then it will hobble the conversation before it\u2019s had a change to begin.\r\nWhat the commission should not do is to present our child care needs as a financial and social challenge over and above what we already have on our plates. If the commission produces a per-child estimate as to what it would cost to provide adequate care, and suggests it\u2019s the responsibility of the state and its people to find new money to meet this need, then the chances of success will evaporate like the morning\u2019s dew.\u00a0\r\nWe raise the issue as an obvious parallel to what Vermont is experiencing with Act 46, the state\u2019s school consolidation law. We are figuring out how to deal with a school system that, by 2030, will have lost almost a third of its student population from its peak in the early 1990s.\r\nThis population decline is affecting how the state is structured, how it works, and how it will continue to work. Act 46 has set in place a process geared toward efficiency and outcomes.\u00a0\r\nThe two \u2013 our schools and our child care needs \u2013 are not separate. They are one and the same. And, if viewed from 30,000 feet up, both are increasingly part of the state\u2019s struggle against poverty, neglect and abuse. That\u2019s crucial to bear in mind as we address our child care needs.\r\nAs we\u2019re learning with the Act 46 process, dealing with child care needs is not something that can, or should, be dealt with, singly, or in small numbers. This isn\u2019t about subsidizing individual families to meet their child care needs, this is about figuring out ways to create larger centers so that more children can be dealt with effectively and efficiently.\r\nVermont also needs to look at child care as more than a responsibility met by educators, or by funding through traditional educational sources, like the property tax. Our population numbers are so low, and our social and demographic challenges so considerable, that we should consider this need as something that is met on a collective front. There may be an opportunity for schools and their accompanying municipal districts, or state programs, to consider joint arrangements.\r\nThen, there is this: If we\u2019re on the way to losing a third of our students, and if our teacher-pupil ratio continues to lag far below the national average, then obviously we have the space and the teachers available to deal with a meaningful percentage of our child care needs. How else do we deal with either the low wage issue for child care employees, or the lack of availability?\u00a0\r\nTo get to this point requires that we look at our child care needs through various lenses. What doesn\u2019t work is to consider it as we have, which is in small units, with little oversight, few meaningful standards, and continual employee turnover. What doesn\u2019t work is to present the issue as something that is urgent, something that needs to stand alone, something that will require a new bureaucratic structure, and something that will drain us of what remains of our meager resources.\u00a0\r\nIf that is how the conversation begins, the issue is lost.\r\nOur child care needs are dramatic, and our economy going forward depends on this need being met; we don\u2019t have the population necessary to prosper if we have people sitting home wanting to go to work, but unable to find suitable child care at an affordable prices.\r\nTo meet this need requires the same sort of thinking that is moving us forward with Act 46. The challenge is figuring out how we can extract the value out of our existing public investments [our schools] and to blend these efficiencies with the services provided in other arenas, like Head Start for example.\r\nOnce again, it\u2019s a conversation that forces us out of the individual silos that restrain our thinking. Let\u2019s hope the blue ribbon group on child care thinks similarly.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/st-albans-nonprofit-gets-federal-job-training-grant", "St. Albans nonprofit gets federal job-training grant", "2016-10-24", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "St. Albans nonprofit gets federal job-training grant\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 24, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tST. ALBANS \u2014\u00a0U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced a $4.3 million federal grant to a St. Albans-based nonprofit to allow it to expand job training for low-income seniors.\r\nThe money will help Vermont Associates for Training and Development expand job training efforts in Vermont, Maine and large parts of New York and Pennsylvania.\r\nThe funding announced this week is part of the Older Americans Act, which provides social and nutrition services for seniors in Vermont and throughout the country.\r\nSanders has called for significantly increasing funding for Older Americans Act programs and helped lead congressional efforts to reauthorize the law earlier this year.\r\nRead here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-43-million-to-vermont-nonprofit-to-boost-job-training-for-low-income-seniors", "Sanders Announces $4.3 million to Vermont Nonprofit to Boost Job Training for Low-Income Seniors", "2016-10-20", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Announces $4.3 million to Vermont Nonprofit to Boost Job Training for Low-Income Seniors\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 20, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBURLINGTON, Vt., Oct. 20 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $4.3 million to a St. Albans-based nonprofit, Vermont Associates for Training and Development, to expand their efforts to provide job training and employment services for low-income seniors.\r\nIn addition to helping Vermonters, the boost in federal funding will allow Vermont Associates for Training and Development to replicate their employment services program in Maine and throughout large swaths of New York and Pennsylvania.\u00a0\r\nThe funding announced Thursday was authorized as part of the Older Americans Act, which provides critical social and nutrition services for seniors in Vermont and throughout the United States. Sanders has called for significantly increasing funding for Older Americans Act programs and helped lead congressional efforts to reauthorize the law earlier this year.\r\n\u201cA nation is judged by how it cares for its most vulnerable,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cSeniors should have the support available to them to remain in their homes and communities. They deserve to live with dignity and with a sense of security. The Older Americans Act helps to provide that.\u201d\u00a0\r\nVermont Associates for Training and Development, which has provided training and employment services to nearly 2,000 low-income seniors since 2012, partners with organizations such as Leading Age and the Visiting Nurse Association, as well as educational institutions, transportation agencies, medical facilities and private sector employers.\r\n\u201cThrough job training, this program helps provide seniors with much needed income and adds millions of dollars to the economy in Vermont and across the country. I am pleased Vermont Associates for Training and Development received this award and I will continue to fight for increased funding for all Older Americans Act programs,\u201d Sanders said.\r\nThe St. Albans nonprofit is one of 19 grant recipients that will receive a total of more than $140 million in federal funding for job training and community service programs.\r\nTo read the U.S. Department of Labor announcement, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-cummings-send-letter-on-ariads-staggering-price-increases", "Sanders, Cummings Send Letter on ARIAD's Staggering Price Increases", "2016-10-20", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Cummings Send Letter on ARIAD's Staggering Price Increases\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 20, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Oct. 20 \u2014 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sent a letter to ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Thursday requesting information about why the company has increased the price of leukemia drug Iclusig four times in 2016 to $199,000 a year.\r\nARIAD has raised the price of the drug by more than $80,000 over the last several years. Sanders and Cummings are also investigating whether the company took additional steps to boost profits by discontinuing sales of certain dosages and quantities in order to charge patients and insurers more in exchange for less medicine.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThese outrageous sales tactics indicate that ARIAD is more concerned with its profit than with its patients,\u201d Sanders and Cummings wrote.\r\nARIAD received approval to market Iclusig in December 2012 for patients who did not respond to available therapies for chronic myeloid leukemia. Within a year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested sales and clinical trials of the drug be suspended due to reports of serious side effects. FDA allowed ARIAD to resume selling Iclusig in December 2013, but only to a smaller subset of patients who are resistant to other treatments.