url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/citing-trump-administration-inaction-sanders-and-omar-pursue-oversight-effort-on-amazon-workplace-abuse-,"Citing Trump Administration Inaction, Sanders and Omar Pursue Oversight Effort on Amazon Workplace Abuse",2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Citing Trump Administration Inaction, Sanders and Omar Pursue Oversight Effort on Amazon Workplace Abuse Thursday, December 19, 2019 WASHINGTON, December 19 In the face of the Trump Administration's continued failure to hold Amazon accountable for endemic abuses at its warehouses, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are demanding detailed information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding injury reports at Amazon facilities over the past three years. Working conditions in the United States of America should be the best and safest in the world, write Sanders and Omar. Unfortunately, workers at Amazon facilities suffer from continued egregious safety lapses. The two lawmakers cite Amazon's own injury records, recently revealed in a Center for Investigative Reportingexpos, that demonstrate that the company's rate of serious injuries ismore than doublethe average of warehouses nationwide. Due to the company's pressure on warehouse employees during the holiday shopping season, the first two weeks of December are themost dangerous of the yearfor Amazon workers. In July, Sen. Sanders and Rep. Omar led a dozen lawmakers in calling for OSHA to launch a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the workplace conditions at all of Amazon's warehouses, and urged OSHA to prosecute any uncovered abuses to the fullest extent of the law. OSHA's response to the members of Congress did not commit to conducting any new investigations or to the enforcement of violations at Amazon. OSHA's inaction reflects a deliberate shift by the Trump Administration toward weaker workplace protections. OSHA'sown datareveal a notable decline in the number of inspectors and worksite inspections. Given your agency's lack of attention to this very serious matter, Sanders and Omar conclude, OSHA must now produce injury reports for all Amazon facilities.By law, this data must be visibly posted on the worksite and made available to employees, former employees, and representatives of employees. As the injury reports are stored in an easily shared data file, the two lawmakers estimate that it should take no more than a day for OSHA to comply with this request. Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/achieving-the-american-dream-is-harder-for-millennials-gao-finds,"Achieving the American Dream is Harder for Millennials, GAO Finds",2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December18 Millennials are financially worse off than previous generations, and may not have the chance to do better than their parents, according to anew studyby the Government Accountability Office (GAO).Commissioned bySenatorBernie Sanders(I-Vt.), the analysis paints a dire economic picture formillennial households: compared to previous generations' economic status at the same age, millennialsdespite higher levels of educational achievementhave lower median and average net worth, lower home ownership rates, higher student debt, and flat incomes.If we don't fundamentally transform our economy, we are facingfor the first time in the history of this countrythe possibility that our young people will suffer a worse future than their parents had.This report confirms my fears,saidSanders. TheGAO studyprovides a unique and comprehensive look at declining economic mobility across three generations: Millennials, identified as thosebornin the years spanning1982to2000,Generation Xers(born from1965to1981), and Baby Boomers (born from1946 to 1964).In 1970, a 30-year-old American had a 92-percent chance of earning more than their parents did at the same age, GAO found. A 30-year-old in 2010 only had a 50-percent chance of earning more than their parents. This dramatic decline in economic mobility over three generations is particularly stunning given that the economy produceddoublethe income per person over those 40 years. According to GAO, millennials had an estimated median net worth of $20,038 in 2016 dollars, $11,202 less than the average net worth of Generation Xers when they were 25 to 34 years olda 36-percent decline over 15 years.More millennials are likely to have student debt than previous generations and shoulder greater amounts of it. Forty-five percent of millennials aged 25 to 34 have student loans compared to 24 percent of GenerationXers and about 16 percent of Boomers at the same age. Millennials' loan-to-income ratio is more thandoublethat of previous generations, and they are far more likely than previous generations to have student debt that exceeds their entire annual income.Our young people did what they were told: they got an education and worked hard. But instead of being rewarded, millennials are now being punished with crushing student debt and low-paying jobs, said Sanders. It is about time we take a hard look at this research and standupfor our young people who dream of making it into the middle class. We must tell the economic elite who have hoarded income growth in America: No, you can no longer have it all.The economic outlook is particularly bleak for the bottom 25 percent of millennials: compared to the zero median net worth for the bottom 25 percent of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers at the same age, millennials were $19,470 in debt.Millennials are not building wealth through homeownership at similar rates as previous generations, either. About 43 percent of millennials own homes, compared to 51 percent of GenerationX households and 49 percent of Boomer households when they were the same age.GAO also found that the economic status of one's parents is a key determinant of a person's economic future: between one-third