Press releases
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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3,802 rows where party = "Independent" and state = "VT" sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-create-new-federal-agency-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-pause-advanced-ai-development/ | NEWS: Sanders, Casar Introduce Legislation to Create New Federal Agency to Ban Artificial Superintelligence, Pause Advanced AI Development | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) today introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act — legislation to stop artificial intelligence (AI) oligarchs from building machines humans cannot control and to pause advanced AI development until we have put in place rigorous federal testing and oversight to ensure AI does not harm humanity. “When you are racing towards a cliff, you don’t just ease up on the gas pedal. You hit the brakes. When the future of humanity is at stake, we cannot let a handful of Big Tech CEOs write their own rules,” Sanders said. “Scientists have been clear: AI is an existential threat to humanity. It must be treated as such. This legislation will permanently ban the development of artificial superintelligence and would put in place an immediate pause on advanced AI development until we have clear safety rules in place — developed by the most knowledgeable scientists in our country. Congress must act now before it is too late.” “Experts are warning that AI superintelligence, wielded by the wrong humans or by rogue AI, could kill countless numbers of people. But Donald Trump says he wants to encourage it. Something has to change,” Casar said. “Our bill bans the development of artificial superintelligence and pushes for international agreements so that no one, anywhere, builds AI too powerful for humans to control. Furthermore, our bill would immediately halt other dangerous AI capabilities, such as the capacity to develop biochemical weapons, or the capacity for AI to develop new AI instead of humans.” Over the past few months, we have learned that AI models can circumvent restrictions to hack into computers. We have learned they can create never-before-seen viruses. And we have learned they can automate research to build smarter AI. Even as the AI companies claim they recognize these dangers and want to slow down, they are racing ahead — investing hundreds of billions of dollars into a technology that nobody can fully predict or control. That … | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-sanders-ahead-of-un-general-assembly-oligarchy-is-ascending-and-democracy-is-in-retreat-working-together-that-must-change/ | NEWS: Sanders Ahead of UN General Assembly: “Oligarchy is ascending and democracy is in retreat… Working together, that must change.” | 2026-09-21 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | NEW YORK, Sept. 21 — On the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) delivered a major foreign policy address today at the historic Riverside Church in New York City — where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his Beyond Vietnam speech and where Nelson Mandela spoke after his release. The senator’s full remarks, as delivered, are below. It is a true honor and a privilege for me to be speaking here at this extraordinary and historic Riverside Church. This, as many of you know, is the church that Nelson Mandela came to visit as a free man, just five months after he was released from prison, having served 27 years. He came here to thank the people of the United States for standing up for justice against the evils of apartheid in South Africa. The courage and historic life of Mr. Mandela inspired millions and millions of people all over the world. His life and legacy will never be forgotten. As I think all of you also know, in 1967, at this very same pulpit that I am honored to be speaking from tonight, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made clear his vigorous opposition to the War in Vietnam — a war that was based on lies. A war of horrific destruction for the people of Asia, and for 59,000 young Americans who went abroad and never came home. In his remarks, with extraordinary courage, Dr. King exposed what he very eloquently called “the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism.” He warned us that “a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” What Dr. King said was true nearly 60 years ago, and it is even truer today, as our country, the United States of America, is now spending over $1 trillion a year on the military while some 800,000 Americans are homeless, 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, and millions of people cannot afford the basic necessities of life. This business of spending more and more on the military and turning backs on working families … | 1 | 2026-09-22T09:42:49Z | 2026-09-23T09:46:14Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-federal-judge-restoring-7-billion-forsolar-for-all/ | NEWS: Sanders Statement on Federal Judge Restoring $7 Billion forSolar for All | 2026-09-19 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after a federal judge ruled President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illegally cancelled $7 billion in funding for the Solar for All program. I introduced the Solar for All program to provide loans or grants to working class families to help cover the cost of installing solar rooftops or participating in community-based solar projects. This program would slash electric bills for working families up to 80% — putting money back in the pockets of ordinary Americans, not fossil fuel billionaires. Unfortunately, at a time when working families are getting crushed by skyrocketing energy costs and the planet is facing extreme weather and record-breaking temperatures, Donald Trump tried to illegally kill this program to protect the obscene profits of his friends in the oil and gas industry. He lost. Yesterday, a federal judge rejected the EPA’s illegal termination of this funding and preserved this enormously important program. Solar for All means lower utility bills, many thousands of good-paying jobs and real action to address the existential threat of climate change. That’s a win-win-win. | 1 | 2026-09-20T09:37:28Z | 2026-09-20T09:38:59Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/prepared-remarks-sanders-regulating-ai-is-as-american-as-apple-pie/ | PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders: Regulating AI “is as American as apple pie.” | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | At Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, Sanders Urges Global Response to AI Threats and Pushes for AI Giants to End Election Meddling WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today addressed a diverse group of artificial intelligence experts, lawmakers, faith and union leaders, and Americans who share concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) breaking outside of human control at the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington. The senator’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below. This afternoon, I want to cut to the chase and focus on what I consider to be the very most important aspect of the crisis we’re facing and how we can best go forward. Let’s be clear. Artificial intelligence and robotics are the most transformational technologies in the history of the world — impacting the lives of every man, woman and child in our country. AI experts have told us that, within a few years, AI may be able to do anything we can do better than we can do it. The economic impact of that is that AI has the potential to eliminate tens of millions of jobs, wiping out entire professions and making it harder for young people to enter into the workforce. But it’s not just the economy. Psychologists have warned us about the increased isolation and mental health challenges young people are experiencing as they become more dependent upon an AI chatbot for their emotional support. Educators are worried about a decline in our kids’ reading scores, writing abilities and cognitive capabilities as AI is used more and more in schools. Civil libertarians warn that AI is in the process of eviscerating our privacy rights by making it easier to collect and analyze every email, every text, every website visit, and every trip that we make in our car — creating a mass surveillance state. Political scientists warn that AI could threaten the integrity of our elections and political institutions. Go to the internet right now and, with very sophisticated deepfakes, you will find it increasingly difficult to determine truth from fict… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/advisory-sanders-and-welch-to-celebrate-vermont-national-guard-family-readiness-and-support-center-groundbreaking-provided-6-6m-in-federal-funding/ | ADVISORY: Sanders and Welch to Celebrate Vermont National Guard Family Readiness and Support Center Groundbreaking, Provided $6.6M in Federal Funding | 2026-09-08 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 9 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Wednesday will join Adjutant General of Vermont Major General Henry Harder Jr. and other representatives from the Vermont National Guard to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Family Readiness and Support Center at Camp Johnson in Colchester. Through the FY2022 Congressionally Directed Spending process, Sanders secured $4.6 million to help design and build the space that will provide services for servicemembers, veterans and their families, including financial counseling, legal assistance, suicide prevention and retirement services all under one roof. Sanders and Welch secured an additional $2 million this year in federal money to fully fund the project at no cost to Vermonters. Details: What: Vermont National Guard breaks ground on new Family Readiness and Support Center When: Wednesday, September 9, 1 p.m. Where: Camp Johnson, 30 Mt Mansfield Ave, Colchester, VT | 1 | 2026-09-09T09:27:09Z | 2026-09-09T09:29:04Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-takano-reintroduce-bill-to-move-toward-32-hour-workweek-ensure-americas-workers-benefit-from-ai-and-automation/ | NEWS: Sanders, Takano Reintroduce Bill to Move Toward 32-Hour Workweek, Ensure America’s Workers Benefit from AI and Automation | 2026-09-08 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) today announced that they will reintroduce legislation to establish a standard 32-hour workweek in America with no loss in pay or benefits. This bill comes as America’s workers have seen massive increases in productivity over the past century and as artificial intelligence, automation and new technologies promise to further increase productivity. “At a time when artificial intelligence and robotics will radically transform our economy, it is imperative that the financial gains from this new technology benefit working families, not just a handful of billionaires and corporate CEOs. One important way to do that is through a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay or benefits,” Sanders said. “A 32-hour workweek is not a radical idea. What’s radical is that, despite an explosion in technology and productivity over the last fifty years, millions of workers are working longer hours for lower wages while nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90 percent to the top 1 percent. That has got to change. It’s time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow workers and their families to enjoy a better quality of life. It’s time to pass this bill.” “The 40-hour workweek was established in law nearly 90 years ago,” said Takano. “Since then, cell phones, the internet, and now AI have increased worker productivity, but the profits have been largely concentrated at the top by billionaires and corporations. Work has fundamentally changed. It’s time that labor standards caught up. I’m proud to continue partnering with Senator Sanders in reintroducing this bill to make sure that the gains from historically high productivity are felt by all American workers.” Today, American workers are more than 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. However, millions of Americans are now working longer hours for lower wages. … | 1 | 2026-09-09T09:27:09Z | 2026-09-09T09:29:04Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ | NEWS: Sanders, Casar to Introduce Legislation to Ban Artificial Superintelligence and Temporarily Pause Advanced AI Development | 2026-09-03 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) today announced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, forthcoming legislation to stop AI oligarchs from building machines humans cannot control. The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act would permanently ban the development and deployment of superintelligent AI and temporarily pause advanced AI development until a federal regulator has established safety rules. It would also direct the U.S. to pursue international agreements to prevent superintelligence from being developed anywhere in the world. “Nearly every day, there is a frightening new story about how Big Tech companies are losing control of the technology they are developing, with potentially cataclysmic results,” Sanders said. “The leaders of the major AI companies publicly acknowledge that they do not fully understand the technology and that it is escaping their control. It is irresponsible for society to allow them to move forward and make these products even more advanced. That’s why I am introducing legislation to immediately pause the development of increasingly powerful AI and ban the creation of systems that humanity cannot fully control — at home and around the world. The future of humanity cannot be left in the hands of a handful of Big Tech oligarchs. The American people and people throughout the world must determine that future.” “If we allow Artificial Superintelligence to be built, it could risk the security, freedom, and lives of Americans,” Casar said. “Despite its potential deadly consequences, cutting-edge AI technology is less regulated than the average food truck. That must change. In just four years, we have gone from the first version of ChatGPT to AI models so powerful they cannot be properly controlled. Congress should immediately ban AI systems too powerful to control.” In recent weeks, OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta have all acknowledged instances of their AI escaping human control and hacking into other companies’ systems — violating the law and s… | 1 | 2026-09-04T09:19:37Z | 2026-09-04T09:20:58Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-welch-demand-dairy-farmers-of-america-end-its-illegal-retaliation-against-vermont-dairy-workers/ | NEWS: Sanders, Welch Demand Dairy Farmers of America End its Illegal Retaliation Against Vermont Dairy Workers | 2026-08-18 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 18 – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today wrote to Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) CEO Dennis Rodenbaugh to demand that the company reverse its decision to close the St. Albans plant and creamery and lay off 80 Vermonters. DFA appears to have decided to shutter the plant following the efforts of workers to come together and form a union. “This decision will have a devastating impact on your workers, their families, Vermont dairy farmers, and the entire St. Albans community. To make matters worse, the timing of this decision following a recent union contract renegotiation raises concerns that idling the plant appears to be an attempt to illegally union-bust and set an example of the approximately 80 Vermonters represented by Teamsters Local 597,” Sanders and Welch wrote. “Without a sufficient explanation, it would be reasonable to conclude that the decision to idle the plant is illegal retaliation for last year’s strike. That is unacceptable.” In October 2025, St. Albans DFA workers ratified a contract after a lengthy bargaining process and a nearly two-week strike. DFA initially touted this contract. Less than a year later, it has announced plans to close the plant. Now recent public reporting indicates this closure could be in direct response to its workers efforts to form a union and a federal judge granted a restraining order against the closure on Monday. “DFA has a responsibility to the workers, farmers, and community members who have built and supported this facility for generations,” the senators continued. “That responsibility means making sure the constitutional rights of your workers to unionize and collectively bargain are fully respected. It means recognizing the impact this decision will have on Vermont’s dairy farmers. And it means being transparent with your workers, farmers and the people of St. Albans about why this decision was made and what DFA intends to do to mitigate its consequences.” Sanders and Welch concluded: “Do the right thing. Reverse yo… | 1 | 2026-08-19T05:29:02Z | 2026-08-19T05:30:24Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-to-introduce-bill-to-stop-trump-from-garnishing-social-security-checks-of-seniors-with-student-debt/ | NEWS: Sanders to Introduce Bill to Stop Trump from Garnishing Social Security Checks of Seniors with Student Debt | 2026-08-17 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 17 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced he will introduce the Stop Social Security Garnishment Act — legislation to prevent seniors from having their Social Security payments withheld by the government to pay back decades-old student loan debt. Joining Sanders as cosponsors on this legislation are Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). “As a result of Trump’s disastrous cuts to education, an increasing number of seniors are in danger of having their Social Security checks garnished to pay back student loans they took out decades ago. That is beyond unacceptable,” Sanders said. “In the richest country in the history of the world, no senior should have their Social Security payments taken away from them to pay back student debt. This is especially true when seniors throughout the country already cannot afford the skyrocketing price of healthcare, prescription drugs, groceries and housing. Congress must pass this legislation.” The Stop Social Security Garnishment Act comes amid a record-breaking student loan default crisis that has been made worse by Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” which made the largest cuts to education in history. Over nine million Americans are now in default on their student loans. This means nearly 1 in 4 student loan borrowers cannot pay back their loans and are at risk of having their wages or Social Security payments seized to pay back their outstanding student debt. More than 1 in 3 Social Security recipients with student loans are reliant on their Social Security payments to make ends meet. Half of Social Security recipients that had a Social Security check garnished because of a defaulted student loan reported skipping a doctor’s visit or reported being unable to obtain a prescription they needed, due to cost. The Stop Social Security Garnishment Act of 2026 will put an end to this absurdity and ensure no Social Security payments are taken away f… | 1 | 2026-08-18T05:27:41Z | 2026-08-18T05:29:06Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-new-study-confirms-medicare-for-all-would-save-114000-lives-and-more-than-1-trillion-a-year/ | NEWS: New Study Confirms Medicare for All Would Save 114,000 Lives and more than $1 Trillion a Year | 2026-08-11 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today issued the following statement after Yale University researchers released a new study finding that Sanders’ Medicare for All legislation would save 114,000 lives and reduce overall healthcare spending in America by more than $1 trillion a year. “This study confirms what we have known for years: Medicare for All saves lives and saves money. In fact, guaranteeing healthcare as a human right through a Medicare for All, single-payer system would cost $1 trillion less than our current dysfunctional system. It would save working families thousands of dollars a year. And it would prevent over 100,000 Americans from dying unnecessarily each and every year because they cannot make it to a doctor in time,” Sanders said. “At a time when 15 million Americans are being thrown off the healthcare they have and 20 million Americans have already seen their premiums double, on average, as a result of Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ we need Medicare for All now more than ever. The time is now to end the greed of the big insurance and drug companies and pass Medicare for All.” Yale University researchers found that Medicare for All would reduce total annual healthcare spending by nearly 20%, or more than $1 trillion while eliminating premiums, deductibles and copayments, provider networks, and prior authorization. As a result, Americans would save: $377.5 billion by paying no more than other major countries for prescription drugs; $286.3 billion by eliminating bureaucracy and waste; $285.7 billion by curbing fraudulent billing; $100 billion by preventing costly emergency room and hospital visits; and $295.6 billion by reimbursing providers fairly for the care they provide. Researchers also estimate that Medicare for All would save 114,000 lives every year, including: 33,232 Americans who are currently uninsured and can’t access lifesaving care; 29,631 Americans who are curre… | 1 | 2026-08-12T06:18:38Z | 2026-08-12T06:20:33Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-calls-on-tech-giants-to-pause-development-of-out-of-control-ai/ | NEWS: Sanders Calls on Tech Giants to Pause Development of Out-of-Control AI | 2026-08-10 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 10 – Following recent and repeated public reporting about artificial intelligence (AI) technology breaking outside of human control and creating potentially dangerous viruses, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today urged America’s largest AI companies — Anthropic, Meta and OpenAI — to immediately pause their development of Artificial Intelligence. “Almost every day, there is a new story about how your companies are losing control of the AI technology you are developing, with potentially cataclysmic results,” Sanders wrote. “And yet, at a moment when we have seen human loss of control and the creation of potentially dangerous viruses, your companies are still racing ahead — investing tens of billions of dollars into a technology that nobody can fully understand, predict or control.” In his letter to the leaders of Anthropic, Meta and OpenAI, Sanders cites the companies’ previous commitments to limit AI development once these tools surpass dangerous safety thresholds. Last year, Meta said it would “stop development,” and OpenAI said it would “halt further development” once their technologies reach beyond its ability to operate safely and unless safeguards are in place. Anthropic made a similar commitment in 2023, saying it would “pause the