\r\n\u201cDespite this new evidence showing the drug posed a far greater safety risk to patients than was known when the drug came on the market, ARIAD nonetheless raised the price of Iclusig several times over the subsequent four years,\u201d Sanders and Cummings wrote.\r\n\u201cIn the interest of patients and taxpayers, we are interested in learning more about the impact that the escalating price and restrictions on product availability have had.\u201d\r\nTo read the letter here, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/lobbyists-campaign-cash-help-drug-industry-stymie-bid-to-restrain-medicare-prescription-costs", "Lobbyists, campaign cash help drug industry stymie bid to restrain Medicare prescription costs", "2016-10-19", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lobbyists, campaign cash help drug industry stymie bid to restrain Medicare prescription costs\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Stuart Silverstein \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 19, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWhen the Republican-controlled Congress approved a landmark program in 2003 to help seniors buy prescription drugs, it slapped on an unusual restriction: The federal government was barred from negotiating cheaper prices for those medicines. Instead, the job of holding down costs was outsourced to the insurance companies delivering the subsidized new coverage, known as\u00a0Medicare Part D.\r\nThe ban on government price bargaining, justified by supporters on free market grounds, has been derided by critics as a giant gift to the drug industry. Democratic lawmakers began introducing bills to free the government to use its vast purchasing power to negotiate better deals even before former President George W. Bush signed the Part D law, known as the Medicare Modernization Act.\r\nAll of those measures over the last 13 years have failed, almost always without ever even getting a hearing, much less being brought up for a vote. That\u2019s happened even though surveys have shown broad public support for the idea. For example,\u00a0a Kaiser Family Foundation poll\u00a0found last year that 93 percent of Democrats, and 74 percent of Republicans, favor letting the government negotiate Part D prescription drug prices.\r\nIt seems an anomaly in a democracy that an idea that is immensely popular \u2014 and calculated to save money for seniors, people with disabilities and taxpayers \u2014 gets no traction. But critics say it\u2019s no mystery, given the enormous financial influence of the drug industry, which rivals the insurance industry as the top-spending lobbying machine in Washington. It has funneled $1.96 billion into lobbying in the nation\u2019s capital since the beginning of 2003 and, in just 2015 and the first half of 2016, it has spent $468,108 per member of Congress. The industry also is a major contributor to House and Senate campaigns.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-benefit-increase-too-small-for-americans-relying-on-social-security", "Sanders: Benefit Increase Too Small for Americans Relying on Social Security", "2016-10-18", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders: Benefit Increase Too Small for Americans Relying on Social Security\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 18, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Oct. 18 \u2013\u00a0Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday after the Social Security Administration announced a 0.3 percent increase, between $2 and $6, for Americans who\u00a0receive Social Security benefits:\r\n\u201cSeniors and disabled veterans need more help than a few extra dollars in their monthly checks. These are the people who built this country \u2013 our parents, our grandparents and our soldiers. At a time when senior poverty is going up and more than two-thirds of the elderly population rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, we must do everything we can to expand Social Security. Seniors and disabled veterans deserve\u00a0a fair cost-of-living adjustment\u00a0to\u00a0keep up with the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and health care. Unfortunately, the increase announced today doesn\u2019t\u00a0come close to\u00a0doing\u00a0that.\u201d\r\nSanders has proposed\u00a0legislation\u00a0to boost\u00a0yearly cost-of-living adjustments by making the consumer price index better reflect rising costs for health care and prescription medicine.\u00a0Sanders has also\u00a0cosponsored\u00a0legislation to give Social Security beneficiaries a one-time, 3.9 percent benefit increase.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/101516", "News October 15", "2016-10-15", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 15\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, October 15, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tPharma Giant Stock Falls Shares of ARIAD Pharmaceuticals plunged as much as 15 percent after Sanders criticized the price of the company's leukemia drug on Twitter, Bloomberg, The Hill, ATTN and CNBC reported.\r\nSpeaker Ryan During a speech in Wisconsin, Speaker Paul Ryan took a shot at Sanders, whose focus on income inequality was extremely popular on campuses like UW Madison, Roll Call and Talking Points Memo reported. \u201cIf we lose the Senate, do you know who becomes the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee? A guy named Bernie Sanders, you ever heard of him?\" Ryan warned. \"That's what we\u2019re dealing with in a divided government if we lose control of the Senate.\"\r\nWorld\r\nUNESCO Israel announced Friday that it would suspend cooperation with the top U.N. cultural agency, charging that the international body ignored Jewish ties to its holiest site, The Washington Post reported. Israeli officials had reacted angrily to a UNESCO draft resolution approved Thursday that criticizes Israel\u2019s actions in and around Jerusalem\u2019s holiest site and fails to explicitly refer to the Jewish connection to the place.\r\nNational\r\nTrump Attacks Accusers Donald J. Trump wielded his presidential candidacy on Friday as a weapon for score-settling and venting personal grievances, using a campaign speech in North Carolina to attack the women who have accused him of sexual assault and unwelcome advances, and portraying himself as the victim of a vast conspiracy by the news media and Hillary Clinton\u2019s campaign, The New York Times reported.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nVermont Teachers The roughly 400 members of the Burlington Education Association voted \u201coverwhelmingly\u201d to go on strike if negotiations next week with the city\u2019s school board don\u2019t yield a negotiated settlement, Vermont Public Radio reported. \u201cWe can no longer sit still and let the board make a mockery of the collective bargaining process,\u201d said Fran Brock, a Burlington High School history teacher who serves as the union\u2019s president.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/101416", "News October 14", "2016-10-14", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 14\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, October 14, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tDakota Access Pipeline Sen. Bernie Sanders and four other Democratic senators are asking President Barack Obama to halt construction of the four-state Dakota Access pipeline until a full environmental review can be complete, The Associated Press, Reuters, NBC, Mason City Globe Gazette, The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, Sioux City Journal, Bismarck Tribune, Mother Jones, Grand Forks Herald, The Dickinson Press, Grist, Brainerd Dispatch and WCAX-TV in Burlington reported. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump will say whether they support the pipeline, Mother Jones reported.\r\nValeant Prices Valeant Pharmaceuticals came under intense congressional scrutiny around this time last year for gouging prices on two life-saving heart drugs, Nitropress and Isuprel. Now it has caught the ire of Sanders for jacking up the price of a lead-poison treatment it purchased in 2013. When Valeant bought the drug, a package of vials cost $950, but it now costs about $27,000, Business Insider reported.\r\n\u00a0World\u00a0\r\nYemen American cruise missile strikes against rebel-held radar sites in Yemen sparked heated verbal exchanges Thursday, as the country\u2019s Houthi rebel leaders condemned the U.S. action and defended their right to sovereignty while denying claims that the group had targeted U.S. vessels in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported.\r\nNational\r\nTwo Speeches in Two Hours In back-to-back appearances, in what might be the two most compelling hours of the entire election, Michelle Obama in New Hampshire and Donald Trump in Florida delivered the fiercest, most provocative and hardest-hitting speeches of an election cycle that has been without precedent in hot rhetoric, The Washington Post reported.