and two-thirds of an individual's income can be predicted simply by their parents' income. The findings offer further evidence that the United States, far from being exceptional in offering opportunity, is one of theleast economically mobilecountries in the developed world.GAO found that racial and geographic disparities also diminish economic mobility. Black familiesexperience lessupward economic mobility from one generation to the next than white families. A child's neighborhoodincluding associated poverty rates, racial segregation, school quality and other factorsinfluence future earnings.Growingupin an affluent neighborhood, for example, can have almost the same impact on future earnings as obtaining a bachelor's degree.In the richest country in the history of the world, we have an obligation to turn this around and make sure our kids live healthier and better lives than we do, concluded Sanders.Sanders is the author of wide-ranging legislation to reverse the America's trend of downward economic mobility and income stagnation. He recently introduced the College for All Act, which guarantees tuition-free public college, university and trade school to all Americans, while canceling all $1.6 trillion in student loan debt by taxing Wall Street speculation. Sanders' Raise the Wage Act boosts incomes for nearly 40 million workers by setting a $15-an-hour federal wage floor, and his Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act reduces the pay gap between CEOs and their workers.Read the reporthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-house-vote-for-impeachment,Sanders Statement on House Vote for Impeachment,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/high-school-students-participate-in-vermont-day-at-the-kennedy-institute-for-the-us-senate,High School Students Participate in Vermont Day at the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"High School Students Participate in Vermont Day' at the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate Tuesday, December 10, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., December 10 Students from Woodstock Union High School traveled to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston on Monday, as part of Vermont Day organized by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). This marked the fifth time Vermont students have participated in the non-partisan Kennedy Institute's innovative programming on democracy, civics and the legislative process. Twice a year, my office organizes these trips to promote student engagement in the legislative process, said Sanders, who serves on the Senate education committee. Vermont Day is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to learn that democracy is not a spectator sport. When we work together and debate the big issues facing our nation, we can make meaningful change. On Tuesday, nearly 50 students from Woodstock Union High School took on the role of Senator-for-a-day in a full-scale replica of the U.S. Senate chamber. It is always a privilege to welcome participants from schools across the Green Mountain state to experience all that the Kennedy Institute has to offer, said Sarah Yezzi, Institute Director of Education, Family & Youth Programming. We are grateful to Senator Sanders and his staff for their support of the continued Vermont Day visits so even more students are able to understand civic engagement in an enjoyable and immersive venue. The immersive experience included researching, introducing and debating legislation to make college more affordable and to address comprehensive immigration reform. Sanders welcomed the Vermont students in recorded video remarks. The Kennedy Institute is helping young people better understand how our government works and how they can be involved in developing solutions to the problems we face, Sanders said.After all, representative democracy only works if we havean informed and engaged citizenry. Schools and students that are interested in the next Vermont Day during the spring semester can contact Katarina Lisaius at Sanders' Burlington office at 1-800-339-9834. To watch a video about last fall's visit to the Kennedy Institute,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-articles-of-impeachment,Sanders Statement on Articles of Impeachment,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-urge-administration-to-deny-gilead-monopoly-profits-on-hiv-drug-over-misconduct,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Urge Administration to Deny Gilead Monopoly Profits on HIV Drug Over Misconduct,2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 9 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)are demanding that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) deny a patent extension requested by Gilead Sciences for a lifesaving HIV medicine, worth tens of billions of dollars, due to the pharmaceutical giant's deceitful and immoral behavior. The lawmakers urge the government to instead allow the drug Descovyused to both treat and prevent HIVto be manufactured generically.Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are acting onexplosive allegationsthat Gilead delayed the market entry of Descovy in order to continue profiting off a separate drug, Truvada, which Gilead knew to be less safe, until that drug's patent term had been exhausted. In the process of applying for patent extension for the intentionally delayed drug,note Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez,Gilead withheld information on its true motives for halting Descovy's development.Gilead has made an obscene $36 billion off of Truvada since 2004, even though thousands of Americans could have been spared injury and even death had Descovy been used instead,wrote Sanders and Ocasio-Cortezin the December 6 letter to the USPTO.Corporate misconduct must not be rewarded by the U.S. government through extending a government-granted monopoly on this medicine.The members of Congress observe that the United States is dealing with a massive public health crisis. Thousands of people are unnecessarily dying from a preventable disease, as these drugs have been shown to be 99-percent effective at curbing the transmission of HIV, holding the promise of eradicating HIV/AIDS if widely and promptly adopted.Descovy, if manufactured generically,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez maintain,could quickly and affordably reach hundreds of thousands of Americans. If the government extends Gilead's patent, however, the corporation could use this monopoly to charge several thousand times more for the same compound, putting it out of reach for untold numbers of Americans desperate for affordable HIV treatment and prevention.We call on the USPTO to deny Gilead's patent extension request and offer urgent relief to countless Americans confronting HIV who were denied this medicine for nearly a decade due to the greed of Gilead,conclude Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.Should the USPTO disregard the lawmakers' appeal and award Gilead with this lucrative monopoly, the federal agency would set a very dangerous precedent for other wealthy and powerful corporations that will look to be rewarded for deception and misconduct,the members of Congress warn.Sanders' and Ocasio-Cortez's bicameral effort emerged out of months of engagement with PrEP4All Collaboration, a group of grassroots activists demanding universal access to these HIV drugs, medicine that was developed with significanttaxpayer investmentin research.Sanders is the author ofsweeping legislationto slash the price of prescription drugs, introduced earlier this year, including the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act, the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act, and thePrescription Drug Price Relief Act of 2019, which would break patents on expensive drugs and authorize cheap generics if pharmaceutical companies refuse to lower their prices to the median price found in other rich countries.Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-khanna-condemn-pentagon-authorization-giveaway-urge-congress-to-vote-no,"Sanders, Khanna Condemn Pentagon Authorization Giveaway, Urge Congress to Vote No",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, December 9In response to the publication of the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) issued the following statement:Congress must vote against this disastrous Pentagon authorizationa bill of astonishing moral cowardice. Congress should have used this National Defense Authorization Act to stop our endless wars. Instead, this bill does nothing to rein in out-of-control military spending, prevent unconstitutional war against Iran, limit the poisoning of Americans' drinking water, or end the obscenity of innocent children in Yemen being killed by U.S. bombs.In 2018, a groundswell of Americans came out totheballot box to elect a Congress that would stand up to the brutal agenda of President Trump and the Republicans. The American people could not have imagined that this Congress would go on to craft legislation that adds tens of billions in new Pentagon spendingmore than enough to fund tuition-free public college across Americawhile placing hardly any limits on this lawless administration.Voters would be appalled to know that instead of seizing the opportunity to end illegal U.S. participation in the horrific Saudi-led bombings of Yemen, Congress will continue to fund Trump's unconstitutional war, which threatens to kill 24 million Yemenis facing starvation and disease. Americans will be furious to learn that Congress refused to protect Americans from being poisoned by toxic PFAS chemicals polluting their drinking water.Every member of Congress should vote against this measure. There is no pressing reason for Congress to shower Trump, his Saudi friends, and the Pentagon contractors of the military-industrial complex with this $738-billion taxpayer giveaway right now. We owe it to the American people to go back to the drawing board. Congress must say no.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/wyden-sanders-demand-more-accountability-following-pentagons-second-financial-audit,"Wyden, Sanders Demand More Accountability Following Pentagons Second Financial Audit",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Wyden, Sanders Demand More Accountability Following Pentagon's Second Financial Audit Monday, December 9, 2019 Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., today released the following statement regardingthe completion of the Pentagon's second financial audit: The Pentagon has just completed its second full financial audit and the results look a lot like a Sergio Leone western: there's some good, some bad, and some ugly. The good news is that the Pentagon was able to complete an audit for the second year in a row. We give David Norquist credit for putting the Department of Defense (DOD) under audit as comptroller and for sustaining that effort after his promotion to deputy secretary.We also appreciate that the scope of this audit was broader and deeper than last year, meaning auditors are delving deeper into DOD's books. The bad news is that auditors identified 1,300 new Notices, Findings, and Recommendations (NFRs), or issues for the Department to address through corrective action plans. And if 1,300 sounds like a big number, that's in addition to the roughly 1,900 outstanding NFRs from the previous audit. About half of these NFRs relate to outdated financial IT and management systems, some from the 1960s and 70s. Which brings us to the ugly: the number of material weaknesses, or significant problemswhat we sometimes call show-stoppers'rose from 20 last year to 25. These material weakness have names like real property' and universe of transactions,' which are fancy ways to saying that the Pentagon doesn't know all the