scaling and/or delay the deployment of new models” if the technology outpaces its own guardrails. Over the past month, those three companies have all acknowledged instances of their AI escaping human control and hacking into other companies’ systems — violating the law and stepping outside of their intended functions. Just this week, AI was first used to create new viruses that could be used as bioweapons. “In the interest of humanity, stand by your words. Pause AI development. It is not too late to avoid disaster. Stop building machines that humans cannot control,” Sanders concluded. “Let me be very clear: If you do not take appropriate action now, my colleagues and I in the U.S. Senate will.” | 1 | 2026-08-11T05:54:29Z | 2026-08-11T05:56:25Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-cassidy-sanders-request-update-from-justice-department-on-contempt-charges-for-former-hospital-ceo/ | NEWS: Cassidy, Sanders Request Update from Justice Department on Contempt Charges for Former Hospital CEO | 2026-08-07 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 – Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member, sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting information on the status of the contempt referral for Dr. Ralph de la Torre, former Chairman and CEO of Steward Health Care, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate on September 25, 2024. Steward previously operated 31 hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. On May 6, 2024, Steward Health Care declared bankruptcy, representing the largest for-profit hospital bankruptcy in United States history. “The bankruptcy represented a culmination of financial mismanagement and self-interested incentives by Dr. de la Torre and corporate executives in health care, private equity, and real estate. The resulting harm included termination of health care workers, patient deaths, and multiple hospital closures resulting in lack of access to care,” Cassidy and Sanders wrote. In response to the bankruptcy, the HELP Committee initiated an investigation into Steward’s financial mismanagement and invited Dr. de la Torre to appear at a hearing on September 12, 2024. Dr. de la Torre declined the invitation. The Committee then voted to authorize a subpoena requiring de la Torre to appear on September 12, 2025. Dr. de la Torre failed to appear. In response, the Committee voted 20-0 on a criminal contempt resolution. This was the first time in modern American history that the HELP Committee issued a criminal contempt resolution. “We needed answers from Dr. de la Torre, as did the health care workers forced to treat patients in dangerous conditions, loved ones of patients who died, and communities who saw their local hospitals close or face severe financial distress. Dr. de la Torre’s wealth should not make him immune to requests from Congress, especially as communities continue to grapple with the consequences of Dr. de la Torre’… | 1 | 2026-08-08T05:41:38Z | 2026-08-08T05:43:24Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-bill-to-guarantee-paid-vacation-for-u-s-workers/ | NEWS: Sanders Introduces Bill to Guarantee Paid Vacation for U.S. Workers | 2026-08-06 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today reintroduced the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act — legislation that would guarantee at least two weeks of paid vacation to every full-time worker in America. Joining Sanders as cosponsors are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced companion legislation along with 86 members of the House of Representatives. “It is beyond unacceptable that in the year 2026, the United States remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid vacation time to workers. This legislation would put an end to that international embarrassment,” Sanders said. “We hear a lot of talk about family values in America, but let’s be clear: When a husband, wife, and kids, during the course of an entire year, are unable to spend any time together on vacation, that is not a family value. That is an attack on everything that a family is supposed to stand for. It’s not a radical idea to require companies in America to provide at least two weeks of paid vacation to their workers. What’s radical is that millions of Americans are not only working longer hours for lower wages, but that they do not receive a single paid vacation day. That should not be happening in the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world.” “Every worker in America deserves the chance to rest, recharge, and spend time with the people they love without worrying about missing a paycheck,” Magaziner said. “I’m grateful to Senator Sanders for leading this fight in the Senate. It is time that we deliver this basic fairness to hardworking Americans.” While millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages, the U.S. remains the only major economy in the world to not guarantee some type of paid vacation time to its people. Today in Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Australia and many count… | 1 | 2026-08-07T06:11:19Z | 2026-08-07T06:12:42Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-ocasio-cortez-ramirez-reintroduce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing-act/ | NEWS: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Ramirez Reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act | 2026-08-06 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.) reintroduced the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, which would rebuild the United States’ public housing stock, address the longstanding capital backlog and create thousands of union jobs. This bill provides a much-needed infusion of federal funding to update every public housing unit through weatherization, electrification, and modernization so that it may serve as a model of efficiency, sustainability and resiliency for the rest of the nation. Joining Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Ramirez as cosponsors of this legislation are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and 38 members of the House of Representatives. “In the richest country in the history of the world, it is unacceptable that our nation’s public housing is in a state of chronic disrepair. It is unacceptable that hundreds of millions of Americans are facing the disastrous impacts of climate change while the fossil fuel industry makes huge profits. And it is unacceptable that far too many Americans are working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head,” Sanders said. “What the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act does is say that yes, we can create decent and affordable public housing for more than 1.5 million Americans that is based on energy efficiency and sustainable sources of power. And that when we do that, we can also create hundreds of thousands of good-paying, union jobs. That is a win-win-win situation.” “From record-breaking heat waves to extreme flooding displacing public housing residents, Americans are feeling the parallel impacts of the housing and climate crisis. Now more than ever, it is integral that Congress put forward bold solutions that ensure our nation’s housing stock is both affordable and resilient,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I am proud to reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing A… | 1 | 2026-08-07T06:11:19Z | 2026-08-07T06:12:42Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-warns-democrats-dont-open-back-door-for-republicans-to-cut-social-security/ | NEWS: Sanders Warns Democrats: Don’t Open Back Door for Republicans to Cut Social Security | 2026-08-04 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 — After the Social Security Administration warned that 70 million Americans will have their benefits cut by 2032 unless Congress takes action, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today called on Senate Democrats to strongly oppose the PROMISE Act — legislation allowing congressional Republicans to slash or privatize Social Security through an unelected commission. Sanders instead urged his Democratic colleagues to support his legislation, backed by 78% of the American people, to apply the Social Security payroll tax on all income above $250,000 a year, increase benefits by $2,400 a year and expand Cost-of-Living Adjustments. In 2023, the Social Security Administration estimated that this legislation would make Social Security solvent for 75 years without raising taxes on 91 percent of Americans who make less than $250,000 a year. “The Democratic Caucus must make it abundantly clear that under no circumstances will we support legislation that cuts Social Security benefits, raises the retirement age, reduces Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs), or privatizes this essential program,” Sanders wrote. “At a time when the wealthiest people in America are becoming much wealthier, asking them to pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as teachers, nurses, firefighters, and construction workers is not a radical idea. It is common sense. It is what the American people want… Unfortunately, instead of clearly telling the American people how we intend to strengthen Social Security, there are now Members of Congress who are considering legislation that moves us in exactly the wrong direction.” Seniors in America today face the highest rate of poverty of almost any major country. Over 20% of seniors are trying to survive on an income of less than $15,000 a year and nearly half of older workers have no savings or plan for retirement. Yet despite this retirement crisis, billionaires continue to pay much less proportionally into Social Security than do working-class Americans, and Republicans in Con… | 1 | 2026-08-05T07:37:37Z | 2026-08-05T07:38:44Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-announces-new-va-clinics-to-serve-vermont-veterans/ | NEWS: Sanders Announces New VA Clinics to Serve Vermont Veterans | 2026-08-01 | 2026 | 2026-08 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 1 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that new community-based U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics (CBOCs) will be built in South Burlington, Vermont, and West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, to serve Vermont veterans. These facilities represent real progress in expanding VA healthcare for veterans in our state. “As the former Chair and a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am very pleased to announce these two new, state-of-the-art clinics for veterans to get their primary healthcare,” Sanders said. “The Burlington clinic — the state’s busiest — will be replaced by a facility that is twice as large, located at the Technology Park in South Burlington. The 36,000-square-foot facility will first see patients in spring 2029. I am also delighted that the new South Burlington clinic will provide desperately needed dental care services, a first for a VA facility in Vermont. “The Brattleboro clinic will be combined with a clinic in Keene, New Hampshire, to provide improved services for veterans in both states. The clinic will be located at 99 NH-9 in West Chesterfield. The 27,000-square-foot facility will also begin seeing patients in spring 2029,” Sanders continued. “When it became clear the VA would combine the Keene and Brattleboro clinics into one, larger facility, I worked with them to ensure a location was selected that was convenient to veterans in both states. I am pleased they selected a location right near the bridge to Brattleboro to ensure Vermont veterans don’t need to travel far to see their doctor.” The VA operates community-based outpatient clinics in Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Newport and Rutland that serve nearly 19,000 Vermont veterans. These clinics provide primary care, specialty treatment and mental health services, and function as satellites of the VA medical center in White River Junction. | 1 | 2026-08-02T07:31:21Z | 2026-08-02T07:32:50Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-grassley-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-audit-the-pentagon-and-end-wasteful-spending/ | NEWS: Sanders, Grassley Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Audit the Pentagon and End Wasteful Spending | 2026-07-30 | 2026 | 2026-07 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | The Pentagon failed its eighth consecutive audit last year, unable to fully account for $4.65 trillion in assets WASHINGTON, July 30 – Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today reintroduced the Audit the Pentagon Act. This legislation would impose financial consequences if the Pentagon fails to pass a full, independent audit. Any Pentagon component that fails to achieve a clean audit opinion would have 2% of its budget withheld and returned to the Treasury for deficit reduction. Joining Sanders and Grassley as cosponsors of the Audit the Pentagon Act are Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Despite accounting for more than half of the federal government’s discretionary spending and roughly two-thirds of all federal contracting activity, the Pentagon remains the only one of the federal government’s 24 major agencies to have never passed a clean financial audit — a requirement under federal law since the early 1990s and mandatory on an annual basis since 2018. In its eighth consecutive failed audit, which was released in December 2025 and covered $4.65 trillion in reported assets and $4.7 trillion in liabilities across all 50 states and more than 40 countries, the Pentagon Office of Inspector General identified 26 instances of the most severe auditing errors and two additional significant accounting issues in the department’s internal controls over financial reporting. “The Pentagon has been plagued by a massive amount of waste, fraud and financial mismanagement for decades,” Sanders said. “Year after year, the Pentagon fails an audit, and year after year, Congress hands it another blank check. At a moment when the administration has dragged us into an unconstitutional war with Iran and is demanding the largest military budget in our history to pay for it, the Pentagon still cannot tell us where tr… | 1 | 2026-07-31T07:49:23Z | 2026-07-31T07:50:48Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-new-gao-report-finds-taxpayers-continue-to-subsidize-poverty-wages-at-walmart-amazon-other-large-corporations-as-corporate-welfare-spikes-since-2020/ | NEWS: New GAO Report Finds Taxpayers Continue to Subsidize Poverty Wages at Walmart, Amazon, Other Large Corporations as Corporate Welfare Spikes Since 2020 | 2026-07-22 | 2026 | 2026-07 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, July 22 – According to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, some of the largest and most profitable American corporations and their wealthy CEOs continue to pay their employees wages so low that those workers are forced to rely on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — subsidized by U.S taxpayers — to survive. Commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and released today by the GAO, this report analyzes data from 11 states comprising nearly a fifth of the U.S. population, builds on the findings of a 2020 GAO report, and details how the number of workers relying on Medicaid and SNAP has grown significantly over the past six years. Across 11 states, the report found that an estimated 13.8 million working Americans were forced to enroll in Medicaid and 10.6 million depended on SNAP to make ends meet and feed their families, despite working full-time — up from 12 million and 9 million, respectively, in the 2020 report. “American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the starvation wages of large corporations like Walmart and Amazon. These corporations are making record-breaking profits, paying their CEOs exorbitant compensation packages and spending billions of dollars on stock buybacks to enrich their wealthy shareholders. It is beyond unacceptable that these corporations, owned by some of the wealthiest people on the planet, are receiving corporate welfare from the federal government,” Sanders said. “It is time for the Walton family, worth $485 billion, and Mr. Bezos, worth $257 billion, to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage with good benefits. No one who works for a company making billions in profits should be living in poverty. This is especially true after these corporations and their multibillionaire owners received a massive tax break from President Trump’s so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ paid for by the largest cuts to Medicaid and nut… | 1 | 2026-07-23T07:31:02Z | 2026-07-23T07:32:26Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-bill-to-require-warning-labels-on-ultraprocessed-foods-ban-junk-food-ads-for-kids-advances-in-committee/ | NEWS: Sanders Bill to Require Warning Labels on Ultraprocessed Foods & Ban Junk Food Ads for Kids Advances in Committee | 2026-07-22 | 2026 | 2026-07 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, July 22 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today applauded the committee voting 12-10 in a bipartisan manner to advance his legislation to take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics negatively impacting millions of American children and families across the country. This first-of-its-kind federal ban on junk food advertising targeted to children in the United States would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement strong health and nutrient warning labeling, direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the dangers posed by ultra-processed foods, and develop a national education campaign for children and caregivers through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “I am delighted that the HELP Committee passed the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act that I introduced. For decades, the food and beverage industry has made massive profits by enticing children to consume unhealthy products purposely designed to be overeaten — fueling the twin crises of type 2 diabetes and obesity in America. We cannot continue to allow these greedy corporations to put their own profits over the health and well-being of our kids,” Sanders said.“Nearly 30 years ago, Congress had the courage to take on the tobacco industry, whose products killed more than 400,000 Americans every year. Today, on a bipartisan basis, the Senate HELP Committee finally stood up to the greed of the food and beverage industry.” | 1 | 2026-07-23T07:31:02Z | 2026-07-23T07:32:26Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-cassidy-applaud-senate-advancement-of-bipartisan-reauthorization-of-the-older-americans-act/ | NEWS: Sanders, Cassidy Applaud Senate Advancement of Bipartisan Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act | 2026-07-15 | 2026 | 2026-07 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, July 15 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) applaud the Senate unanimously passing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a critically important law that provides services supporting the health, independence and dignity of older adults across the nation. The bill’s reauthorization effort was also led by Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). “I’m delighted that the Senate unanimously passed legislation last night to expand and improve the Older Americans Act,” Sanders said. “This legislation begins to pay attention to the urgent unmet needs of seniors in America and what we should do as a nation to reduce the senior poverty rate, prevent hunger, combat loneliness and isolation and improve the health and well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Not only does the Older Americans Act save lives and ease human suffering, it saves money. In fact, it costs less to feed a senior for an entire year through the Older Americans Act than it does for a senior to spend one night in a hospital. While there is much more that we must do to reduce the senior poverty rate in America and to make sure that every senior in America has access to the services they need this bi-partisan legislation is a very good step forward.” “The Older Americans Act helps Americans remain independent and connected to the communities they helped build. For more than 60 years, the Older Americans Act has connected seniors with services that help them age with dignity,” Cassidy said. “This bipartisan reauthorization ensures that support continues as the nation’s aging population grows.” The OAA, first signed into law in 1965, funds a wide range of services. The act has provided vital nutrition, social, economic and health services to millions of older adults for over six… | 1 | 2026-07-16T07:21:44Z | 2026-07-16T07:23:13Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-civil-war-and-genocide-in-sudan/ | NEWS: Sanders Statement on Civil War and Genocide in Sudan | 2026-07-09 | 2026 | 2026-07 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt. July. 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement: This is the year 2026. One might have hoped that, after thousands of years of war, humanity could have come up with a better way to resolve conflicts than killing and mass destruction. Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is now more war and bloodshed raging across the world than at almost any point in decades. In February 2022, Vladimir Putin, without provocation, invaded Ukraine. The result: hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians killed, millions displaced and a war that grinds on with no end in sight. In October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 innocent people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Netanyahu and the Israeli military did not simply wage war against Hamas — they waged war against the entire population of Gaza. At least 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, the real toll almost certainly far higher, most of them women, children and the elderly. Virtually the entire physical infrastructure of Gaza has been destroyed. I agree with the major human rights organizations around the world who call this a genocide. Four months ago, in collusion with Netanyahu, Trump took a page from Putin’s playbook: he started a war with Iran without provocation. The result of this war (and the ensuing Israeli war against Lebanon): 13 U.S. service members dead, thousands of Iranian and Lebanese civilians killed and more than $100 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars spent. And in the midst of all of this — Ukraine, Gaza, Iran — there is another horrific war happening now that is getting relatively little attention: the civil war and genocide in Sudan. Sudan’s two rival military factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the country’s national army, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, have been at war since 2023. The RSF descends from the Janjaweed militias that carried out Sudan’s first genocide in Darfur two decades ago, killing as many as 400,000 non-Arab civilians. Today, the R… | 1 | 2026-07-10T08:20:04Z | 2026-07-10T08:21:18Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-releases-internal-hhs-emails-demonstrating-secretary-kennedys-politicization-of-cdc-interference-with-vaccines/ | NEWS: Sanders Releases Internal HHS Emails Demonstrating Secretary Kennedy’s Politicization of CDC, Interference with Vaccines | 2026-06-25 | 2026 | 2026-06 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, June 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released internal emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr.’s politicization of HHS, willingness to ignore vaccine science and undermine the basic health and safety of Americans. The emails, provided to the committee by former CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry, include the following revelations: Secretary Kennedy altered vaccine recommendations and released material to the public without CDC expert review or input. Secretary Kennedy specifically directed the agenda of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, known as ACIP, towards restricting access to vaccines. Secretary Kennedy directed the cancellation of flu vaccine campaigns amid a severe flu season. Andrew Nixon, HHS Director of Communications, confirmed in an email that “This was a direct ask from Secretary Kennedy.” Secretary Kennedy handpicked researchers to access confidential data to demonstrate the long-disproven claim that vaccines cause autism. Secretary Kennedy misled members of Congress on several occasions, including in interactions with Senator Hassan on COVID vaccine recommendations, Senator Wyden on vaccine access and HELP Committee Chair Cassidy on the CDC Director’s ability to act independently. Secretary Kennedy’s chief of staff told then-CDC Director Susan Monarez that political staff at CDC and HHS would need to review “major decisions at CDC…before they go into effect.” Less than a week later, Secretary Kennedy fired Director Monarez for failing to rubber stamp recommendations from ACIP. Secretary Kennedy’s senior advisor sought advice on how to remove vaccines from the Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines at no cost to eligible children. In an email, he asked, “What legally needs to happen or should be considered if a vaccine is going to be removed from th… | 1 | 2026-06-26T06:29:35Z | 2026-06-26T06:31:46Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-legislation-to-create-7-trillion-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund/ | NEWS: Sanders Introduces Legislation to Create $7 Trillion AI Sovereign Wealth Fund | 2026-06-18 | 2026 | 2026-06 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, June 18 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act to give the public a 50% ownership in the largest artificial intelligence (AI) companies in our country. “Left unchecked, Artificial Intelligence and robotics threatens the jobs, privacy rights and mental health of every man, woman and child in America,” Sanders said. “As a society, we can no longer sit back and allow a handful of Big Tech oligarchs to determine the future of this revolutionary technology with no democratic input. AI was not created out of thin air. It was not a brilliant idea that just popped into Mark Zuckerberg’s head or Elon Musk’s imagination. The foundation of AI is based on the collective knowledge of humanity and the creative work of tens of millions of people. The American people must have the ability to slow it down and make sure that AI benefits humanity, not just the richest people on the planet. That’s precisely what this legislation does.” The legislation that Sanders is introducing would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest AI companies in America through a one-time 50% tax on the stock of the biggest AI companies. This stock would be deposited into the sovereign wealth fund. If passed, Sanders’ bill would do three crucial things. First, it would create an Independent Commission for Democratic AI to manage the sovereign wealth fund in the public interest. The Independent Commission would use voting shares in these companies to block decisions that hurt the American people and to push for policies that help them. The Independent Commission would consist of seven members nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, with nominees selected from a list of bipartisan names provided by Congress. No longer would the future of AI and the transformation of human life that it will bring be dictated by fewer than a dozen Big Tech oligarchs. Second, it would require large companies that operate both AI and non-AI businesses to break up those businesses,… | 1 | 2026-06-19T06:50:32Z | 2026-06-19T06:53:40Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-34-senators-demand-mcmahon-reverse-failed-policies-protect-students-from-discrimination-and-harassment/ | NEWS: Sanders, 34 Senators Demand McMahon Reverse Failed Policies, Protect Students from Discrimination and Harassment | 2026-05-27 | 2026 | 2026-05 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, May 27 — After the Trump administration tried to fire more than half of the investigators tasked with protecting the civil rights of students and left students nationwide without protection from alleged civil rights violations, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Ct.), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 30 senators called on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take immediate actions to reverse its failed policies and finally protect students from discrimination, mistreatment and harassment. In their letter, the senators call on the Trump administration to provide a full accounting of the nearly 12,000 pending cases before the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) left without protection under the administration’s watch and to inform students nationwide about the status of their complaints. “Make no mistake: OCR’s disastrous recent track record in providing enforceable relief for students is a direct consequence of choices made by the Trump administration,” Sanders and the senators wrote. Since taking office, the administration has undertaken unprecedented efforts to gut OCR, the agency responsible for protecting students from discrimination based on race, sex, disability, color, national origin and age. In March 2025, the administration attempted to lay off nearly half of OCR’s workforce — costing taxpayers up to $38 million while investigators were barred from doing their jobs. The administration proposed a second round of layoffs during the 2025 shutdown before reversing course and reinstating staff. “The Department formally rescinded those layoffs in January 2026, but only after nine months of paid inaction, sustained court order… | 1 | 2026-05-28T06:29:45Z | 2026-05-28T06:31:18Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-lee-to-introduce-bill-to-abolish-super-pacs-stop-billionaires-from-buying-candidates/ | NEWS: Sanders, Lee to Introduce Bill to Abolish Super PACs, Stop Billionaires from Buying Candidates | 2026-05-20 | 2026 | 2026-05 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, May 20 – With AIPAC, crypto and AI super PACs already spending over half a billion dollars this primary season, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) today introduced legislation to ban super PACs from buying our elections. The Abolish Super PACs Act would cap the contribution limit of individuals to super PACs at $5,000, effectively abolishing them and putting power back into the hands of the people. “In the 2024 elections, Elon Musk — the richest man in the world — spent at least $290 million to elect Trump, while the 100 richest billionaire families in the country spent $2.6 billion to elect the candidates of their choice. As we enter the 2026 elections, we’re seeing billionaires spend far more money in a primary or midterm than at any time in history,” Sanders said. “You, as a citizen, get one vote. They, as oligarchs, get to buy the candidates. That’s not democracy. If we’re going to create a government that works for all, and not just the 1%, we have to end Citizens United, get super PACs out of elections, and move to public financing of elections. This bill is an important step forward and I am proud to support it.” “Super PACs have allowed limitless money to flow into our elections and influence every aspect of our lives. Our government is now undeniably held in the hands of the powerful and wealthy few. I’m proud to be the lead sponsor of the Abolish Super PACs Act in the House to put democracy back in the hands of the people, and I’m grateful for Senator Sanders’ partnership and leadership in the Senate,” Lee said. Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, election spending by billionaires has skyrocketed by more than 16,000%, reaching a total of $2.6 billion during the 2024 election cycle. In the 2026 election cycle, AI, crypto and AIPAC-aligned super PACs are projected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition to Sanders and Lee, the legislation is cosponsored by 17 members of the House of Representatives. The Abolish Super PACs Act is endo… | 1 | 2026-05-21T06:28:16Z | 2026-05-21T06:29:43Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-takano-introduce-legislation-to-expand-overtime-pay-to-nearly-30-million-workers/ | NEWS: Sanders, Takano Introduce Legislation to Expand Overtime Pay to Nearly 30 Million Workers | 2026-05-18 | 2026 | 2026-05 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, May 18 — As President Trump and congressional Republicans tout so-called “No Tax on Overtime” while simultaneously denying the right to overtime pay for more than 4.3 million workers, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) today introduced the Restoring Overtime Pay Act to expand and strengthen overtime protections for nearly 30 million workers. “At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when over 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, it is beyond unacceptable that President Trump is denying overtime pay to millions of workers who desperately need it to keep up with the outrageously high cost of living,” Sanders said. “We should be making it easier, not harder, for Americans who work more than 40 hours a week to get the time-and-a-half pay that they have earned and deserve. That’s precisely what this bill would do.” “Americans are working more for less,” Takano said. “Expanding the overtime threshold for salaried employees is the best way to ensure that families can survive the cost-of-living crisis caused by Donald Trump. I am proud to introduce this bill to help make sure over 29 million workers get paid fairly.” The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would expand or strengthen overtime protections for up to 29.3 million workers by gradually increasing the overtime salary threshold from just $35,568 today to more than $89,000 by 2030. This legislation comes on the heels of President Trump’s rescission of a Biden-era rule that would have expanded overtime pay for more than 4 million workers. Currently, just eight percent of full-time salaried workers are eligible for overtime pay based on their salaries alone. This legislation would increase that figure to 55% of full-time salaried workers. This is not a radical idea. In 1975, nearly 63% of all full-time salaried workers were guaranteed overtime pay. Restoring Overtime Pay Act Timeline YearOvertime Threshold2026$45,0002027$… | 1 | 2026-05-19T06:31:01Z | 2026-05-19T06:32:40Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-omar-more-than-100-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-end-child-hunger-through-universal-school-meals/ | NEWS: Sanders, Omar, More Than 100 Colleagues Introduce Legislation to End Child Hunger Through Universal School Meals | 2026-05-13 | 2026 | 2026-05 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, May 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) today introduced legislation to end child hunger in the United States. The Universal School Meals Program Act of 2026 would offer free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to every student in America — regardless of income — and eliminate school meal debt while incentivizing local food in schools. Joining Sanders and Omar as cosponsors on this legislation are Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maizie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Minn.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and 85 members of the House of Representatives. “It is outrageous that, while the billionaire class has never had it so good, one in five children will go hungry in America this year,” Sanders said. “The United States is the richest country in the history of the world. Nobody should be going hungry. And what we learned during the pandemic is that a universal approach to school meals works and helps kids do better in school. States across the country continue to prove this every day. It is time for Congress to reinstate universal school meals at the national level to finally ensure no student goes hungry.” “No child should have to sit in a classroom hungry or worried about where their next meal will come from,” Omar said. “As a former nutrition educator and someone who experienced hunger firsthand, this fight is deeply personal to me. I have always believed you must feed kids’ bellies before you can feed their brains. That is why I am proud to partner again with Bernie Sanders to introduce the Universal School Meals Program Act, which would provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to students year-round. Uni… | 1 | 2026-05-14T06:11:37Z | 2026-05-14T06:12:56Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-upcoming-u-s-china-ai-talks/ | NEWS: Sanders Statement on Upcoming U.S.-China AI Talks | 2026-05-11 | 2026 | 2026-05 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, May 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement on upcoming talks between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. When I convened leading American and Chinese scientists at the U.S. Capitol, they warned that the world is woefully unprepared for the threats posed by the rapid and uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence. That is why I welcome the news that the U.S. and China are planning to discuss the risks related to AI this week. Trump and Xi must seize this moment to make clear that humans, not machines, come first. In my view, this means: Allowing top scientists to share technical information and develop “AI redlines” about dangerous behavior; Ensuring that AI models are safe and effective; and Making progress towards a treaty to ban superintelligence — an artificial mind smarter than any human, capable of operating independently beyond our control. At the height of the Cold War, Reagan and Gorbachev found a way to negotiate nuclear arms control. The existential risk posed by AI demands nothing less from Trump and Xi. | 1 | 2026-05-12T06:07:57Z | 2026-05-12T06:09:10Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-baldwin-introduce-legislation-to-finally-update-half-century-old-workplace-safety-laws-protect-american-workers/ | NEWS: Sanders, Baldwin Introduce Legislation to Finally Update Half-Century-Old Workplace Safety Laws, Protect American Workers | 2026-04-28 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, April 28 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today introduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act to commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day. This legislation would comprehensively reform the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which has not been meaningfully updated since it was passed in 1970. According to the AFL-CIO’s Death on the Job Report, 140,000 workers die every year in the United States from workplace hazards. Unfortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Act lacks the teeth to protect workers. Today, there are only five OSHA inspectors for every one million workers — the lowest in at least 45 years. This record low means each workplace can only be inspected once every 191 years. Earlier this month, an Amazon warehouse worker in Oregon collapsed on the job. It is reported that Amazon workers were told to stop life-saving emergency care and get back to work. It was over an hour before emergency medical services arrived and too late to save their life. The Protecting America’s Workers Act would ensure other workers are protected and that companies like Amazon are punished for this outrageous misconduct. Amazon’s choice to put profits ahead of people is well documented. A 2024 HELP Committee report on the dangerous working conditions at Amazon’s warehouses revealed that Amazon knew that its productivity standards were the reason workers are so frequently injured, yet they refused to make any changes, instead putting profits over safety of their workers. “In America today, it is unacceptable that large, profitable corporations like Amazon are routinely violating our nation’s health and safety laws,” Sanders said. “Even worse, when corporations are found liable for workplace fatalities and injuries, no one is held accountable for breaking the law and the fines are so meaningless that CEOs treat them as simply the cost of doing business. That must change. Corporations in America … | 1 | 2026-04-29T06:03:53Z | 2026-04-29T06:05:09Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-releases-new-report-detailing-how-trumps-education-layoffs-abandoned-students-facing-violence-harassment-and-discrimination/ | NEWS: Sanders Releases New Report Detailing How Trump’s Education Layoffs Abandoned Students Facing Violence, Harassment and Discrimination | 2026-04-28 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, April 28 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released a new report finding that the Trump administration’s widespread efforts to lay off workers and shutter regional offices at the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) left students facing discrimination or harassment throughout the country without the help they are entitled to under federal law. As a result, Trump’s Education Department has been the least productive in over a decade — reaching in 2025 the lowest number of resolution agreements in 12 years and, shockingly, reaching zero resolution agreements for students facing serious traumatic incidents including sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion, restraint, racial harassment and discriminatory school discipline. Resolution agreements are legally binding commitments between OCR and schools to remedy violations of students’ civil rights, monitored for years after a complaint is filed. A resolution agreement means OCR identified a problem and required a school to fix it — not just for the student who came forward, but for every student who comes after them. Despite receiving the same budget as the prior year and facing nearly 12,000 pending civil rights cases, Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s OCR provided relief to students and families through resolution agreements in just 1% of pending cases. “Every child in America should be able to go to school safely and be treated with dignity. Unfortunately, this report makes clear that the Trump administration’s illegal efforts to dismantle the Education Department have been a disaster for students and families across this country,” Sanders said. “When a child with a disability is denied the education they are entitled to, when a student faces racial or sexual harassment — they turn to the Office for Civil Rights for help. Yet the Trump administration has decimated this office. As a result, tens of thousands of students facing discriminatio… | 1 | 2026-04-29T06:03:53Z | 2026-04-29T06:05:09Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-successfully-pushes-trump-administration-to-release-education-funding-for-vermont/ | NEWS: Sanders Successfully Pushes Trump Administration to Release Education Funding for Vermont | 2026-04-27 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt. April 27 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today announced that the Department of Education has finally released $11.58 million in federal K-12 COVID-19 funding for 20 Vermont school districts and the Agency of Education, after over a year of needless delay. “After a year of needless delay from the Trump administration, Vermont school districts will finally receive federal funding for summer and afterschool programs, school renovations and other critical services. At a time when so many of our school districts are suffering and struggling economically, this is an important step forward,” Sanders said. In March 2025, the Trump administration canceled an estimated $2.5 billion nationwide, including about $17 million for Vermont in unspent funding for K-12 schools provided under the American Rescue Plan Act that had already been approved for states to spend and created a burdensome appeals process for states and school districts to reapply for money they had been promised. Sanders urged Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reverse this decision on multiple occasions and ultimately secured her commitment that Vermont schools would receive the funding they were due. Courts also ruled against the Trump administration’s illegal withholding of the funds. The department assured the senator that the funding would be released in June of last year, but has forced the state through a months-long, disastrous and burdensome process to release funds. As part of the Trump administration’s actions to dismantle the Department of Education, the staff who managed these federal funds were fired in March 2025, further delaying the funds from reaching Vermonters. This month, Sanders finally received confirmation from the Department of Education that a total of $11.58 million in funding has been sent to Vermont to reimburse schools for essential activities, such as summer and afterschool programs, school renovations, teacher training, l… | 1 | 2026-04-28T06:05:12Z | 2026-04-28T06:07:17Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-statement-on-overwhelming-majority-of-democratic-caucus-opposing-arms-sales-to-israel/ | NEWS: Sanders Statement on Overwhelming Majority of Democratic Caucus Opposing Arms Sales to Israel | 2026-04-15 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, April 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after 40 Democratic senators voted to block the sale of $295 million worth of bulldozers used to demolish homes in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank, and 36 voted against $151.8 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs used in Gaza and Lebanon. We are making progress. Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block U.S. military aid to Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars. When we started this effort there were just 11 votes. Now, there are 40. That shift reflects where the American people are. Americans, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or independents, want to see our tax money invested in improving lives here at home — not used to kill innocent women and children in the Middle East and put American troops in harm’s way as part of Netanyahu’s illegal wars of expansion. What’s astonishing is that, despite overwhelming opposition across this country, Republicans continue to side with Netanyahu and Trump. | 1 | 2026-04-16T05:48:36Z | 2026-04-16T05:50:08Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-to-force-votes-to-block-arms-sales-to-israel-on-wednesday/ | NEWS: Sanders to Force Votes to Block Arms Sales to Israel on Wednesday | 2026-04-14 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, April 14 – As the Netanyahu government continues its devastation in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and its illegal war on Iran, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced that he will force votes to block nearly half a billion dollars in arms sales to Israel on Wednesday. These include $151.8 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs used in Gaza and Lebanon and $295 million worth of bulldozers used to demolish homes in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. Specifically, the Senate will vote on: S.J.Res.138 – To prohibit the $151.8 million sale of 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 1,000-pound “dumb” gravity bombs and related logistics and technical support services. S.J.Res.32 – To prohibit the $295 million sale of D9R and D9T Caterpillar bulldozers; spare and repair parts; corrosion protection; publications and technical documentation; pre-delivery inspections; U.S. Government and contractor support; technical and logistics support services; storage; and other related elements of logistics and program support. “U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government. Enough is enough,” Sanders said. “The United States must use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel ends these atrocities.” The arms sales in question violate the criteria laid out in the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act. Secretary Marco Rubio signed an emergency determination just six days into the war with Iran in an attempt to bypass the statutory congressional notification period and immediately transfer these weapons. Reliable human rights monitors have documented numerous incidents involving the use of 1,000-pound bombs in illegal strikes leading to unacceptable civilian death tolls, including strikes on densely populated residential areas in Gaza and Beirut. The Caterpillar D9 bulldozers covered by S.J.Res.32 are the IDF’s primary demolition tool — used to demolish Palestinian homes, raze refugee camps, uproot olive… | 1 | 2026-04-15T05:46:42Z | 2026-04-15T05:48:27Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-welch-balint-demand-trump-adminrelease-4-million-in-anti-poverty-funding-to-vermont/ | NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint Demand Trump Admin Release $4 Million in Anti-Poverty Funding to Vermont | 2026-04-06 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | BURLINGTON, Vt., April 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) called on Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to obey the law and immediately release more than $810 million in federal funding that helps more than 10 million Americans living in poverty, including nearly 50,000 Vermonters. Specifically, in just one year, Vermont’s community action agencies served 3,200 Vermonters who did not have health care, 9,000 people who had a disability, more than 7,000 low-income seniors, more than 11,000 children living in poverty and 1,200 veterans and active military personnel. “We are urging you to immediately release this vital funding so that over 48,000 Vermonters and 10 million people throughout America living in poverty can receive the help they desperately need to keep a roof over their heads, feed their families, keep their jobs, send their kids to child care and pay their energy bills,” the members wrote. “These programs are literally a matter of life and death for some of the most vulnerable people in America…Congress funded them. The President signed this funding into law. And, under our Constitution, you do not have the right to determine which laws you will follow and which laws you will ignore.” For over three months, the Trump administration has illegally withheld Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding from community action agencies across the country — including from BROC Community Action, Capstone Community Action, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Northeast Kingdom Community Action and Southeastern Vermont Community Action in our state. Across the country, nearly 1,000 community action agencies in almost every county in America use these funds to provide urgent financial aid for working families with children, people with disabilities and seniors on fixed incomes and to administer critical programs like Head Start and the Low-Income … | 1 | 2026-04-07T05:38:05Z | 2026-04-07T05:39:14Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-wyden-demand-senate-hearings-to-hold-insurance-ceos-accountable-for-their-greed-amid-growing-health-care-crisis/ | NEWS: Sanders, Wyden Demand Senate Hearings to Hold Insurance CEOs Accountable for their Greed amid Growing Health Care Crisis | 2026-04-02 | 2026 | 2026-04 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, April 2 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, today called on committee leadership to hold hearings with the CEOs of the nation’s largest health insurance companies to address a fundamentally broken health care system that is failing millions of Americans. In a letter sent to HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sanders and Wyden wrote: “While our health care system is failing ordinary Americans, it is working exceptionally well for big insurance companies. While 42% of cancer patients go bankrupt within the first two years of their diagnosis, last year the seven major health insurance companies in America made over $54 billion in profits … Against the backdrop of a system that leaves working families paying higher and higher medical bills, the nation’s top insurers paid their CEOs exorbitant compensation packages.” As the senators highlighted in their letter, more than 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured; over half a million people face bankruptcy due to medical debt; and more than 60,000 Americans die each year because they cannot afford timely care. At the same time, Americans pay nearly $15,500 per person for health care — far more than any other wealthy nation — yet experience worse outcomes, including lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality rates. “The American public deserves to know why the big insurance executives that testified before the House earlier this year continue to get richer and richer, while over one-third of people with health insurance have been forced to skip or delay getting the care they need because of the outrageous cost,” Sanders and Wyden wrote. The letter also raised concerns about industry consolidation and vertical integration, noting that large insurers have acquired extensive control across the health care system — from physi… | 1 | 2026-04-03T05:34:17Z | 2026-04-03T05:35:48Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-prevent-owners-from-moving-teams-without-giving-locals-chance-to-buy/ | NEWS: Sanders, Casar Introduce Legislation to Prevent Owners from Moving Teams Without Giving Locals Chance to Buy | 2026-03-26 | 2026 | 2026-03 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, March 26 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) today introduced the Home Team Act, legislation to require owners of professional sports teams to give local communities the chance to buy teams before relocating them. Joining Sanders and Casar as cosponsors of this legislation are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and five members of the House of Representatives. “The American people are sick and tired of billionaires threatening to move the sports teams they own to different states unless they get hundreds of millions in corporate welfare to build new stadiums,” Sanders said. “In my view, professional sports teams should be owned and controlled by the fans who love them, not by the multibillionaire oligarchs who are getting even richer by charging outrageous prices and getting taxpayers to pick up their extravagant costs. You shouldn’t have to be wealthy to take your family to a football game. You shouldn’t have to fear that a multibillionaire will move your favorite team to a different city if taxpayers refuse to subsidize it. The Home Team Act is a very modest piece of legislation that begins to address this problem. I am proud to support it.” “Sports in America should be about more than just making billionaire owners even richer,” Casar said. “Far too many Americans know the pain of losing a team, and far too many communities have had to fork over billions in subsidies just to keep an already profitable team home. Our bill is about creating a level playing field so leagues work for fans and taxpayers, not just owners.” The bill would protect fans from losing teams and protect taxpayers from being extorted for huge subsidies by the threat of relocation. It: Requires sports franchise owners to provide notice a year before moving the team to a new community, defined by crossing state lines or moving to a new Metropolitan Statistical Area; During that year, it gives communities the chance to purchase the team at a fair price, including through the… | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-ocasio-cortez-announce-ai-data-center-moratorium-act/ | NEWS: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Announce AI Data Center Moratorium Act | 2026-03-25 | 2026 | 2026-03 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, March 25 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) today announced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act, legislation that would enact a reasonable pause to the development of AI to ensure the safety of humanity. “AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity. The scale, scope and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts,” Sanders said. “Bottom line: We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity. We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now. We need a federal moratorium on AI data centers.” “We have seen ICE partner with AI companies to surveil Americans, social media users employ AI bots to create sexually explicit deepfakes of women and children, and data center construction inflate electric bills in communities across the country. And all of this harm has occurred because of the absence of federal legislation to regulate AI,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Congress has a moral obligation to stand with the American people and stop the expansion of these data centers until we have a framework to adequately address the existential harm AI poses to our society. We must choose humanity over profit.” The legislation would slow down the development of AI to give democracy a chance to catch up. The AI Data Center Moratorium Act of 2026 would do that by instituting an immediate federal moratorium on AI data centers until strong national safeguards are in place to ensure that: AI is safe and effective — preventing executives in the AI industry from releasing harmful products into the world that threaten the health and well-being of working families, our privacy and civil rights and the future of humanity. The econom… | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-calls-on-bezos-to-testify-before-congress-on-plans-to-replace-millions-of-workers-with-robots/ | NEWS: Sanders Calls on Bezos to Testify before Congress on Plans to Replace Millions of Workers with Robots | 2026-03-23 | 2026 | 2026-03 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, March 23 — After public reporting that Jeff Bezos is seeking to raise $100 billion to replace millions of workers all over America with robots, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today called on Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to hold a public hearing with Bezos regarding the impact of artificial intelligence and robotics on the working class. “In my view, we must demand that Mr. Bezos come before our committee to explain to the American people why he believes it’s a good idea to replace millions of American workers with robots,” Sanders wrote. “We need to understand what will happen to these workers. Will Mr. Bezos be providing a generous severance package for them? Will these displaced workers be able to maintain their health care benefits? Will they be able to receive a decent retirement plan? Or will they simply be thrown out on the street in order to make Mr. Bezos even richer?” Last week, the prominent information technology consulting firm Cognizant estimated that 93% of American jobs would face some disruption and 30% of all jobs would be wiped out by AI. This is a significant increase from the firm’s previous projections and a dire warning about the potential impact of these new technologies on workers and the U.S. economy. “As you know, the pace of technological advancement in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly increased in just the past few years. These revolutionary technologies will have a profound impact on the lives of virtually every worker in America,” Sanders continued. “Our job is to ensure that this new technology benefits working families and is not simply used as another tool to make the wealthiest people in the world unimaginably richer… The American people are increasingly apprehensive about the impact that AI and robotics will have on the economy and their lives. Congress needs to act. The HELP committee needs to act.” | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-files-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-to-block-nearly-660-million-in-bomb-sales-to-israel/ | NEWS: Sanders Files Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block Nearly $660 Million in Bomb Sales to Israel | 2026-03-19 | 2026 | 2026-03 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, March 19 — Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today filed three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) that would block the sale of nearly $658.8 million in offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel amid President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war with Iran. Joining Sanders as cosponsors of these resolutions are Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Earlier this month, the Trump administration notified lawmakers of its intention to declare an “emergency” and bypass Congress to sell more than 20,000 bombs to the Israeli government. These bombs are directly implicated in tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza. The sales include: $298 million for 5,000 “defense articles” relating to 250-pound small-diameter bombs $209 million for 10,000 500-pound bombs $151.8 million for 12,000 1,000-pound bombs “Given the horrific destruction that Israel’s extremist government has wrought on Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, the last thing in the world that American taxpayers need to do right now is to provide 22,000 new bombs to the Netanyahu government,” Sanders said. “No more weapons to support an illegal war.” “Donald Trump launched an illegal, unjustified war of choice against Iran that is making our nation less, not more, safe and has set the region on fire. It has resulted in 13 Americans killed and hundreds more injured, as well as the deaths of thousands of civilians. It’s also costing American taxpayers a billion dollars a day and driving up prices here at home. Trump not only disregarded Congressional authority to declare this war, he’s now bypassing Congress by invoking an emergency authority to supply additional bombs to this war, a crisis of his own making. Congress must use all the tools at our disposal to end Trump’s war, including stopping the transfer of over $658 million of taxpayer-funded bombs to the Netanyahu government. It is clear that prolonging this war by sending additional bombs… | 1 | 2026-04-04T05:28:40Z | 2026-04-04T05:30:10Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-calls-forsenate-hearing-to-correct-kennedys-dangerous-misinformation-campaign-on-autism-and-vaccines/ | NEWS: Sanders Calls for Senate Hearing to Correct Kennedy’s Dangerous Misinformation Campaign on Autism and Vaccines | 2026-03-17 | 2026 | 2026-03 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | sanders | https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, March 17 — In the aftermath of Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy’s repeated and dangerous misinformation campaign inaccurately linking vaccines to autism, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) today called on Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to hold a hearing to set the record straight on autism research and clarify that vaccines are safe and effective and do not cause autism. In his letter, Sanders quotes Cassidy about the safety of vaccines: “You have correctly said: ‘I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker.’ I could not agree more with that assessment. Unfortunately, Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy and many others inside the Trump Administration do not.” Since assuming office, Secretary Kennedy has waged an unprecedented war on science and vaccines that have saved millions of lives. He has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to publish false information on its website suggesting that childhood vaccines cause autism despite the findings of more than 40 scientific studies in seven countries involving over 5.6 million people to the contrary. He has replaced the scientific experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with vaccine skeptics, including several who have promoted the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. And most recently, he overhauled the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), appointing 21 new non-federal members. Several of these appointees have publicly advanced false claims linking vaccines and autism. “It is our responsibility to make sure that the American people understand the truth about vaccines and autism base… | 1 | 2026-04-02T05:33:17Z | 2026-04-02T05:34:59Z |
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-republican-attempts-to-overturn-election-pathetic/ | Sanders: Republican Attempts to Overturn Election Pathetic | 2021-01-02 | 2021 | 2021-01 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, January 2 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement regarding Republican attempts to overturn the results of the November elections: The outcome of the 2020 election is not in doubt. Let's be clear: Joe Biden resoundingly won the popular vote by more than 7 million votes, and he won an Electoral College margin that Trump called a landslide' in 2016. On January 6, the House and Senate will ratify the results of the Electoral College, as has been done for 231 years. From the beginning of his campaign for president, Donald Trump has shown a profound disrespect for the institutions of democracy. It is pathetic that 13 of my colleagues in the Senate and 140 members of the House of Representatives are now demonstrating a similar disdain for the American people by engaging in a dead-end, unconstitutional effort to overturn the will of voters. Every state, including those with Republican Governors, Secretaries of State and legislatures have certified the results of this election. In the two months since the election, more than 80 judges, including some who were appointed by the President, have rejected Donald Trump and his allies' attempts to overturn the election. There are no cases pending that will have any impact on the results. There have been numerous recounts, audits and verifications, including in the most closely contested states. Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security even called this the most secure election in American history.' What all of this comes down to is that Donald Trump and right wing extremists are refusing to accept the will of the people and the fact that Trump lost the election. In their contempt for democracy, they are using lies and conspiracy theories about voter fraud' in an attempt to overturn the election results. It will not work. Joe Biden will be President at noon on January 20. This spectacle by Republican lawmakers only demonstrates their disdain for voters, democracy and the will of the American people. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-senate-republican-leadership-turned-their-backs-on-working-families-today/ | Sanders: Senate Republican Leadership Turned Their Backs on Working Families Today | 2021-01-01 | 2021 | 2021-01 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, January 1 Reacting to Senate Republicans' refusal to provide unanimous consent for a motion by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) seeking up-or-down votes on two bills providing $2,000 in direct economic relief to working-class families today, including Majority Leader McConnell's own proposal, Sanders issued the following statement: Over the past four days I have asked, time and time again, for the Republican leadership to allow the Senate to vote on legislation that passed the House to provide a $2,000 direct payment to working class adults and their kids.This is legislation that Trump supports, Biden supports, and over two-thirds of the U.S. House supported including 44 Republicans.In fact, a recent poll suggests that 78% of the American people support that approach. Unfortunately, Mitch McConnell and the Republican leadership have refused to allow the Senate to vote on this bill, even when accompanied by a vote on the bill which they themselves proposed. At a time when so many Americans are facing economic desperation, it is tragic that the Republican leadership has turned their backs on the working families of this country. When the Biden Administration assumes office, the Senate must immediately take up and pass bold legislation which deals with the economic pain that so many Americans are experiencing. Watch today's floor remarks by Sandershere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-to-demand-votes-on-house-passed-2000-direct-payments-bill-and-mcconnells-bill/ | Sanders to Demand Votes on House-Passed $2,000 Direct Payments Bill and McConnells Bill | 2020-12-31 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 31 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Thursday that he will challenge Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring his own legislation to the floor, in addition to the bill passed by the House of Representatives with support from 44 Republicans and 231 Democrats to give working-class Americans $2,000 direct payments, for an up-or-down vote. The working class of America is facing more economic desperation than at anytime since the Great Depression, Sanders said. They need our help and they need it now. I'm offering a compromise path forward to resolve our current impasse and give Americans the vote they deserve on direct payments. Tomorrow, we should vote on the McConnell bill and the House-passed bill. What objection could Leader McConnell have for not voting on his own bill? McConnell's legislation was introduced after the Republican Leader told the Senate that he would prioritize moving a package of President Trump's priorities, including $2,000 direct payments. Packaging a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and a Congressional inquiry into supposed voter fraud in addition to direct payments, McConnell announced that those are the three important subjects the president has linked together. This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus. Sanders responded: McConnell began the process on Tuesday, and he should finish that work by putting his bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate for consideration before we go home for the New Year. Sanders will ask for unanimous consent to bring both pieces of legislation up for a vote on Friday afternoon. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermonts-congressional-delegation-recognizes-vermont-u-s-service-academy-nominees-via-video-livestream-wednesday-december-30/ | Vermonts Congressional Delegation Recognizes Vermont U.S. Service Academy Nominees via Video Livestream Wednesday, December 30 | 2020-12-31 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Representative Peter Welch on Wednesday evening recognized 28 young Vermonters who received nominations to the United States Service Academies, Class of 2025. Each year the Vermont delegation hosts a reception at the Vermont State House for the nominees. However, for everyone's safety, this year's ceremony was held virtually. The names of this year's nominees, selected by Leahy, Sanders, and Welch through a competitive vetting process, and forwarded to the Academies for final decisions, are: Mr. Eusebio Aja IIIof Barre, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Matthew Bayardof Saint Albans, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Allison Bradleyof Woodstock, Vermont(U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Matthew Durginof Cabot, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Fletcher Footeof Newport, Vermont (U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy Ms. Pauline Garzaof Essex Junction, Vermont (U.S Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Aidan Geboof Vergennes, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Katherine Hawkoof Shelburne, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Charlotte Hillof Williston, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Julia Hortonof Saint Albans, Vermont (U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Ethan Howellof Milton, Vermont(U.S. Air Force Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Mr. Patrick Kwassof South Burlington, Vermont(U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy Mr. Joshua Lajeunesseof Montpelier, Vermont (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy) Nominated by: Leahy, Sanders, Welch Ms. Wylie Lucasof Norwich, Vermont (U.S. Milit… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-demands-mcconnell-hold-vote-on-2000-direct-payments/ | Sanders Demands McConnell Hold Vote on $2,000 Direct Payments | 2020-12-28 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 28 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives' overwhelming 275-134 passage of $2,000 direct payments for the working class: The House has passed a $2,000 direct payment for working people. It is time for the Senate to act. This week on the Senate floor Mitch McConnell wants to vote to override Trump's veto of the $740 billion defense funding bill and then head home for the New Year. I'm going to object until we get a vote on legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class. Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn't agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year's Eve. Let's do our job. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-mitch-mcconnell-to-pass-2000-direct-payments-legislation-in-the-senate/ | Sanders Calls on Mitch McConnell to Pass $2,000 Direct Payments Legislation in the Senate | 2020-12-24 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, December 23 In response to President Trump's disapproval of the $908-billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress on Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement: In America today, millions of Americans are facing economic desperation and need help now.I have been calling on Congress for months to pass legislation to provide every working class American with $2,000 a month until the pandemic ends.Now that Senator Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and President Trump have all indicated strong support for a $2,000 direct payment the ball is in Senate Majority Leader McConnell's court. I say to Senator McConnell: Let the Senate vote immediately on a stand-alone bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment for the working class and $4,000 for couples. If no Republican objects to that bill, it could pass by unanimous consent today. Sanders is the co-author, with Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), of the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, which would provide $2,000 direct monthly payments to working-class Americans for the duration of the pandemic. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-leahy-welch-applaud-dam-repair-funding-for-vermont/ | Sanders, Leahy, Welch Applaud Dam-Repair Funding for Vermont | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced that legislation passed by Congress last night will fund critical water infrastructure projects, including three aging flood-control dams. The Vermont delegation also announced that the state of Vermont has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make much-needed repairs to the Waterbury Dam. The project will begin in early 2021, using $40 million in federal funding secured by the delegation. The America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2020, to be signed into law today, includes language first authored by Senator Sanders in 2016 in the Water Resources Development Act. This year, the amendment authored by Sanders in the Senate and Welch in the House increases the authorization of federal funding to $60 million each for safety improvements at certain state-owned flood control dams constructed by the federal government before 1940. In Vermont, three dams the Waterbury, East Barre and Wrightsville dams are eligible to receive funding under this provision. These dams are essential pieces of Vermont's infrastructure,said Sanders,who is a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the water infrastructure legislation. Maintaining and repairing the dams especially the Waterbury Dam has long been a priority for our state. This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward rebuilding aging dams in Vermont and throughout the United States. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: I have been proud to secure funding for the Waterbury Dam through the appropriations process, and I'm pleased to see the increased spending authorized by this legislation at the request of Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch.Those funds may be very helpful if the cost exceeds the $40 million already appropriated for work on this critical project, and funds may also be needed for work to the other eligible Vermont dams. I was pr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-passage-of-covid-19-relief-package/ | Sanders Statement on Passage of COVID-19 Relief Package | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 21 Upon the Senate's passage of the $908-billion COVID-19 spending package, Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement: Tonight, Congress passed a $908-billion COVID-19 relief bill that extends unemployment benefits through the early spring, and provides support for small businesses, schools, healthcare, nutrition, rentalassistance, child care, broadband, the Postal Service, as well as funding to help distribute vaccines. During the last several weeks, I have been working very hard, along with Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, to provide direct payments to working families throughout the country. Our goal was to replicate what was in the CARES bill of March, which was $1200 for every working-class adult and $500 for each child. While we did not get as much as we wanted, because of opposition from the Republican leadership and too many Democrats, the bill does include a $600 direct payment for every working-class American earning less than $75,000 a year, and a $1,200 direct payment for couples making less than $150,000 a year, plus $600 for each child. That means that the average family of four will receive a direct payment of $2400. While including these direct payments ultimately improved this bill, given the enormous economic desperation that so many working families across this country are now experiencing, there is no question but that this legislation did not go anywhere near far enough. When President-Elect Biden assumes office next month and when the Senate comes back into session in January, I will immediately begin fighting for another relief bill to help America's working familiesincluding another round of direct payments and more relief for the unemployed, the hungry, the uninsured and those who owe back rent and are behind on their mortgage payments. In this unprecedented crisis, it is imperative that we do everything we can to protect the working families of our country, the elderly, the children and the poor. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-bernie-sanders-receives-covid-19-vaccine-from-u-s-capitol-physician-dr-brian-p-monahan/ | Senator Bernie Sanders Receives COVID-19 Vaccine from U.S. Capitol Physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan | 2020-12-19 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON December 19 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders received the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan on Saturday. Sanders said, Following the advice of the Office of the Attending Physician, today I received the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue wearing masks and engage in social distancing. That is how we will beat this virus and end this terrible pandemic. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/over-2000-vermonters-join-sanders-for-virtual-seniors-town-hall/ | Over 2,000 Vermonters Join Sanders for Virtual Seniors Town Hall | 2020-12-18 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON December 18 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders held a virtual town hall Thursday evening to provide an update from Congress and to hear the thoughts and concerns of older Vermonters. Over 2,000 Vermont seniors joined Sanders for the town meeting which was held via phone call and streamed live on Sanders' website. Each December, Sanders hosts holiday meals for seniors throughout the state. However, for everyone's safety, this year's event was held virtually. Sanders participated by video from his Senate office in Washington, D.C. Our senior meals and town meetings are always a highlight of the holiday season. While we couldn't be together in person this year, I'm very pleased we had the opportunity to gather virtually, said Sanders. Especially at a time when many seniors are unable to be with friends and family, I thought it was important to continue this annual event and hear from my constituents about the issues that matter most to them, as well as the challenges they are facing. After Sanders' introductory remarks, Vermonters asked questions on a wide range of issues. Areas of interest ranged from ways to expand and protect Medicare and Social Security, to struggles affording housing, heat, food, and prescription medications. With negotiations continuing in Congress, the COVID-19 relief package was on the minds of many who participated in the town hall. Many asked Sanders about the effort he is leading to ensure that a direct payment provision is included in the final relief bill, as well as his hope that Congress and a Biden Administration will continue to work on and pass additional, much-needed emergency relief in the new year. If approved, these direct payments to Vermonters would add about $350 million to the local economy. It's interesting that all of the questions tonight touched on issues that millions and millions of people are struggling with. Whether it's inadequate Social Security benefits, whether it's the high cost of prescription drugs, whether it's the housing crisis, whether it is student d… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-delivers-floor-speech-urging-senate-to-pass-1200-in-direct-relief-to-working-class/ | Sanders Delivers Floor Speech Urging Senate to Pass $1,200 in Direct Relief to Working Class | 2020-12-18 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 18 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) went to the Senate floor this afternoon to seek unanimous consent to pass legislation he had introduced earlier today to provide direct payments to working families across the United States. Sanders' proposal provides a direct payment of $1,200 for every working-class American, $2,400 for couples, and $500 for children. He was joined on the floor by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who spoke in support of the legislation. Sanders stated, If this country means anything, if the U.S. government means anything, it means that we cannot turn our backs on that suffering, and that we cannot leave Washington for the holidays to go back to our families unless we address the pain and anxiety of other families throughout this country. Read the legislation here. Sanders' speech can be watchedhere, and the prepared remarks can be read below: Mr. President, this country faces the worst set of public health and economic crises that we have faced in over a hundred years. As a result of the pandemic more people are becoming infected than ever before. Hospitalization is higher than ever before. And more people are dying than ever before. We all hope and pray that the new vaccine will be distributed as quickly as possible and that it will put an end to this nightmare. But, today, the truth is that millions of low-income and middle class families are suffering in a way that we have not seen since the Great Depression. Today, the reality is that over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck trying to survive on $10 or $12 an hour. The reality is that millions of senior citizens all over this country are trapped in their homes, unable to see their kids or grandchildren, unable to go to a grocery store, and are trying to survive on $12 or $14,000 a year. In addition, millions more with disabilities are also suffering. Further, in America today, one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year. And, in the midst of this pandemic, b… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-helps-lead-fight-for-direct-payments/ | Sanders Helps Lead Fight for Direct Payments | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 16 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been leading the fight in Washington to provide direct benefits to working families as they struggle through the pandemic and economic downturn. Sanders is fighting for $1,200 for every worker earning less than $75,000 a year, and $2,400 a couple earning less than $150,000 a year. Each child would receive a benefit of $500. This is what existed in the CARES Act passed in March. Currently, negotiations have the benefit set at $600 per adult and $600 per child. At this level, approximately 445,000 Vermont adults and 153,000 children roughly 93 percent of the state's population would receive these benefits. This amounts to over $345 million in direct benefits going to Vermonters, which will be an important economic stimulus. Sanders said: At a time when many Vermonters are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent or mortgage, or have the necessary income to go to the doctor, it is imperative that Congress provide direct payments for working families. I am glad that we are making progress on this issue, but more has to be done, and I will continue that fight. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-on-manchin-romney-deal-congress-cannot-go-home-until-working-class-receives-1200-direct-payments | Sanders on Manchin-Romney Deal: Congress Cannot Go Home Until Working Class Receives $1,200 Direct Payments | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders on Manchin-Romney Deal: Congress Cannot Go Home Until Working Class Receives $1,200 Direct Payments Monday, December 14, 2020 WASHINGTON, December 14 Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislation to be released this afternoon: As a result of the pandemic, tens of millions of Americans are facing economic desperation.They can't afford to pay their rent and face eviction, they can't afford to go to the doctor, they can't afford to feed their children and they are going deeper and deeper into debt.Congress cannot go home for the Christmas holidays until we pass legislation which provides a $1,200 direct payment to working class adults, $2,400 for couples, and a $500 payment to their children. This is what Democrats and Republicans did unanimously in March through the CARES Act.This is what we have to do today. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-on-manchin-romney-deal-congress-cannot-go-home-until-working-class-receives-1200-direct-payments/ | Sanders on Manchin-Romney Deal: Congress Cannot Go Home Until Working Class Receives $1,200 Direct Payments | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 14 Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislation to be released this afternoon: As a result of the pandemic, tens of millions of Americans are facing economic desperation.They can't afford to pay their rent and face eviction, they can't afford to go to the doctor, they can't afford to feed their children and they are going deeper and deeper into debt.Congress cannot go home for the Christmas holidays until we pass legislation which provides a $1,200 direct payment to working class adults, $2,400 for couples, and a $500 payment to their children. This is what Democrats and Republicans did unanimously in March through the CARES Act.This is what we have to do today. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-must-get-1200-direct-checks-to-the-working-class-of-america | We Must Get $1,200 Direct Checks To The Working Class Of America | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | We Must Get $1,200 Direct Checks To The Working Class Of America Members of Congress cannot go back to our families for the holidays when children in the richest country on Earth are going hungry and millions are scared to death of eviction. We must pass my amendment with Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri to get $1,200 direct checks to the working class ofAmerica. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-demands-direct-payments-for-working-families | Sanders Demands Direct Payments for Working Families | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Demands Direct Payments for Working Families Thursday, December 10, 2020 WASHINGTONSenator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stated today on the Senate floor that given the enormity of the current economic crisis, the Senate must pass a $1,200 direct payment for working class adults and $500 for their children as part of any COVID-19 relief package. He is filing an amendment today to the one-week Continuing Resolution to do just that. Sanders said that it would be unacceptable for Congress to adjourn for the holidays while turning its back on the economic desperation facing tens of millions of Americans. In a speech on the floor today, he stated: When a national emergency occurs the United States government must respond. And we are in an economic emergency today. To get out of Washington, to turn our backs on the suffering of so many of our people would be immoral, would be unconscionable, and cannot be allowed to happen. Sanders' speech can be watched here, and the prepared remarks can be read below: "Mr. President: This country today faces an unprecedented crisis both in terms of the pandemic and the economic meltdown. I understand that there are negotiations going on in terms of coming up with an economic package dealing with COVID-19 relief. I applaud the hard work that each of the negotiators are doing. But the truth is that the results up to this point are totally unsatisfactory given the economic desperation facing tens of millions of working families. Back in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, the United States Congress unanimously Democrats and Republicans worked with President Trump to come up with an economic package that went a long way toward preventing absolute misery and destitution for so many of our people. Through no fault of their own, COVID-19 resulted in millions of people losing their jobs and their income. And, in response, Democrats and Republicans in the Congress came together, worked with the President of the United States and, in a very significant wa… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-hawley-introduce-1200-direct-payments-amendment-to-attach-to-end-of-year-legislation | Sanders, Hawley Introduce $1,200 Direct Payments Amendment to Attach to End-of-Year Legislation | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Hawley Introduce $1,200 Direct Payments Amendment to Attach to End-of-Year Legislation Thursday, December 10, 2020 WASHINGTON, December 10 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are introducing a bipartisan amendment to attach to must-pass legislation to be considered by Congress, which would provide $1,200 in direct payments to working-class adults and $500 to each of their children.This amendment, similar to what was passed in the CARES Act, would be attached to must-pass legislation to keep the government going. In the midst of this terrible pandemic and economic crisis, this amendment would make certain that working families get the urgent, direct support they need to survive, said Sanders. A direct payment of $1,200 for adults and $500 for kids would help desperate families pay rent and heating bills, put food on the table, and be able to go to the doctor.In the midst of so much economic desperation, Congress cannot go on recess without providing this $1,200 emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need.I look forward to working across the aisle with Senator Hawley to ensure that the United States Senate passes this amendment. It would be a dereliction of duty if Congress adjourns for Christmas without having a vote on providing working families with direct payments, said Hawley. Working