\r\nHurricane Matthew Despite the start of state and federal aid after Hurricane Matthew, poor residents in North Carolina shelters faced grim prospects as the water crept higher, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nVermont Wind Project To many residents in this tiny town in southern Vermont, the last-minute offer of cash was a blatant attempt to buy their votes. To the developer that offered the money, it was simply a sign of how attentively the company had been listening to voters' concerns, The New York Times reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/101316", "News October 13", "2016-10-13", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 13\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 13, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWells Fargo CEO Steps Down Wells Fargo announced Wednesday that its longtime chief executive and chairman, John G. Stumpf, is stepping down, the latest turn for the embattled megabank after it admitted that thousands of low-level employees had set up sham accounts to meet sales quotas. Wall Street\u2019s well-honed playbook for surviving public scandals appears to have been torn to pieces, upended by the type of populist anger that has fueled the rise of Sanders on this year\u2019s presidential campaign trail, The Washington Post reported.\r\nWorld\r\nYemen The U.S. military launched Tomahawk cruise missiles against radar sites in Yemen early Thursday, a senior defense official said, NBC News reported. The strikes followed two incidents this week in which missiles were fired at a U.S. Navy ship from a rebel-controlled area of the country.\u00a0\r\nNational\r\nWomen Accuse Trump Four women accused Donald Trump of groping or kissing them without their consent in news reports published Wednesday, just days after the Republican presidential nominee insisted in a debate that he had never engaged in such behavior, The Washington Post reported.\r\nVermont\r\nI-89 Crash A Burlington mental health organization that was asked to screen Steven Bourgoin \u2014 the man who, according to police, later caused a quintuple-fatal car crash, stole a police cruiser and slammed into numerous other vehicles \u2014 is commenting publicly on the incident for the first time, The Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-ask-president-to-halt-construction-of-dakota-access-pipeline", "Senators Ask President to Halt Construction of Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-10-13", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Ask President to Halt Construction of Dakota Access Pipeline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 13, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Oct. 13 \u2013 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama Thursday requesting the administration halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline until affected tribes are consulted and a full environmental review is conducted.\r\n\u201cIn light of the decision of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reject the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's request for a temporary halt to construction, the project\u2019s current permits should be suspended and all construction stopped until a complete environmental and cultural review has been completed for the entire project,\u201d the senators wrote.\u00a0\r\nOver the past several weeks, hundreds of Native American tribes have mobilized to draw attention to the pipeline\u2019s encroachment on sacred lands, bringing about a groundswell of opposition to the project.\r\n\u201cUntil there has been full and meaningful tribal consultation, all pipeline permits and easements should be revoked or denied,\u201d the members wrote.\r\nThe Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Army Corps of Engineers previously requested that the pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, halt construction while an environmental and cultural impact review was conducted. The pipeline company declined to stop the project, and a federal circuit court gave a partial emergency injunction to halt construction. After hearing the full injunction argument, the court denied the Standing Rock Sioux tribe\u2019s request to halt the project, a ruling that was affirmed Saturday by a federal appeals court.\r\nThe president can order the Army Corps to conduct a full review of the pipeline.\r\n\u201cIf there is one profound lesson that indigenous people have taught us, it is that all of us as human beings are part of nature,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe will not survive if we continue to destroy nature.\u201d\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/senators-ask-president-to-halt-construction-of-dakota-access-pipeline", "Senators Ask President to Halt Construction of Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-10-13", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Ask President to Halt Construction of Dakota Access Pipeline\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 13, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama Thursday requesting the administration halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline until affected tribes are consulted and a full environmental review is conducted.\r\n\u201cIn light of the decision of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to reject the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's request for a temporary halt to construction, the project\u2019s current permits should be suspended and all construction stopped until a complete environmental and cultural review has been completed for the entire project,\u201d the senators wrote.\u00a0\r\nOver the past several weeks, hundreds of Native American tribes have mobilized to draw attention to the pipeline\u2019s encroachment on sacred lands, bringing about a groundswell of opposition to the project.\r\n\u201cUntil there has been full and meaningful tribal consultation, all pipeline permits and easements should be revoked or denied,\u201d the members wrote.\r\nThe Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Army Corps of Engineers previously requested that the pipeline company, Energy Transfer Partners, halt construction while an environmental and cultural impact review was conducted. The pipeline company declined to stop the project, and a federal circuit court gave a partial emergency injunction to halt construction. After hearing the full injunction argument, the court denied the Standing Rock Sioux tribe\u2019s request to halt the project, a ruling that was affirmed Saturday by a federal appeals court.\r\nThe president can order the Army Corps to conduct a full review of the pipeline.\r\n\u201cIf there is one profound lesson that indigenous people have taught us, it is that all of us as human beings are part of nature,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe will not survive if we continue to destroy nature.\u201d\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/101216", "News October 12", "2016-10-12", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 12\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 12, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tGMO Labeling A new federal law on GMO labeling passed by Congress this summer has activists frustrated, In These Times reported. The law, opposed by Sanders and the Vermont delegation, barred states including Vermont from setting their own labeling requirements. President Obama signed the federal measure into law on July 29.\r\nColumn: We Can Fight Climate Change \u201cOne year ago this week, I was sitting in a cramped hotel room with 15 other staffers in Las Vegas for Bernie Sanders\u2019 first debate for the presidential nomination. The question came from CNN: \u201cWhat is the greatest national security threat?\u201d Pundits criticized and mocked him for weeks after he answered \u201cclimate change\u201d. But he was right,\u201d Kenneth Pennington wrote in The Guardian.\r\nWorld\r\nThe Battle for Mosul The battle plans to oust the Islamic State from the city of Mosul are in place, but an uneasy mix of forces fighting against the militants could delay the fight or ignite separate conflicts, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\r\nGOP Civil War Donald Trump declared war on the Republican establishment Tuesday, lashing out at House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Sen. John McCain and other GOP elected officials as his supporters geared up to join the fight amid extraordinary turmoil within the party just four weeks before Election Day, The Washington Post reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nGreen Mountain Power Green Mountain Power will collect millions of dollars from customers over the next year as reimbursement for costs that the company didn\u2019t properly document for regulators, records show, Vermont Public Radio reported. State officials have warned GMP for years about its failure to document expenses, but are not consistently enforcing the rules that were explicitly designed to prevent such costs from being passed on to customers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-fatal-accident", "Sanders Statement on Fatal Accident", "2016-10-11", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BURLINGTON, Vt. Oct. 11 \u2013 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Tuesday after the fatal traffic accident in Vermont this weekend:\r\n\u201cFive young Vermonters were taken from us in a senseless tragedy this weekend. Eli Brookens, Janie Cozzi, Liam Hale, Mary Harris and Cyrus Zschau \u2013 just 15 and 16 years old \u2013 had just started their lives and were robbed of their futures. The pain, shock and sadness of their families is beyond comprehension. Jane and I are deeply saddened by this tragic event and offer our condolences to the families and the entire Harwood Union High School community.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100816", "News October 8", "2016-10-08", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 8\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, October 8, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWells Fargo Wells Fargo is catching serious heat from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren over its treatment of the military after the bank got caught illegally repossessing service members' cars. Warren fired off another letter to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf this week rattling off a series of pointed questions about the bank's military lending, including whether it even deserves to have branches on U.S. military bases at all, CNN reported.\r\nTrump\u2019s Tax Loopholes Earlier this week, Sanders promised to introduce legislation in the next session of Congress that would change a number of things in the tax code, including the exemption that the real estate industry carved out for itself from rules regarding passive losses, Think Progress reported. Democrats for Change leader Lisa McCormick is applauding Sanders\u2019s proposed legislation, NJ Today reported.\r\nWorld\r\nNobel Peace Prize Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his dogged, but unfulfilled, effort to end a half-century civil war. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it made the decision because of Santos\u2019s landmark attempt to stamp out one of the world\u2019s longest-running conflicts, which has killed more than 220,000 and driven at least 7 million from their homes since 1964, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nLewd Trump Conversation Uncovered Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone \u2014 saying that \u201cwhen you\u2019re a star, they let you do it\u201d \u2014 according to a video obtained by The Washington Post.\r\nMylan to Pay Settlement Mylan agreed to pay $465 million to settle allegations that it overcharged the government for its EpiPen products, the latest move by the embattled pharmaceuticals firm to quell the furor over its pricing practices. The settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice comes after senators and federal health officials recently alleged Mylan had wrongly classified EpiPen as a generic product, The Wall Street Journal reported.\r\nHurricane Matthew The hurricane, now at Category 2 with winds of 105 miles per hour, pounded Florida on Friday but stayed far enough offshore to spare the state a direct hit, The New York Times reported.\r\nVermont\r\nIndigenous Peoples\u2019 Day Vermont has officially changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Gov. Peter Shumlin signed an executive proclamation Thursday, making the change. Under the decree, Shumlin said a growing number of cities have recognized the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples' Day and that the day is \u201can opportunity to celebrate idigienous heritage and resiliency,\u201d NBC5-TV reported,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100716", "News October 7", "2016-10-07", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 7\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, October 7, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tObamacare As health-insurance premiums rise and problems with the law become more acute, Democrats have become increasingly comfortable criticizing President Obama\u2019s landmark health care law, TIME reported. Throughout the Democratic primary, Clinton and Sanders often clashed on health care policy, with the Vermont Senator arguing for a single-payer system and Clinton advocating a more moderate approach that involved \u201cbuilding\u201d on Obamacare and improving it.\r\nTax Loopholes Sanders plans to introduce a bill in the new Congress next year that will address some of the very loopholes that allow people in the real-estate industry to take such great advantage of the tax code. While the bill hasn\u2019t been fully written yet, Sanders\u2019s office outlined four areas the bill plans to address, The Nation reported.\r\nWorld\r\nSecretary General The Security Council on Thursday formally recommended Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, to be the next Secretary General of the United Nations. The envoys representing the 15 members of the Council, including the five veto-wielding permanent members, decided by acclamation in a closed-door session to send Mr. Guterres\u2019s name to the General Assembly for final approval, The New York Times reported.\r\nNational\r\nHurricane Matthew Taking aim at Central Florida\u2019s Atlantic coast, Hurricane Matthew intensified Thursday into a Category 4 storm with winds of at least 140 miles per hour and strengthening. The storm was blamed for the deaths of more than 280 people in Haiti, The New York Times reported.\r\nVermont\r\nField Testing Narcotics In response to warnings from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration about the dangers of field testing potent narcotics, Colchester police have suspended the practice on powder or crystalline substances. Other police agencies said they are taking more precautions because of the risk but stopped short of requiring lab tests and potentially delaying investigations, VTDigger reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100616", "News October 6", "2016-10-06", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 6\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, October 6, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWells Fargo Letter Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and their colleagues urged Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a new letter to \"thoroughly investigate the culpability of senior executives\" at Wells Fargo\u00a0 in the fake account scandal that shocked America. The 14 U.S. Senators warned Lynch on Monday that Wells Fargo is a \"critical test\" of the DOJ's recent push to pursue bad behavior of individual executives, CNN reported.\r\nTax Breaks Sanders isn't just blaming Donald Trump for not paying taxes for decades. He's pointing out the corrupt tax system that allows the wealthy to dodge taxes so easily, and proposing a bill to fix it, The Young Turks reported.\u00a0\r\nWorld\r\nMatthew Hits Haiti Emergency teams in Haiti struggled Wednesday to reach hurricane-ravaged areas cut off by washed-out bridges and mudslides after Hurricane Matthew roared over the nation\u2019s western tip and began a devastating \u00adisland-hopping path that arcs toward the U.S. coast, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nMega-Donors Just 10 mega-donor individuals and couples contributed nearly 20 percent of the $1.1 billion raised by super PACs by the end of August, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal campaign finance reports. The total exceeds the $853 million that super PACs collected in the entire 2012 cycle.\r\nVermont\r\nDomestic Violence Victim Support Vermont will receive more than $9 million in federal funding to support victims of domestic violence and other violent crime in some of the state\u2019s most underserved areas, Sen. Patrick Leahy announced Tuesday in Middlebury. Raising a cap on the Crime Victims Fund, which Leahy pushed as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has led to a threefold annual increase in the funding available for such programs, VTDigger reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100516", "News October 5", "2016-10-05", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 5 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 5, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTax Breaks Sanders said Tuesday he will introduce legislation in the next Congress to crack down on the tax breaks Donald Trump used to possibly avoid paying federal taxes for nearly two decades. Sanders is targeting four provisions in the tax code, mainly focused on how real estate losses are deducted, that he says the Republican nominee employed to skirt paying taxes, reported The Hill and RT.\u00a0\r\nColumn: Wells Fargo \u201cFinally, Wells Fargo\u2019s abuse of its customers should give a boost to postal banking, a sensible reform championed by Warren, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and now part of the Democratic Party\u2019s 2016 platform,\u201d Katrina Vanden Huevel wrote for The Washington Post.\r\nWorld\r\nHungary Border Hundreds of migrants stranded in Serbia set off on foot from Belgrade toward the border with Hungary on Tuesday to protest its closure for most people trying to reach the European Union, The Associated Press reported.