people are struggling. And they should be the first people given relief, not last. The crisis of rising unemployment claims, ever-expanding food lines, evictions, and growing credit card debt has been staring us in the face for months. It's time we do something about it and provide emergency relief to Americans. The amendment is modeled on the $1,200 direct payment for working-class adults plus $500 for their children passed by Congress unanimously in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in March and signed into law by President Trump. Watch Sanders' and Hawley's floor remarks on this proposal here. Read the text of the amendment here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/responding-to-the-needs-of-the-americanpeople | Responding to the needs of the AmericanPeople | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Responding to the needs of the AmericanPeople Yesterday alone, over 3,000 died from this horrific virus. The working class of this country is in the worst financial shape since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The American people need help and they need help NOW! | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-gillibrand-warren-merkley-markey-and-wyden-urge-colleagues-to-defend-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal-2/ | Sanders Demands Direct Payments for Working Families | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 10 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stated today on the Senate floor that given the enormity of the current economic crisis, the Senate must pass a $1,200 direct payment for working class adults and $500 for their children as part of any COVID-19 relief package. He is filing an amendment today to the one-week Continuing Resolution to do just that. Sanders said that it would be unacceptable for Congress to adjourn for the holidays while turning its back on the economic desperation facing tens of millions of Americans. In a speech on the floor today, he stated: When a national emergency occurs the United States government must respond. And we are in an economic emergency today. To get out of Washington, to turn our backs on the suffering of so many of our people would be immoral, would be unconscionable, and cannot be allowed to happen. Sanders' speech can be watchedhere, and the prepared remarks can be read below: Mr. President: This country today faces an unprecedented crisis both in terms of the pandemic and the economic meltdown. I understand that there are negotiations going on in terms of coming up with an economic package dealing with COVID-19 relief. I applaud the hard work that each of the negotiators are doing. But the truth is that the results up to this point are totally unsatisfactory given the economic desperation facing tens of millions of working families. Back in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, the United States Congress unanimously Democrats and Republicans worked with President Trump to come up with an economic package that went a long way toward preventing absolute misery and destitution for so many of our people. Through no fault of their own, COVID-19 resulted in millions of people losing their jobs and their income. And, in response, Democrats and Republicans in the Congress came together, worked with the President of the United States and, in a very significant way, responded to that crisis. Mr. President, what I don't understand is that at a time when, in many … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-hawley-introduce-1200-direct-payments-amendment-to-attach-to-end-of-year-legislation/ | Sanders, Hawley Introduce $1,200 Direct Payments Amendment to Attach to End-of-Year Legislation | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 10 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are introducing a bipartisan amendment to attach to must-pass legislation to be considered by Congress, which would provide $1,200 in direct payments to working-class adults and $500 to each of their children.This amendment, similar to what was passed in the CARES Act, would be attached to must-pass legislation to keep the government going. In the midst of this terrible pandemic and economic crisis, this amendment would make certain that working families get the urgent, direct support they need to survive,said Sanders.A direct payment of $1,200 for adults and $500 for kids would help desperate families pay rent and heating bills, put food on the table, and be able to go to the doctor.In the midst of so much economic desperation, Congress cannot go on recess without providing this $1,200 emergency assistance to the American people in their time of need.I look forward to working across the aisle with Senator Hawley to ensure that the United States Senate passes this amendment. It would be a dereliction of duty if Congress adjourns for Christmas without having a vote on providing working families with direct payments,said Hawley.Working people are struggling. And they should be the first people given relief, not last. The crisis of rising unemployment claims, ever-expanding food lines, evictions, and growing credit card debt has been staring us in the face for months. It's time we do something about it and provide emergency relief to Americans. The amendment is modeled on the $1,200 direct payment for working-class adults plus $500 for their children passed by Congress unanimously in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in March and signed into law by President Trump. Watch Sanders' and Hawley's floor remarks on this proposalhere. Read the text of the amendmenthere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-gillibrand-warren-merkley-markey-and-wyden-urge-colleagues-to-defend-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal | Sanders, Gillibrand, Warren, Merkley, Markey and Wyden Urge Colleagues to Defend Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Gillibrand, Warren, Merkley, Markey and Wyden Urge Colleagues to Defend Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal Tuesday, December 8, 2020 WASHINGTON, December 8 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)urged Senate Democrats today to recognize the enormity of the economic and public-health crisis posed by COVID-19 and join them in demanding that any new COVID-19 relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, while rejecting provisions to give a liability shield to corporations who threaten the health and safety of workers and customers. In aletterto their colleagues, the Senators note that COVID-19 is infecting nearly 200,000 Americans and killing 2,000 Americans daily, and argue that a bipartisan proposal under negotiation does not go anywhere near far enough, as America experiences the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Only $348 billion in new money is currently allocated in that proposal, the Senators point out, even though the Trump Administration and a bipartisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-19 relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment. It would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money, the Senators wrote to their Democratic colleagues. The lawmakers further expressed their opposition to a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk currently under consideration in a bipartisan COVID-19 relief measure, and cited concerns from labor groups that granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase. The letter's signatories also registered their agreement with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-gillibrand-warren-merkley-markey-and-wyden-urge-colleagues-to-defend-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal/ | Sanders, Gillibrand, Warren, Merkley, Markey and Wyden Urge Colleagues to Defend Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, December 8 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)urged Senate Democrats today to recognize the enormity of the economic and public-health crisis posed by COVID-19 and join them in demanding that any new COVID-19 relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, while rejecting provisions to give a liability shield to corporations who threaten the health and safety of workers and customers. In a letter to their colleagues, the Senators note that COVID-19 is infecting nearly 200,000 Americans and killing 2,000 Americans daily, and argue that a bipartisan proposal under negotiation does not go anywhere near far enough, as America experiences the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Only $348 billion in new money is currently allocated in that proposal, the Senators point out, even though the Trump Administration and a bipartisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-19 relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment. It would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money, the Senators wrote to their Democratic colleagues. The lawmakers further expressed their opposition to a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk currently under consideration in a bipartisan COVID-19 relief measure, and cited concerns from labor groups that granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase. The letter's signatories also registered their agreement with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal, as over half of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and one in four are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, while millions more face evicti… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-manchin-romney-covid19-proposal | Sanders Statement on Manchin-Romney COVID19 Proposal | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Manchin-Romney COVID19 Proposal Friday, December 4, 2020 BURLINGTON, December 4 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislative proposal: Given the enormous economic desperation facing working families in this country today, I will not be able to support the recently announced Manchin-Romney COVID proposal unless it is significantly improved. Unfortunately, despite long-time Democratic opposition, this proposal provides 100% legal immunity to corporations whose irresponsibility has led to the deaths of hundreds of workers. It would continue to provide a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk. In fact, the Manchin-Romney proposal will, through this liability provision, encourage corporations to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers - and make a bad situation worse. Further, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, when over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck, when one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, when 92 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured, when tens of millions of people face eviction and when hunger in America is exploding, it is unacceptable that the Manchin-Romney proposal does not even do what the CARES Act did and provide, at the very least, a $1,200 direct payment to working class Americans and $500 for their kids. Tens of millions of Americans living in desperation today would receive absolutely no financial help from this proposal. That is not acceptable. Last March, with unanimous support in Congress, President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law that provided a $600 a week supplement in unemployment benefits and a $1,200 direct payment to every working class adult, $500 per child and significant help for small businesses, states and cities. In October, as part of the negotiating process… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-manchin-romney-covid19-proposal/ | Sanders Statement on Manchin-Romney COVID19 Proposal | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, December 4 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on the Manchin-Romney COVID19 legislative proposal: Given the enormous economic desperation facing working families in this country today, I will not be able to support the recently announced Manchin-Romney COVID proposal unless it is significantly improved. Unfortunately, despite long-time Democratic opposition, this proposal provides 100% legal immunity to corporations whose irresponsibility has led to the deaths of hundreds of workers. It would continue to provide a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk. In fact, the Manchin-Romney proposal will, through this liability provision, encourage corporations to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers and make a bad situation worse. Further, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, when over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck, when one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, when 92 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured, when tens of millions of people face eviction and when hunger in America is exploding, it is unacceptable that the Manchin-Romney proposal does not even do what the CARES Act did and provide, at the very least, a $1,200 direct payment to working class Americans and $500 for their kids. Tens of millions of Americans living in desperation today would receive absolutely no financial help from this proposal. That is not acceptable. Last March, with unanimous support in Congress, President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law that provided a $600 a week supplement in unemployment benefits and a $1,200 direct payment to every working class adult, $500 per child and significant help for small businesses, states and cities. In October, as part of the negotiating process, the Trump Administration and a bi-partisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-students-share-what-you-think-our-national-priorities-should-be | Vermont Students: Share What You Think Our National Priorities Should Be | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Vermont Students: Share What You Think Our National Priorities Should Be The deadline for my annual State of the Union Essay contest is approaching. This contest is a great opportunity for high school students to be actively engaged in our democratic process and think about solutions to the major problems facing our country. If you're a Vermont High school student, join us for the 11th year of the contest and submit your essay by January 12th. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-announces-eleventh-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest | Sanders Announces Eleventh Annual State of the Union Essay Contest | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Announces Eleventh Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Tuesday, November 24, 2020 BURLINGTON, November 24 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his eleventh annual State of the Union essay contest. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas can come from everyone not just those in power and wants to encourage young people to become engaged in the political process, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest. The contest is an opportunity for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve it. The 250-500 word essays can be on any issue of national importance. A volunteer panel of Vermont teachers will judge the essays on the students' ability to articulate an issue and propose a solution, without regard to the students' political views. Senator Sanders will enter the essays of the ten finalists into the Congressional Record the official archive of the U.S. Congress. I started this essay contest 11 years ago to help our students be actively engaged, no matter where they stand on the issues, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. This year, our state and nation face a health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with a renewed fight for racial justice. Many of you have seen family members struggle because of lost wages or health concerns, you have been asked to learn online, and you face a future that may feel uncertain. To my mind, the unprecedented nature of this time makes it more important than ever to hear perspectives and innovative ideas from you, our young people. More than 4,600 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past ten years about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, the rising cost of … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/taxpayers-subsidize-poverty-wages-at-walmart-mcdonalds-other-large-corporations-gao-finds | Taxpayers Subsidize Poverty Wages at Walmart, McDonalds, Other Large Corporations, GAO Finds | 2020-11-18 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Taxpayers Subsidize Poverty Wages at Walmart, McDonald's, Other Large Corporations, GAO Finds Wednesday, November 18, 2020 WASHINGTON, November 18 Many full-time workers employed by some of America's largest and most profitable corporations receive wages so low that they qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefits and Medicaid, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report,Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs,commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), found that 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits. An estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018. At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald's are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year, they're relying on corporate welfare from the federal government by paying their workers starvation wages. That is morally obscene.U.S. taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize some of the largest and most profitable corporations in America.It is time for the owners of Walmart, McDonald's and other large corporations to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage,said Sanders.No one in this country should live in poverty. No one should go hungry. No one should be unable to get the medical care they need. It is long past time to increase the federal minimum wage from a starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to $15, and guarantee health care to all Americans as a human right. GAO sent questionnaires to state Medicaid and SNAP agencies and analyzed data from 15 such agencies across 11 states. Each agency reported the 25 most common employers of Medicaid enrollees and SNAP recipients. A… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/taxpayers-subsidize-poverty-wages-at-walmart-mcdonalds-other-large-corporations-gao-finds/ | Taxpayers Subsidize Poverty Wages at Walmart, McDonalds, Other Large Corporations, GAO Finds | 2020-11-18 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, November 18 Many full-time workers employed by some of America's largest and most profitable corporations receive wages so low that they qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefits and Medicaid, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report,Millions of Full-time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs,commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), found that 5.7 million Medicaid enrollees and 4.7 million SNAP recipients who worked full-time for 50 or more weeks in 2018 earned wages so low that they qualified for these federal benefits. An estimated 12 million wage-earning adults enrolled in Medicaid and 9 million wage-earning adults living in households receiving SNAP benefits worked at some point in 2018. At a time when huge corporations like Walmart and McDonald's are making billions in profits and giving their CEOs tens of millions of dollars a year, they're relying on corporate welfare from the federal government by paying their workers starvation wages. That is morally obscene.U.S. taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize some of the largest and most profitable corporations in America.It is time for the owners of Walmart, McDonald's and other large corporations to get off of welfare and pay their workers a living wage,said Sanders.No one in this country should live in poverty. No one should go hungry. No one should be unable to get the medical care they need. It is long past time to increase the federal minimum wage from a starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to $15, and guarantee health care to all Americans as a human right. GAO sent questionnaires to state Medicaid and SNAP agencies and analyzed data from 15 such agencies across 11 states. Each agency reported the 25 most common employers of Medicaid enrollees and SNAP recipients. Among the 15 agencies, Walmart was in the top four employers of program beneficiaries in each and every one. McDonald's was a top-five employer of employ… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/fafsa-helping-students-afford-college-2020-11-06 | FAFSA: Helping Students Afford College | 2020-11-06 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | FAFSA: Helping Students Afford College Are you looking to pursue further education after high school, but are worried about the cost? If you are considering college, technical, or vocational education, you can now fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA), to help you secure federal, state, and college-specific financial assistance. Now, more than ever, we must keep fighting to make College for All a reality. But until then, students and families deserve to know what resources are available to help pay for continued education. If you have questions, or need help filling out the FAFSA, contact the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation at www.vsac.org or 800-642-3177. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/healthcare-must-no-longer-be-a-privilege | Healthcare Must No Longer Be A Privilege | 2020-10-30 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Healthcare Must No Longer Be A Privilege While 12 million Americans recently lost their health insurance, the private health insurance companies are making record profits during this horrific pandemic. Healthcare must no longer be a privilege or an employee benefit in America. It must be a human right. #MedicareForAll | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-klobuchar-issue-statement-correcting-misinformation-from-president-trump-and-justice-kavanaugh-on-voting-processes | Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes | 2020-10-28 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes Wednesday, October 28, 2020 WASHINGTON, October 28- U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the statement below following President Trump's recent false statement that it is inappropriate and illegal to count ballots after Election Day, and the Supreme Court's ruling inDemocratic National Committee v. Wisconsin Legislature,where Justice Kavanaugh's concurring opinion contains incorrect information regarding voting: "In America, we count the votes to determine who wins an election. Despite the incorrect assertions from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, election officials across the country accept ballots well after Election Day every year, and results are not certified until the votes are counted and a canvas to confirm the results is conducted.Absentee ballots counted after election day do not flip the results of an election,' as Justice Kavanaugh claimed. They are the results of the election. More than twenty states, including states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Utah, require ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they are received after Election Day. This is critical to ensuring that those who may face hardships in voting, including members of our military serving abroad and those affected by COVID-19, are not disenfranchised by things like mail delays. These are not new rules and they do not serve any political party. It is on all of us to reject misinformation and to tell the truth. Our election systems span 50 states, five territories, and thousands of jurisdictions. State and local election officials are working around the clock, and experts have concluded that the integrity of our election system is strong. The best defense against those trying to undermine our democracy is the resolve of the American people, who are voting by the millions as we speak. Keep voting. On October 18, Sanders and Klobuch… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-and-klobuchar-explain-to-trump-in-america-we-count-the-votes-to-determine-who-wins | Sanders and Klobuchar Explain to Trump: 'In America, We Count the Votes to Determine Who Wins' | 2020-10-28 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders and Klobuchar Explain to Trump: 'In America, We Count the Votes to Determine Who Wins' Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobucharreleaseda joint statement Wednesday in response to two recent developments that have amplified fears about next week's general election: President Donald Trump's falsesuggestionthat counting votes after Election Day is unlawful and an ominous concurringopinionfrom U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Trump, who has repeatedlyrefusedto commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses reelection,saidTuesday that "it would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3rd, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate and I don't believe that that's by our laws. I don't believe that. So we'll see what happens." Those widely rebuked remarks came a day after Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee,issuedan opinion parroting the president's lies about mail-in voting fraud. In a 5-3 decision along ideological lines, the high court rejected an attempt by Wisconsin Democrats and rights groups to extend the state's deadline for receiving mailed ballots that are postmarked by Election Day. "In America, we count the votes to determine who wins an election," declared Sanders (I-Vt.) and Klobuchar (D-Minn.), both ex-Democratic presidential primary candidates who have since endorsed the party's nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden. "Despite the incorrect assertions from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, election officials across the country accept ballots well after Election Day every year, and results are not certified until the votes are counted and a canvas to confirm the results is conducted," the senators said. "Absentee ballots counted after Election Day do not 'flip the results of an election,' as Justice Kavanaugh claimed. They are the results of the election." "More than 20 states, including states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Utah, require ballots postmarked by … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-klobuchar-issue-statement-correcting-misinformation-from-president-trump-and-justice-kavanaugh-on-voting-processes/ | Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes | 2020-10-28 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 28 U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) released the statement below following President Trump's recent false statement that it is inappropriate and illegal to count ballots after Election Day, and the Supreme Court's ruling inDemocratic National Committee v. Wisconsin Legislature,where Justice Kavanaugh's concurring opinion contains incorrect information regarding voting: In America, we count the votes to determine who wins an election. Despite the incorrect assertions from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh, election officials across the country accept ballots well after Election Day every year, and results are not certified until the votes are counted and a canvas to confirm the results is conducted.Absentee ballots counted after election day do not flip the results of an election,' as Justice Kavanaugh claimed. They are the results of the election. More than twenty states, including states like Mississippi, Kansas, and Utah, require ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they are received after Election Day. This is critical to ensuring that those who may face hardships in voting, including members of our military serving abroad and those affected by COVID-19, are not disenfranchised by things like mail delays. These are not new rules and they do not serve any political party. It is on all of us to reject misinformation and to tell the truth. Our election systems span 50 states, five territories, and thousands of jurisdictions. State and local election officials are working around the clock, and experts have concluded that the integrity of our election system is strong. The best defense against those trying to undermine our democracy is the resolve of the American people, who are voting by the millions as we speak. Keep voting. On October 18, Sanders and Klobuchar, along with Senators Schumer (D-N.Y.), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Murphy (D-Conn.), and Duckworth (D-Ill.), issued a report titled2020 General Election: Counting Votes & What to Expect… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-condemns-senate-confirmation-of-judge-barrett-to-supreme-court | Sanders Condemns Senate Confirmation of Judge Barrett to Supreme Court | 2020-10-26 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Condemns Senate Confirmation of Judge Barrett to Supreme Court Monday, October 26, 2020 WASHINGTON, October 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement criticizing the Republican-controlled Senate's confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: Tonight's vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice is a disgrace, not only because of what she will do when she gets on the bench, but because of the entire process, which was pushed through with extraordinary hypocrisy by Senate Republicans in the last days of a president's term. At this particular moment, over 50 million people have already cast their ballots to determine who the next President of the United States should be. Now is not the time to be voting on a Supreme Court justice. What we should be voting on instead is a major Covid-19 stimulus package to protect the working people of this country, who, by the tens of millions, have lost their jobs. They're struggling right now to pay their rent, get health insurance, and put food on the table to feed their kids. That is the issue we should be dealing with right now, and I am committed to ensuring that the next U.S. Senate, under Democratic leadership, will make a major Covid-19 stimulus bill the first order ofpriority. Watch Sanders' remarks on his vote against Barrett's confirmation here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/https//vtdiggerorg/2020/10/26/leahy-sanders-say-theyll-vote-against-barrett-nomination-to-supreme-court/ | Leahy, Sanders vote against Barrett nomination to Supreme Court | 2020-10-26 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | 0 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | |||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-should-not-be-voting-on-a-supreme-court-justice | We Should Not Be Voting On A Supreme Court Justice | 2020-10-26 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | We Should Not Be Voting On A Supreme Court Justice I am going down to the Senate floor to vote AGAINST the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. We should not be voting on a Supreme Court justicewe should be voting on major COVID19 relief to protect working families. We will make this the top priority of a Democratic Senate. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-condemns-senate-confirmation-of-judge-barrett-to-supreme-court/ | Sanders Condemns Senate Confirmation of Judge Barrett to Supreme Court | 2020-10-26 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement criticizing the Republican-controlled Senate's confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: Tonight's vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice is a disgrace, not only because of what she will do when she gets on the bench, but because of the entire process, which was pushed through with extraordinary hypocrisy by Senate Republicans in the last days of a president's term. At this particular moment, over 50 million people have already cast their ballots to determine who the next President of the United States should be. Now is not the time to be voting on a Supreme Court justice. What we should be voting on instead is a major Covid-19 stimulus package to protect the working people of this country, who, by the tens of millions, have lost their jobs. They're struggling right now to pay their rent, get health insurance, and put food on the table to feed their kids. That is the issue we should be dealing with right now, and I am committed to ensuring that the next U.S. Senate, under Democratic leadership, will make a major Covid-19 stimulus bill the first order ofpriority. Watch Sanders' remarks on his vote against Barrett's confirmationhere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-most-essential-people-in-our-economy-are-not-hedge-fund-managers | The Most Essential People In Our Economy Are Not Hedge Fund Managers | 2020-10-23 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | The Most Essential People In Our Economy Are Not Hedge Fund Managers Maybejust maybethe most essential people in our economy are not hedge fund managers. If our farmworkers fall ill, we go hungry. We must put an end to their exploitation and provide free health care, paid sick leave, and good wagesregardless of immigration status. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/sanders-democrats-will-pass-massive-stimulus-bill-if-party-flips-the-senate | Sanders: Democrats will pass 'massive stimulus bill' if party flips the Senate | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Democrats will pass 'massive stimulus bill' if party flips the Senate Thursday, October 22, 2020 Sen.Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.) pledged Thursday that Democrats will pass ahuge coronavirus relief package ifthey win the Senate in next month's elections. If the Democrats gain control of the Senate, the first order of business will be a massive stimulus bill to protect desperate working people throughout this country, Sanders said on Hill.TV's Rising. The remarks come as SpeakerNancy Pelosi(D-Calif.) and Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchinpress on in their negotiationson COVID-19 aid. Pelosi has stuck to her position that a stimulus package must total at least $2.2 trillion, while theadministration has inched up to $1.8 trillion. Both sides have said progress has been made in the past week, though no final legislation has materialized. President Trumphas urged the two sides to go big, but disagreements have emerged over aid to state and local governments, which the president calls a slush fund to bail out what he says are poorly run Democratic localities. And Republicans in the Senate have expressed pessimism that they can get enough votes to pass abill that goes beyond $500 billion due to concerns in the conference over the ballooning national debt. Sanders said Senate Republicans' hesitation to go for anything larger than $500 billion is pathetic but that he too has concerns over a potential bill, saying a deal must include a boost to unemployment benefits and another round of stimulus checks. It's not just a number, 1.8 or 2.2 or whatever it is, it is what is in the bill. I am concerned about a slush fund that the Trump administration would have within that bill. I am very concerned that when we have millions of people who have lost their jobs, they desperately need that $600 supplement to their unemployment, they need that $1,200 check, they need health care, they need to be able to pay their rent, he said. So the devil is in the details in terms of what is in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/sanders-progressives-will-work-to-rally-the-american-people-if-biden-wins | Sanders: Progressives will work to 'rally the American people' if Biden wins | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Progressives will work to 'rally the American people' if Biden wins Thursday, October 22, 2020 Sen.Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.)predicted that progressives would look to move Democratic presidential nomineeJoe Bidentoward theirpriorities if he wins the White House this November and Democrats sweep Congress. If you want a progressive agenda to come out of the United States Congress, we're going to have to rally the American people by the tens of millions to demand that we have a government that represents all of us and not just wealthy campaign contributors. We're going to have to correct and deal with a very corrupt election system where massive voter suppression that exists every single day right now, he said on Hill.TV's Rising Thursday. Sanders said Democrats should tackle legislation he plans to introduce to begin the process of moving toward Medicare for All, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, and a massive infrastructure plan. We have got to lay out an agenda that speaks to the struggles and the desperation of working-class Americans, he said. Sanders recognized that Biden, a well-known centrist steeped in old traditions of bipartisanship in Congress, does not share many of his progressive policies but argued his plans would still move the country forward. [I]f you look at Biden's economic proposals, they're not Bernie Sanders's proposals. Don't want to suggest they are. But they will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, equal pay for equal work, making it easier for workers to join unions, $2 trillion investment in combatting climate change and creating millions of good paying jobs in energy efficiency and sustainable energy, paid family and medical leave. No small things, he said. Sanders and other progressives have been on a campaign to persuade liberals who may be skeptical of Biden's centrist brand of politics to back the former vice president, with the Vermont lawmaker maintaining that the first step to moving the country in a more … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-democrats-will-pass-massive-stimulus-bill-if-party-flips-the-senate | Sanders: Democrats will pass 'massive stimulus bill' if party flips the Senate | 2020-10-22 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Democrats will pass 'massive stimulus bill' if party flips the Senate Thursday, October 22, 2020 Sen.Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.) pledged Thursday that Democrats will pass ahuge coronavirus relief package ifthey win the Senate in next month's elections. If the Democrats gain control of the Senate, the first order of business will be a massive stimulus bill to protect desperate working people throughout this country, Sanders said on Hill.TV's Rising. The remarks come as SpeakerNancy Pelosi(D-Calif.) and Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchinpress on in their negotiationson COVID-19 aid. Pelosi has stuck to her position that a stimulus package must total at least $2.2 trillion, while theadministration has inched up to $1.8 trillion. Both sides have said progress has been made in the past week, though no final legislation has materialized. President Trumphas urged the two sides to go big, but disagreements have emerged over aid to state and local governments, which the president calls a slush fund to bail out what he says are poorly run Democratic localities. And Republicans in the Senate have expressed pessimism that they can get enough votes to pass abill that goes beyond $500 billion due to concerns in the conference over the ballooning national debt. Sanders said Senate Republicans' hesitation to go for anything larger than $500 billion is pathetic but that he too has concerns over a potential bill, saying a deal must include a boost to unemployment benefits and another round of stimulus checks. It's not just a number, 1.8 or 2.2 or whatever it is, it is what is in the bill. I am concerned about a slush fund that the Trump administration would have within that bill. I am very concerned that when we have millions of people who have lost their jobs, they desperately need that $600 supplement to their unemployment, they need that $1,200 check, they need health care, they need to be able to pay their rent, he said. So the devil is in the details in terms of what is in the bill. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/bernie-sanders-applauds-people-of-bolivia-for-year-long-fight-to-restore-democracy-in-wake-of-military-coup | Bernie Sanders Applauds People of Bolivia for 'Year-Long Fight to Restore Democracy' in Wake of Military Coup | 2020-10-20 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Bernie Sanders Applauds People of Bolivia for 'Year-Long Fight to Restore Democracy' in Wake of Military Coup Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Following socialist candidate Luis Arce's resounding victory in Bolivia's high-stakes and closely watched presidential election, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday applauded the people of the South American nation for persisting in their "difficult, year-long fight to restore democracy" in the wake of last year's military coup that ousted Evo Morales and installed a vicious right-wing regime. "The Bolivian people made their voices heard in yesterday's election," tweeted Sanders, who wasamong the firstmembers of Congress to condemn the military coup, which wasopenly applaudedby President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers and abetted by the U.S.-dominated Organization of American States (OAS). "As minister of economy, Mr. Arce helped slash poverty and inequality," the Vermont senator added, referring to Arce's role in Morales' government. "I congratulate him on his victory and wish him well." Exit polls released Monday showed Arce with such a large lead in the contest that Carlos Mesa, Arce's closest competitor, was forced to concede defeat. "The results from the quick count are overwhelming and very clear,"saidMesa, who served as president of Bolivia from 2003 to 2005. "It's a result that we accept and it's a result that we believe, because of the difference between the first and second [finishers], will not be modified when we know the final results." U.S. Rep. Jess "Chuy" Garca (D-Ill.)joinedSanders on Monday in celebrating "the triumph of true democracy" in Bolivia and demanded "justice for those persecuted and killed under the ez regime," whichseized powerfollowing the ouster of Morales and promptly unleashedviolent military repressionagainst anti-coup demonstrators. AsThe Intercept's Glenn GreenwaldwroteMonday afternoon, "It looks as though the margin of victory delivered to [the Movement Toward Socialism party] by t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-senate-democrats-to-american-people-do-not-allow-trump-to-undermine-nov-3-election-results | Sanders, Senate Democrats To American People: Do Not Allow Trump To Undermine Nov. 3 Election Results | 2020-10-19 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders, Senate Democrats To American People: Do Not Allow Trump To Undermine Nov. 3 Election Results Monday, October 19, 2020 WASHINGTON, October 18 Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) today released a report summarizing for the American people what to expect on Election Day and reinforcing the Democrats' call to encourage everyone to vote. The report follows the months-long effort by President Trump to undermine the election and his repeated refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. With the general election already well underway in every state across the country, Sanders and Senate Democrats have a clear message for the American people: Vote and cast your ballot as early as possible. While expressing optimism that Election Day will go smoothly around the country, the jointly authored report outlines the possibility that in some states, the outcome might not be known on November 3. The last message from the report is to make absolutely clear that voter intimidation is illegal and that federal law prohibits coercing or threatening anyone in order to interfere with their right to vote. "The American people must be prepared for an election that is unprecedented in our history due to the enormous increase in mail-in ballots that have been, and will be, cast as a result of the pandemic, said Senator Sanders.No one should have to risk their health or their lives in order to vote, and that is why many millions are voting through mail-in ballots. One of the worst lies that Donald Trump is spreading is that there is a massive amount of voter fraud in this country.That is a total lie which no election official, Republican or Democrat, can support.What we are doing with this effort is ensuring that the American people understand that if American … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/leahy-and-sanders-seek-swift-release-of-liheap-heating-help | Leahy and Sanders Seek Swift Release of LIHEAP Heating help | 2020-10-19 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Leahy and Sanders Seek Swift Release of LIHEAP Heating help Monday, October 19, 2020 With winter around the corner and heating costs projected to increase this season, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 senators in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible under the current continuing resolution. The senators say federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that assists low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills and stay safe during the winter. Under a continuing Appropriations Committee resolution, HHS typically releases 90 percent of the $3.7 billion full-year appropriation. Leahy said: With the pandemic continuing to depress family incomes nationwide, and an early fall here in Vermont, it's vital that HHS act swiftly to release LIHEAP dollars to the states. As vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee I've fought year after year to support strong funding for LIHEAP because I know Vermonters rely on this help to keep warm. Any delay in sending these dollars to Vermont will result in Vermont families delaying filling their fuel tanks as nights get colder. I understand the urgency, and I hope the Administration does as well. Sanders said: As a result of this horrific health and economic crisis, Vermonters are hurting like they have never hurt before. It is critical that we get this home heating lifeline to Vermonters immediately. In the richest country on Earth, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that no one has to make the unacceptable choice between putting food on the table, paying for their prescription drugs, or heating their homes this winter. On the Appropriations Committee Leahy has long been an advocate for the LIHEAP program and has secured funding increases for the program over the past three years. The current app… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-senate-democrats-to-american-people-do-not-allow-trump-to-undermine-nov-3-election-results/ | Sanders, Senate Democrats To American People: Do Not Allow Trump To Undermine Nov. 3 Election Results | 2020-10-19 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, October 18 Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) today released areportsummarizing for the American people what to expect on Election Day and reinforcing the Democrats' call to encourage everyone to vote. The report follows the months-long effort by President Trump to undermine the election and his repeated refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. With the general election already well underway in every state across the country, Sanders and Senate Democrats have a clear message for the American people: Vote and cast your ballot as early as possible. While expressing optimism that Election Day will go smoothly around the country, the jointly authored report outlines the possibility that in some states, the outcome might not be known on November 3. The last message from the report is to make absolutely clear that voter intimidation is illegal and that federal law prohibits coercing or threatening anyone in order to interfere with their right to vote. The American people must be prepared for an election that is unprecedented in our history due to the enormous increase in mail-in ballots that have been, and will be, cast as a result of the pandemic,said Senator Sanders.No one should have to risk their health or their lives in order to vote, and that is why many millions are voting through mail-in ballots. One of the worst lies that Donald Trump is spreading is that there is a massive amount of voter fraud in this country.That is a total lie which no election official, Republican or Democrat, can support.What we are doing with this effort is ensuring that the American people understand that if American democracy means anything, it means that every vote must be countedno matter how long it takes. President Trump has for months now been laying the foundation to u… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/bernie-sanders-elizabeth-warren-demand-answers-from-amazon-over-employee-surveillance-allegations | Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren demand answers from Amazon over employee surveillance allegations | 2020-10-16 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren demand answers from Amazon over employee surveillance allegations Friday, October 16, 2020 By: Catherine Thorbecke, ABC News A coalition of Democratic senators sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, pressing the company for answers over allegations that it "unethically" tracks and monitors its employees to suppress efforts to form a union. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) implored Bezos to explain recent reports that the company was investing heavily in technology to track union organization efforts, specifically citing arecent article published by Vox News. "The fact that Amazon has decided to heavily invest in systems to retaliate against freedom of expression about unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, and to refer to organizing and workers' rights mobilization efforts as threats against the company equal to those posed by hate groups and terrorism, is unacceptable," the senators wrote. "Labor organizing campaigns are legally protected activity." Citing media reports, the senators accused Amazon of infiltrating private social media groups created by Amazon employees to track potential discussions of unionization, actively monitoring internal listservs related to employee activism, hiring intelligence analysts to track labor organization efforts and more. "Each of these reports is deeply troubling, and taken together, they suggest a pattern of significant abuse of workers and their rights," the lawmakers wrote to theworld's richest man. They added that "these actions are all the more shocking in the context that nearly 20,000 of your employees contracted the coronavirus," saying it is "deeply concerning that Amazon has prioritized tracking workers who would look to improve their working conditions over addressing the underlying health and safety concerns that those workers face." The senators demanded that Amazon respond to more than a dozen questions by … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-delegation-demands-postmaster-general-deliver-and-install-critical-mail-processing-machine-to-white-river-junction-facility | Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility Tuesday, October 13, 2020 WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I), Senator Patrick Leahy (D), and Representative Peter Welch (D) on Tuesday sent aletterto Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding the immediate delivery and installation of the new AFCS 200 cancellation machine at the White River Junction mail processing facility, a machine that is critical to the efficient handling of the mail. In the letter, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch wrote, While we have been promised for months that a new AFCS 200 cancellation machine will be installed, we have just learned that this will not occur until January of 2021 at the earliest. This timing is both unacceptable and another example of this administration's attempt to sabotage the Postal Service and the 2020 election." The cancellation machines at the White River Junction facility have been due to be replaced for several years now. USPS recently removed an AFCS (legacy system) cancellation machine from the facility, leaving the White River Junction center with justoneoperational cancellation machine. When that machine breaks down, as it did this past weekend, postal employees are forced to process mail by hand, which significantly delays the process. These employees are to be commended for their hard work and dedication and should be given every available resource to ensure the safe and timely processing of the mail, which includes a record number of mail-in ballots. Waiting until 2021 to get this new machine to Vermont will present undue harm to the hundreds of thousands of Vermonters who have been given the ability to vote by mail by November 3rd as well as Vermont's seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on the Postal Service for the delivery of their prescriptions, concluded the Vermont delegation. It will also further harm all those who will be separated from their families this holiday season if… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/no-confirmation-until-after-inauguration | No Confirmation Until After Inauguration | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | No Confirmation Until After Inauguration The last thing the Senate should be doing right now is considering an extreme right-wing Supreme Court nominee who would strip health care benefits from over 20 million Americans and take away protections for preexisting conditions. No confirmation until after inauguration. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermont-delegation-demands-postmaster-general-deliver-and-install-critical-mail-processing-machine-to-white-river-junction-facility/ | Vermont Delegation Demands Postmaster General Deliver and Install Critical Mail Processing Machine to White River Junction Facility | 2020-10-13 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Senator Bernie Sanders (I), Senator Patrick Leahy (D), and Representative Peter Welch (D) on Tuesday sent aletterto Postmaster General Louis DeJoy demanding the immediate delivery and installation of the new AFCS 200 cancellation machine at the White River Junction mail processing facility, a machine that is critical to the efficient handling of the mail. In the letter, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch wrote, While we have been promised for months that a new AFCS 200 cancellation machine will be installed, we have just learned that this will not occur until January of 2021 at the earliest. This timing is both unacceptable and another example of this administration's attempt to sabotage the Postal Service and the 2020 election. The cancellation machines at the White River Junction facility have been due to be replaced for several years now. USPS recently removed an AFCS (legacy system) cancellation machine from the facility, leaving the White River Junction center with justoneoperational cancellation machine. When that machine breaks down, as it did this past weekend, postal employees are forced to process mail by hand, which significantly delays the process. These employees are to be commended for their hard work and dedication and should be given every available resource to ensure the safe and timely processing of the mail, which includes a record number of mail-in ballots. Waiting until 2021 to get this new machine to Vermont will present undue harm to the hundreds of thousands of Vermonters who have been given the ability to vote by mail by November 3rd as well as Vermont's seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely on the Postal Service for the delivery of their prescriptions, concluded the Vermont delegation. It will also further harm all those who will be separated from their families this holiday season if they are unable to rely on promise of the U.S. Postal Service to receive mail from loved ones a small but critically important way to reduce isolation, depression, and loneliness, par… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/donald-trump-is-either-a-tax-cheat-or-a-bad-businessmanlikely-both | Donald Trump Is Either A Tax Cheat Or A Bad BusinessmanLikely Both | 2020-10-10 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Donald Trump Is Either A Tax Cheat Or A Bad BusinessmanLikely Both Let's be clear: Donald Trump is either a tax cheat who pays less in income taxes than the average worker, or a bad businessman who has lost money year after yearlikely both. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-seniors-can-now-get-food-assistance-more-easily-thanks-to-the-new-3squaresvt-in-a-snap-program | Vermont Seniors Can Now Get Food Assistance More Easily, Thanks to the New 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP Program | 2020-10-02 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Vermont Seniors Can Now Get Food Assistance More Easily, Thanks to the New 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP Program Friday, October 2, 2020 BURLINGTON, October 2 Beginning October 1st, 2020, Vermont seniors applying for 3SquaresVT are able to use a simple application and benefit renewal process as part of the new 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP program. The easy to use application is available to individuals and households age 60 or older and persons with disabilities. 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP is an improvement to the State's food assistance program,saysKaty Davis, Community Health Initiatives Director at Hunger Free Vermont. Traditional applications can be lengthy to complete, and the benefit renewal process often burdensome, leaving many Vermonters' benefits to lapse. The new program will streamline applications and allow recipients to retain benefits for up to three years without additional paperwork. For too long, a complex application process has prevented older Vermonters from receiving benefits. With hunger on the rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made important changes to the SNAP program, known locally as 3SquaresVT , that make it much easier for older Vermonters to access nutritious foods. In contrast to critical emergency food distribution efforts and invaluable contributions by the charitable food system, SNAP is one of the best, most sustainable food supports Vermonters can feel confident about. In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should ever have to worry about going to bed hungry. Period. But as so many people are struggling right now to put food on the table, I strongly urge older Vermonters to see if you qualify for 3SquaresVT,saidSenator Bernie Sanders, a long-time champion of nutrition assistance programs. We are dealing with the worst health crisis and economic crisis in our lifetimes. Today, as 29 million Americans are struggling with hunger and millions of seniors are trying to get by on fixed incomes, I want every Vermonter to know that I am… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-vermont-seniors-can-now-get-food-assistance-more-easily | Sanders: Vermont seniors can now get food assistance more easily | 2020-10-02 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders: Vermont seniors can now get food assistance more easily Friday, October 2, 2020 Beginning October 1, 2020, Vermont seniors applying for 3SquaresVT are able to use a simple application and benefit renewal process as part of the new 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP program. The easy to use application is available to individuals and households age 60 or older and persons with disabilities. 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP is an improvement to the State's food assistance program, says Katy Davis, Community Health Initiatives Director at Hunger Free Vermont. Traditional applications can be lengthy to complete, and the benefit renewal process often burdensome, leaving many Vermonters' benefits to lapse. The new program will streamline applications and allow recipients to retain benefits for up to three years without additional paperwork. For too long, a complex application process has prevented older Vermonters from receiving benefits. With hunger on the rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made important changes to the SNAP program, known locally as 3SquaresVT , that make it much easier for older Vermonters to access nutritious foods. In contrast to critical emergency food distribution efforts and invaluable contributions by the charitable food system, SNAP is one of the best, most sustainable food supports Vermonters can feel confident about. In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should ever have to worry about going to bed hungry. Period. But as so many people are struggling right now to put food on the table, I strongly urge older Vermonters to see if you qualify for 3SquaresVT, said Senator Bernie Sanders, a long-time champion of nutrition assistance programs. We are dealing with the worst health crisis and economic crisis in our lifetimes. Today, as 29 million Americans are struggling with hunger and millions of seniors are trying to get by on fixed incomes, I want every Vermonter to know that I am continuing to fight to expand critically important anti-hung… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/vermont-seniors-can-now-get-food-assistance-more-easily-thanks-to-the-new-3squaresvt-in-a-snap-program/ | Vermont Seniors Can Now Get Food Assistance More Easily, Thanks to the New 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP Program | 2020-10-02 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, October 2 Beginning October 1st, 2020, Vermont seniors applying for 3SquaresVT are able to use a simple application and benefit renewal process as part of the new 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP program. The easy to use application is available to individuals and households age 60 or older and persons with disabilities. 3SquaresVT IN A SNAP is an improvement to the State's food assistance program,saysKaty Davis, Community Health Initiatives Director at Hunger Free Vermont. Traditional applications can be lengthy to complete, and the benefit renewal process often burdensome, leaving many Vermonters' benefits to lapse. The new program will streamline applications and allow recipients to retain benefits for up to three years without additional paperwork. For too long, a complex application process has prevented older Vermonters from receiving benefits. With hunger on the rise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress made important changes to the SNAP program, known locally as 3SquaresVT , that make it much easier for older Vermonters to access nutritious foods. In contrast to critical emergency food distribution efforts and invaluable contributions by the charitable food system, SNAP is one of the best, most sustainable food supports Vermonters can feel confident about. In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should ever have to worry about going to bed hungry. Period. But as so many people are struggling right now to put food on the table, I strongly urge older Vermonters to see if you qualify for 3SquaresVT,saidSenator Bernie Sanders, a long-time champion of nutrition assistance programs. We are dealing with the worst health crisis and economic crisis in our lifetimes. Today, as 29 million Americans are struggling with hunger and millions of seniors are trying to get by on fixed incomes, I want every Vermonter to know that I am continuing to fight to expand critically important anti-hunger programs, like Meals on Wheels, school nutrition, and SNAP,Sanders continued. In additi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/are-you-ready-for-a-radical-idea | Are You Ready For A Radical Idea? | 2020-10-01 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Are You Ready For A Radical Idea? Are you ready for a radical idea? Billionaires in the United States should not be paying less in taxes than nurses, teachers, firefighters and truck drivers. It's time to tax the $845 billion in wealth gains 643 billionaires made during the pandemic and expand Medicare to all. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-scotus-nomination | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination Saturday, September 26, 2020 BURLINGTON, September 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: "President Trump and Senate Republicans have badly mismanaged a deadly pandemic for months. Now, in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis, they are willing to ram through a Supreme Court nomineewithin dayswho will vote to destroy the Affordable Care Act, kick millions of Americans off their health care, and eliminate protections for millions more who have preexisting conditions. This is an absolute outrage. "The American people will not stand for this cynical effort to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, just days before an election, with someone who will roll back basic protections for women, workers, voters, people of color, the LGBT community, and our environment. I strongly oppose this nomination and we must fight as hard as we can to ensure that this nominee is not confirmed." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-supreme-court-nomination | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination Saturday, September 26, 2020 BURLINGTON, September 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: "President Trump and Senate Republicans have badly mismanaged a deadly pandemic for months. Now, in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis, they are willing to ram through a Supreme Court nomineewithin dayswho will vote to destroy the Affordable Care Act, kick millions of Americans off their health care, and eliminate protections for millions more who have preexisting conditions. This is an absolute outrage. "The American people will not stand for this cynical effort to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, just days before an election, with someone who will roll back basic protections for women, workers, voters, people of color, the LGBT community, and our environment. I strongly oppose this nomination and we must fight as hard as we can to ensure that this nominee is not confirmed." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-supreme-court-nomination/ | Sanders Statement on Supreme Court Nomination | 2020-09-26 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | House | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | BURLINGTON, September 26 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court: President Trump and Senate Republicans have badly mismanaged a deadly pandemic for months. Now, in the midst of an unprecedented public health crisis, they are willing to ram through a Supreme Court nomineewithin dayswho will vote to destroy the Affordable Care Act, kick millions of Americans off their health care, and eliminate protections for millions more who have preexisting conditions. This is an absolute outrage.The American people will not stand for this cynical effort to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, just days before an election, with someone who will roll back basic protections for women, workers, voters, people of color, the LGBT community, and our environment. I strongly oppose this nomination and we must fight as hard as we can to ensure that this nominee is not confirmed. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/must-watch-sanders-take-trump-threat-to-us-democracy-seriously | Must Watch: Sanders: Take Trump Threat To U.S. Democracy Seriously | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Must Watch: Sanders: Take Trump Threat To U.S. Democracy Seriously Thursday, September 24, 2020 Senator Bernie Sanders talks with Rachel Maddow about why Donald Trump's efforts to delegitimize the 2020 election should be taken seriously and the nightmare scenario he is most concerned about for Election Night.Watch here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/live-sens-gillibrand-and-sanders-talk-postalbanking-2020-09-24 | LIVE: Sens. Gillibrand and Sanders Talk PostalBanking | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | LIVE: Sens. Gillibrand and Sanders Talk PostalBanking Join me and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as we introduce the Postal Banking Act. Together, we will guarantee basic banking services to allno outrageous fees or interest ratesall at your local post office. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/senate-republicans-brazen-hypocrisy-on-the-supreme-court | Senate Republicans' Brazen Hypocrisy on the Supreme Court | 2020-09-24 | 2020 | 2020-09 | Independent | Senate | VT | Bernard Sanders | S000033 | www.sanders.senate.gov | legacy | Senate Republicans' Brazen Hypocrisy on the Supreme Court Here's what Senate Republicans said when they blocked President Obama's Supreme Court nominee. Do they have any integrity? The right thing to do for this vacancy is clear, and Senate Republicans know it. They've stated it clearer than I could. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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