\r\nNational\r\nV.P. Debate Senator Tim Kaine and Gov. Mike Pence repeatedly threw each other on the defensive over their running mates\u2019 policies and character at the vice-presidential debate on Tuesday night, with Mr. Pence making little effort to directly rebut the near-constant attacks on Donald J. Trump\u2019s fitness for the presidency, The New York Times reported.\r\nFlint Residents of Flint, Mich., affected by the contaminated-water crisis have added a new complication to their lives: an outbreak of Shigellosis, a bacterial illness that is easily transmitted when people do not wash their hands, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nOpioid Treatment Doctors in Vermont and across the country are being introduced to a new tool for treating opioid addiction. It\u2019s an implant: four tiny plastic rods, inserted into a patient\u2019s arm, deliver a steady dose of buprenorphine. The drug counters the craving for heroin or other opioids, Vermont Public Radio reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-senate-democrats-call-for-justice-department-to-hold-wells-fargo-executives-accountable-", "Sanders, Senate Democrats Call for Justice Department to Hold Wells Fargo Executives Accountable", "2016-10-05", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Senate Democrats Call for Justice Department to Hold Wells Fargo Executives Accountable \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, October 5, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Oct. 5 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders joined Sen. Mazie K. Hirono and a coalition of senators Wednesday to urge the Justice Department to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute individual wrongdoing at Wells Fargo after revelations that the bank\u2019s employees had opened millions of accounts without customer approval. In September, the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued its largest penalty to date of over $100 million to the bank as a result of this multi-year, multi-state fraud. The senators urged Attorney General Loretta Lynch not only to hold Wells Fargo accountable as a corporation, but also prosecute individual executives who may have broken the law.\r\n\u201cA bank teller that takes a handful of bills from the cash drawer is likely to face charges for theft and prison time.\u00a0 She can\u2019t hide behind an army of lawyers and corporate policies that diffuse accountability for those at the top.\u00a0 Meanwhile, an executive who oversees a massive fraud that implicates thousands of bank employees and costs customers millions of dollars can walk away with a hefty retirement package and millions in the bank,\" the senators wrote.\r\n\u201cEvery time the Department of Justice settles a case of corporate fraud without holding individuals accountable, it reinforces the notion that the wealthy and powerful have purchased a higher class of justice for themselves.\u201d\r\nThe letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\r\nThe full letter is printed below:\r\nDear Attorney General Lynch:\r\nAccording to public filings, the Department of Justice is investigating whether Wells Fargo violated federal laws when its employees opened as many as two million deposit and credit card accounts without customer authorization over the span of several years.\r\nAs part of this investigation, we urge you to thoroughly investigate the culpability of senior executives at the bank.\u00a0 We believe this is a critical test of the Department\u2019s promise last September to \u201cstrengthen [its] pursuit of individual corporate wrongdoing\u201d and to \u201cfocus on individuals from the inception of the investigation.\u201d\u00a0\r\nFollowing the 2008 financial crisis, the American people watched as senior executives repeatedly escaped accountability for actions that nearly brought down the global economy.\u00a0 No top Wall Street executives went to prison or even faced prosecution.\u00a0 Instead, the government regularly settled for a penalty that was borne by the bank\u2019s shareholders, not its executives.\u00a0 Even that penalty tended to pale in comparison to the profits the bank generated from its illegal activity.\u00a0\r\nThat trend has continued.\u00a0 In 2015, for example, BNP Paribas was ordered to pay nearly $9 billion in penalties for violating sanctions against Sudan, Cuba, and Iran.\u00a0 The firm potentially compromised U.S. national security objectives by facilitating billions of dollars in transactions for sanctioned entities, yet none of the bank\u2019s employees faced charges.\r\nAmericans are rightly frustrated when they see that justice for the wealthy and powerful is very different than justice for everybody else.\u00a0 A bank teller that takes a handful of bills from the cash drawer is likely to face charges for theft and prison time.\u00a0 She can\u2019t hide behind an army of lawyers and corporate policies that diffuse accountability for those at the top.\u00a0 Meanwhile, an executive who oversees a massive fraud that implicates thousands of bank employees and costs customers millions of dollars can walk away with a hefty retirement package and millions in the bank.\u00a0 It\u2019s no wonder that Americans are skeptical of the effectiveness of our criminal justice system.\r\nThe Justice Department promised to change this two-tiered system in a September 9, 2015 memo issued to the nation\u2019s federal prosecutors by Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates.\u00a0 The memo articulated new policies that prioritize the investigation and prosecution of individual corporate employees.\u00a0 As stated in the memo, \u201c[o]ne of the most effective ways to combat corporate misconduct is by seeking accountability from the individuals who perpetrated the wrongdoing.\u201d In an interview following the release of the memo, Deputy Attorney General Yates stated, \u201cIt\u2019s only fair that the people who are responsible for committing those crimes be held accountable. The public needs to have confidence that there is one system of justice and it applies equally regardless of whether that crime occurs on a street corner or in a boardroom.\u201d\r\nWe could not agree more.\u00a0 Every time the Department of Justice settles a case of corporate fraud without holding individuals accountable, it reinforces the notion that the wealthy and powerful have purchased a higher class of justice for themselves.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThat\u2019s why the Wells Fargo investigation is so important.\u00a0 Last week\u2019s Senate Banking Committee hearing with Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO John Stumpf raised serious questions that demand additional answers and point to potential individual wrongdoing.\u00a0 Mr. Stumpf testified under oath that he became aware of employees creating fraudulent bank accounts in 2013.\u00a0 Yet for years thereafter, Mr. Stumpf did not disclose that information to investors and did not take decisive action to crack down on the incentives that encouraged that behavior, even as the bank fired more than 5000 employees for improper behavior.\u00a0 Instead, he continued to personally benefit by pitching Wells\u2019 inflated retail account numbers to investors. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nWe are not in a position to determine if any of the senior executives at Wells Fargo committed criminal conduct.\u00a0 That is ultimately the job of the Justice Department and courts.\u00a0 But these facts raise questions about whether senior executives, including Mr. Stumpf, knowingly allowed illegal conduct to continue.\u00a0 As University of Virginia Law Professor Brandon Garrett noted, \u201cIf it was one person or even 100, you might argue it was a rogue contingent.\u00a0 But you can\u2019t seriously argue that 5,000 people have gone rogue. That\u2019s systemic behavior. People above them had to have noticed.\u201d\r\nWhile the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency settlements in this case are a good first step toward providing restitution to Wells Fargo\u2019s customers, they are no substitute for a thorough Justice Department investigation into potential wrongdoing by senior executives at the bank.\u00a0 We hope the Department follows through on its promise in the Yates memo and brings all the resources it has to bear on investigating the conduct of Wells Fargo\u2019s senior leadership.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/former-wells-fargo-employees-describe-toxic-sales-culture-even-at-hq", "Former Wells Fargo Employees Describe Toxic Sales Culture, Even At HQ", "2016-10-04", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Former Wells Fargo Employees Describe Toxic Sales Culture, Even At HQ\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Chris Arnold \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 4, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tFormer employees of Wells Fargo tell NPR that a toxic high-pressure sales culture at the bank drove some workers to deceive customers and open unauthorized accounts \u2014 even in the banks own headquarters building in San Francisco.\r\nWells Fargo is embroiled in a scandal for taking advantage of customers by opening as many as 2 million accounts without their consent. The bank fired 5,300 mostly lower-level workers over the wrongdoing.\r\nBut Wells Fargo says those workers represent a tiny fraction of employees. The bank basically says they were bad apples who have been fired and who are not representative of the broader culture and practices at the company.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/planet-at-its-hottest-in-115000-years-thanks-to-climate-change-experts-say", "Planet at its hottest in 115,000 years thanks to climate change, experts say", "2016-10-04", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Planet at its hottest in 115,000 years thanks to climate change, experts say\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tGlobal warming is said to be bringing temperatures last seen during an interglacial era, when sea level was 6-9 meters (20-30ft) higher than today\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Oliver Milman \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 4, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThe global temperature has increased to a level not seen for 115,000 years, requiring daunting technological advances that will cost the coming generations hundreds of trillions of dollars, according to the scientist widely credited with bringing climate change to the public\u2019s attention.\r\nA\u00a0new paper\u00a0submitted by James Hansen, a former senior Nasa climate scientist, and 11 other experts states that the 2016 temperature is likely to be 1.25C above pre-industrial times, following a warming trend where the world has heated up at a rate of 0.18C per decade over the past 45 years.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-bill-to-close-tax-loopholes-used-by-trump", "Sanders Announces Bill to Close Tax Loopholes Used by Trump", "2016-10-04", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders Announces Bill to Close Tax Loopholes Used by Trump\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 4, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Oct. 4 \u2013 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced\u00a0Tuesday\u00a0he would introduce legislation in the next session of Congress to fix our rigged tax system and close loopholes Donald Trump used to possibly avoid paying federal income taxes for nearly two decades.\r\n\u00a0\u201cSpecial tax breaks and loopholes in a corrupt tax code enable billionaires and powerful corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes while sticking the burden on the middle class,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cIt's time to create a tax system which is fair and which asks the wealthy and powerful to start paying their fair share of taxes.\u201d\r\nSpecial breaks and loopholes in the tax code favor wealthy real estate investors like Trump and do nothing to boost the economy. These breaks likely made it easier for him to claim losses of $916 million in the 1990s and avoid paying income taxes in subsequent years.\r\n\u201cI will be introducing comprehensive legislation at the beginning of the next session of Congress to do just that,\u201d\u00a0Sanders said.\r\nFor a factsheet on the tax loopholes Sanders\u2019 bill would close\u00a0click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/death-penalty-loses-majority-support-for-first-time-in-45-years", "Death Penalty Loses Majority Support for First Time in 45 Years", "2016-10-03", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Death Penalty Loses Majority Support for First Time in 45 Years\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Niraj Chokshi \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 3, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tFor the first time in almost half a century, support for the death penalty has dipped below 50 percent in the United States.\r\nJust 49 percent of Americans say they support capital punishment,according to a Pew Research Center poll\u00a0conducted from late August to early September. That represents a seven-point decline in about a year and a half. Support peaked at 80 percent in 1994.\r\nThe death penalty has had majority support among Americans for 45 years. The last time support was as low as it now stands was in 1971. Pew has surveyed Americans on the subject for the past two decades and relies on the polling organization Gallup for older data.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100316", "News October 3", "2016-10-03", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 3\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, October 3, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSanders on Obama Sanders talked to New York Magazine about the failures and successes of Obama\u2019s Wall Street legacy for a special issue on the president. \u201cThis country is a lot better as a result of Obama and he had to do that against fierce opposition,\u201d the senator said. \u201cOn the other hand, the great issue of our time is the movement toward oligarchy. And that means the power of Wall Street, the power of corporate America, the power of the billionaire class to own the politics of this country.\u201d\r\nSunday Shows Sanders on Sunday joined CNN\u2019s State of the Union (One, Two) with Jake Tapper and ABC\u2019s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.\r\nTrump\u2019s Taxes Sanders responded to the report that Donald Trump possibly avoided paying any federal income tax for up to 18 years, saying it's an example of the \"corrupt\" system that disgusts voters, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Post, Politico, Politico, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, The Hill reported. Sanders told ABC's This Week that \"billionaires like Donald Trump are able to manipulate the tax system so that they avoid paying federal income tax,\" USA TODAY reported.\u00a0\r\nObamacare Seeing a lack of competition in many of the health law\u2019s online insurance marketplaces, Hillary Clinton, President Obama and much of the Democratic Party are calling for more government, not less, The New York Times reported. A significant number of Democrats, for whom Sanders spoke in the primaries, favor a single-payer arrangement, which could take the form of Medicare for all.\u00a0\r\nColumn: A Moral Economy \u201cDespite the recent urging of high-profile figures like Pope Francis and Senator Bernie Sanders to establish a \u201cmoral economy,\u201d we have not,\u201d Nathaniel B. Davis wrote in The New York Times. \u201cFree-market advocates hold fast to justifications that amount to variations on the \u2018invisible hand\u2019 theory of Adam Smith \u2014 that the economy is not a moral space, but one that relies on a free and fair market, self-interested (as opposed to selfish) actors and amoral (as opposed to immoral) calculation to arrive at the most efficient and innovative outcomes.\u201d\r\nWorld\r\nColombian Peace Deal Looks Defeated A Colombian peace deal that the president and the country\u2019s largest rebel group had signed just days earlier appeared headed to defeat in a referendum on Sunday, leaving the fate of a 52-year war suddenly uncertain, The New York Times reported. Though the government had not officially called the result, the \u201cno\u201d vote was ahead by half a percentage point with 99 percent of the ballots counted, the government said Sunday.\r\nIndia Ratifies Paris Deal The Paris climate agreement, the world\u2019s strongest effort yet to try to curb the pace of climate change, sped even closer toward becoming active as India, the planet\u2019s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, formally joined the accord Sunday, The Washington Post reported.\u00a0\r\nNational\r\nDeutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG\u2019s talks with the U.S. Justice Department to settle a high-profile set of mortgage-securities cases are continuing, with no deal yet presented to senior decision makers for approval on either side, according to people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nMinter Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Minter wants to expand the cap-and-trade program to gasoline, a move that added 11 cents to the price of a gallon of gas in California, The Burlington Free Press reported. The proposal is a key part of her plan to combat carbon pollution, a persistent theme in her campaign.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/100216", "News October 2", "2016-10-02", "2016", "2016-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News October 2\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSunday, October 2, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tSaturday Night Live On the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, Larry David came back as Sen. Sanders for the\u00a0Family Feud sketch. \u201cSenator Clinton is the prune juice of this election,\u201d David said. \u201cShe might not seem that appetizing, but if you don\u2019t take her now than you\u2019re going to be backed up with crap for years.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u00a0World\u00a0\r\nColombia Votes on Peace Deal The guns have been silenced, the agreement signed and a historic handshake between former enemies made in front of the entire world. Now it's time for Colombians to decide whether or not to support a peace deal with the country's largest rebel movement, The Associated Press reported.\u00a0\r\nNational\u00a0\r\nTrump Avoided Paying Taxes Donald J. Trump declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns, a tax deduction so substantial it could have allowed him to legally avoid paying any federal income taxes for up to 18 years, records obtained by The New York Times show.\r\nNo Plumbing About one in five American homes are not on city sewer lines \u2014 the legacy of rural poverty has left its imprint: Many people have failing septic tanks and are too poor to fix them, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nStruggle to Reduce Truancy Vermont law allows parents to be fined and taken to court when a child is truant from school. Many say that\u2019s counterproductive, but even at schools that take a more hands-on approach, truancy remains a difficult problem to solve, VPR reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/how-the-irs-helps-the-rich-get-richer", "How the IRS Helps the Rich Get Richer", "2016-09-30", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "How the IRS Helps the Rich Get Richer\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe top 1 percent gets the most from federal tax breaks, a new report shows, fueling election-year outrage over income inequality\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t By:\u00a0 Suzanne Woolley \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, September 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tThis U.S. presidential campaign, and particularly that of Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, moved the issue of income inequality front and center. Now there are some new numbers in that department, and they won\u2019t make many people happy. At best, maybe just 1 out of 100.\r\nThe top 1 percent of Americans as measured by income rake in 17 percent of all U.S. income on an annual basis\u2014before taxes, of course. And that caveat is important, according to\u00a0a new analysis\u00a0by the Tax Policy Center (TPC),\u00a0because that select group of\u00a0citizens gets 27 percent of the tax breaks doled out by the federal government.\r\nThe TPC\u2019s calculations\u00a0show an\u00a0estimated $1.17 trillion\u00a0in federal revenue last year going to individual tax expenditures (a fancy way of saying taxes we didn\u2019t have to pay because of deductions, like for giving old clothes to the Salvation Army\u2014or, in this case, collections to the Metropolitan Museum of Art). While the wealthy see an outsize benefit compared with their share, the lowest-income households get just about 4 percent of federal tax breaks, close\u00a0to their portion of all pretax income. That same trend holds for taxpayers in middle- and upper-middle-income households.\r\nContinue reading here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/093016", "News September 30", "2016-09-30", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News September 30\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, September 30, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTavis Smiley Sen. Sanders sat down with Tavis Smiley on PBS to talk about his takeaways from the debate. One Two\r\nPacific Trade Deal A dozen senators including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Sherrrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren urged President Obama to remove the global super court known as investor-state dispute settlement from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, BuzzFeed reported.\r\nMcConnell: Trade Deal Is Dead The Senate\u2019s top Republican said Thursday that the sweeping 12-nation Pacific Rim trade deal championed by President Obama will remain on ice until another president revives it. McConell was in favor of the deal before trade became a major issue in the presidential race, pushed front and center by candidates such as Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders, The Washington Post reported.\r\nPressure to Appoint Wall Street Sheriffs Sanders and Democratic Party progressives intent on reining in Wall Street are pushing Hillary Clinton to choose people to head the Treasury, SEC and other agencies who will crack down on big banks, Reuters reported.\u00a0\r\nIRS Helps Wealthiest Americans This U.S. presidential campaign, and particularly that of Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, moved the issue of income inequality front and center. Now new numbers show the top 1 percent gets 27 percent of the tax breaks doled out by the federal government, Bloomberg reported.\u00a0\r\nRutland Refugees The State Department has approved the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Rutland, according to the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. Vermont's congressional delegation \u2014 Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch\u00a0 \u2014 issued a joint statement praising the decision and hailing the news that a separate federal grant of $150,000 will be used to help the refugees find jobs and \"achieve self-sufficiency,\u201d Seven Days reported.\r\n9/11 Bill Barack Obama suffered a unique political blow on Wednesday, when the US Congress overturned his veto of a bill that would allow families of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia. Hillary Clinton\u2019s running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, and her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, were both campaigning on her behalf and were not present for the vote, The Guardian reported.\u00a0\r\nColumn: Too Big to Jail \u201c\u00a0Sanders had it right: Fraud is the business model,\u201d Robert Borosage wrote for The Nation. \u201cWhen the dust settles, Stumpf will no doubt be pushed out and retire a rich man. But politicians are learning that there\u2019s a cost to being in Wall Street\u2019s pocket\u2014and a potential benefit to taking the big banks on. The suites are still lawless, but a posse has begun to form.\u201d\r\nWorld\r\nShimon Peres Funeral On a cloudless blue morning, an honor guard brought the flag-draped casket of Shimon Peres to the Mt. Herzl national cemetery Friday as 100 world leaders and dignitaries from 70 countries bid farewell to the former Israeli leader and Nobel laureate whose dreams of Israeli-Palestinian peace remain elusive, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\r\nTrain Crashes in Hoboken \u00a0A commuter train crashed into one of the busiest train stations in the New York area during the morning rush on Thursday, killing at least one person, injuring more than 100 others and creating a scene of chaos and destruction, The New York Times reported.\r\nPaid Leave The Obama administration, in its latest effort to update workplace policies it says have lagged far behind the realities of Americans\u2019 lives, will require federal government contractors to provide paid sick leave to their workers. The rule will directly impact more than 1.1 million people once fully in effect and enables workers to accrue up to seven days of paid sick leave a year, The New York Times reported.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nJohnson, Lyndon State to Merge Johnson and Lyndon state colleges will soon become one, unified institution. The Vermont State Colleges' Board of Trustees approved Thursday morning a plan, penned by Jeb Spaulding, chancellor of the five-college system, to bring the two Vermont schools under one administration. The first class of students in the new institution will walk on campus Fall 2018, the Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/092916", "News September 29", "2016-09-29", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News September 29\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, September 29, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tBreak Up Wells Fargo During a hearing in the House of Representatives with Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen, Rep. Brad Sherman echoed Sanders when he asked if it was time to break up Wells Fargo, The New York Times reported. In response, Yellen emphasized that regulators will hold financial institutions to \u201cexceptionally high standards of risk management, internal controls, consumer protection.\u201d \u201cWe believe it is possible, even though it\u2019s extremely challenging, for organizations to comply,\u201d she added.\r\nWorld\r\nAleppo The bombings at night are the worst. There is no electricity in the rebel-held portion of eastern Aleppo, and the warplanes flying overhead target any light piercing the blackness beneath. So families huddle together in the dark, gathered in one room so that they don\u2019t die alone, listening to the roar of the jets and waiting for the bombs to fall, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\r\nCongress Overrides Veto Congress on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to override President Obama\u2019s veto of legislation that would allow 9/11 victims\u2019 families to sue the Saudi Arabian government over its alleged support for the terrorists who carried out the attacks. It is the first override of Obama\u2019s presidency, The Washington Post reported.\r\nVermont\u00a0\r\nRefugees The U.S. Department of State confirmed on Wednesday it had approved a plan to bring up to 100 refugees from war-torn Syria and Iraq to the city of Rutland, The Burlington Free Press reported. The director of the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, Amila Merdzanovic, wrote an email to Rutland\u2019s mayor and state officials \u201cto share the news that the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants proposal to resettle refugees in Rutland, Vermont, has been accepted.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-senators-send-letter-to-president-on-pacific-trade-pact", "Sanders, Senators Send Letter to President on Pacific Trade Pact", "2016-09-29", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sanders, Senators Send Letter to President on Pacific Trade Pact\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, September 29, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Sept. 29 \u2014 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told the Obama Administration on Thursday that a 12-nation trade deal should not be considered by Congress until it is renegotiated.\u00a0In a letter to the president, Sanders and his colleagues outlined the Trans Pacific Parternship's fundamental flaws and the need to fix them before Congress votes on the agreement, which is the biggest trade agreement ever negotiated.\r\n\"It is simply not accurate to call an agreement progressive if it does not require trading partners to ban trade in goods made with forced labor or includes a special court for corporations to challenge legitimate, democratically developed public policies,\" the senators wrote. \"Passing TPP before these and other provisions are fixed will hasten the erosion of U.S. manufacturing and middle class jobs, and accelerate the corporate race to the bottom.\" \u00a0\r\nThe letter was led by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and signed by Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)\u00a0Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).\u00a0\r\nTo read the letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/092816", "News September 28", "2016-09-28", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News September 28\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, September 28, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tMeet the Press During an appearance on MSNBC\u2019s Meet the Press Daily, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he believed Hillary Clinton\u2019s change of heart on trade was real. \u201cBecause she senses right now that most working people in this country do understand that our trade policies have been a disaster,\u201d he said. Sanders told The Washington Post that Clinton's opening answers at the debate were the start of a promising, populist case against Trump, the kind he had tried to make throughout the Democratic primaries.\r\nNuclear Industry Rep. Peter Welch\u00a0 and 14 other federal lawmakers \u2014 including Sens. Sanders and Patrick Leahy \u2014 have sent a letter to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission expressing their concerns about the industry\u2019s recent lobbying, VTDigger reported.\r\n\u00a0\r\nClimate Change Some polling evidence also suggests ways that the issue of climate change could favor Clinton over Trump. Moreover, there is reason to think it helps her reach those who worry most about the issue, whether millennials or Sanders supporters now flirting with voting for Green Party nominee Jill Stein, The Washington Post reported.\r\n\u00a0\r\nEditorial: Jeremy Corbyn \u201cEstablished Labourites, including a horrified majority of Labour members of Parliament, tried to oust Mr. Corbyn, but in the ensuing contest he only increased his strength,\u201d The New York Times Editorial Board wrote. This has put Mr. Corbyn in the company of left-wing politicians like Bernie Sanders in the United States, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Greece and Pablo Iglesias of the Podemos party in Spain, who have risen on a wave of dissatisfaction over inequality, unemployment and economic malaise. A raft of right-wing politicians has capitalized on the same dissatisfaction, but has used it in a different way to stoke nationalism and isolationism.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-statement-on-refugee-resettlement-in-rutland", "Leahy, Sanders, Welch Statement on Refugee Resettlement in Rutland", "2016-09-28", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Leahy, Sanders, Welch Statement on Refugee Resettlement in Rutland\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, September 28, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON, Sept. 28 \u2013 Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued the following statement Wednesday after the\u00a0U.S. Department of State confirmed on Wednesday it had approved a plan to bring up to 100 refugees from war-torn Syria and Iraq to the city of Rutland:\r\n\u201cWe learned this morning that the city of Rutland will receive refugees who have fled the relentless violence in Syria and Iraq, sometimes with just the clothes on their backs. The vast majority of refugees admitted from Syria have been women and children, and when we see the photographs of children fleeing this awful tragedy, we see our own children and are called to do our part to help. We know the good people of Rutland and Vermont will welcome these newcomers into the community. Struggling families, fleeing peril and motivated to start their lives anew, always have and always will enrich America and contribute immeasurably to our state. We are also very pleased that in a separate announcement, the Department of Health and Human Service has awarded Vermont a $150,000 grant to help the newly resettled refugees obtain employment and achieve self-sufficiency.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/092716", "News September 27", "2016-09-27", "2016", "2016-09", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "News September 27\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, September 27, 2016\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\tNot \u2018A Night of Entertainment\u2019 During pre-debate appearances on CNN and MSNBC, Sanders on Monday night warned that the heavily hyped debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was \"not a night of entertainment,\" Politico, CNN and Los Angeles Times reported. \u201cI think you have to put him on the defensive with regard to the issues that impact ordinary Americans' lives,\u201d Sanders said when asked what Clinton should do on stage. \u201cAnd when you do that, I think that people will see that he is way off in another world unto himself, not dealing with the reality of the American people.\u201d\r\nWorld\r\nColombia Conflict Resolution World leaders gathered in Colombia on Monday for the official signing of an agreement that will end a 52-year-long war between the government and the country\u2019s main guerrilla group. As a binding document, though, the agreement will matter little unless Colombian voters approve it in a crucial referendum on Sunday, The Washington Post reported.\r\nNational\r\nThe Debate In a relentlessly antagonistic debate, Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton clashed over trade, the Iraq war, his refusal to release his tax returns and her use of a private email server, with Trump frequently showing impatience and political inexperience as Clinton pushed him to defend his past denigration of women and President Obama, The New York Times reported.\u00a0\r\nVermont\r\nBlack Lives Matter A Black Lives Matter flag was stolen Saturday night from the University of Vermont campus, and campus police are investigating the theft. The UVM Student Government Association had sponsored the Black Lives Matter flag to be flown for a few days in recognition of recent police shootings in Tulsa and Charlotte, the Burlington Free Press reported.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 257, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Independent", "p1": "VT", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Independent", "label": "Independent", "count": 257, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VT&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 257, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "VT", "label": "VT", "count": 257, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Independent&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 257, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-09-27,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Esanders~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fnewswatch~2F092716", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Independent&state=VT&year=2016&_next=2016-09-27%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Esanders~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fnewswatch~2F092716&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 158.32957485690713, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}