buildings it owns or where they're located and still can't tell the American people everything it buys with their money. We never expected the DOD to go from unauditable to clean audits in two years; it took the smaller Department of Homeland Security a decade. But that doesn't mean the Pentagon shouldn't be doing more. For starters, DOD isn't moving quickly enough in our estimation to consolidate and update legacy systems, which is a big drag on the overall audit effort. If DOD has a strategy for this, it's surely one of the best kept secrets in Washington. We also want to see the Department focus less on the low-hanging fruit and more on reducing the number of material weaknesses, which would have a greater impact on DOD's overall financial management. Wyden and Sanders have been urging the Pentagon to conduct audits for years, including cosponsoring the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2015. In 2017, the Pentagon announced the agency would begin to conduct yearly agency-wide financial audits beginning in 2018.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/must-read-vermont-seniors-face-high,Must Read: Vermont seniors face high rates of financial insecurity,2019-11-29,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Must Read: Vermont seniors face high rates of financial insecurity By: Xander Landen; VT Digger Friday, November 29, 2019 Seniors in Vermont face one of the highest rates of financial insecurity in the nation, according to areport released by UMass Boston this month. According to the report, 31% of seniors over the age of 65 who live alone, and 43% of elderly couples, don't make enough income to meet the cost of basic needs, even though they are above the federal poverty line. The report, which analyzed federal data on the costs of housing, health care, transportation, food, and other goods in all 50 states found Vermont ranks first in the nation for the highest rate of economic insecurity for older couples, and third for singles. Elderly Vermont couples who rent need an annual income of $43,000 and singles who rent need about $30,000 a year to meet basic living expenses, according to the report. Additional datacouples in Vermont that own a home without a mortgage should have an annual income of about $41,000, which is 130% higher than the national average. Jan Mutchler, a professor of gerontology at UMass Boston and the author of the report, said the higher costs of health care and housing in Vermont are part of what makes it difficult for seniors to afford living in the state. On average, she found that with the cost of Medicare, supplemental health plans, co-payments, and drug costs, elderly Vermonters typically spend $586 a month on health care. The U.S. average is $395 per month. Angela Smith-Dieng, the director of the State Unit on Aging at the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), said she was struck by how the study highlighted the seniors who are above the poverty line but still in that gap where they're struggling to meet the cost of living in our state. Typically there's so much focus on reducing poverty and when we only look at poverty levels, we're missing a lot of folks who are living above that threshold but still struggling, Smith-Dieng said. Greg Marchildon, the state director of the Vermont AARP, said many Vermonters live on Social Security benefits, which haven't increased significantly at the federal level in several years, despite rising costs of living. Marchildon said that to address the problem, officials at the federal level should increase retirement benefits and help curb the rising costs of drug prices. At the state level, he says Vermont needs to invest more in affordable housing for seniors and should completely eliminate the tax on Social Security benefits. To read full article, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-and-khanna-partner-to-end-yemen-war,Sanders and Khanna Partner to End Yemen War,2019-11-27,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Khanna Partner to End Yemen War Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) made history in 2019 by passing the first-ever War Powers Resolution to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led assault on Yemen. In the wake of Trump's veto, they are partnering to prohibit all funding for that war in the 2020 Pentagon spending authorization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-launches-tenth-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest,Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest,2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Tuesday, November 26, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 26 U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has launched his tenth annual State of the Union essay contest. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas come from every corner of our country, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve that problem. 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. Sanders will enter the essays of the ten finalists into the Congressional Record the official archive of the U.S. Congress. He will also invite the ten finalists to be interviewed about their essay topic, so their voices and perspectives can be included in his official videos and social media. I started this essay contest 10 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. We need our students to help find solutions for the problems that face our country as they are our future leaders. More than 4,000 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past nine years about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, the rising cost of college, and much, much more. Last year, Firdaus Muhammad from Winooski High School was selected as the winner from 590 submissions for her essay on Islamophobia. The deadline for student essay submissions is Jan. 8, 2020. More information can be found on Sanders' Senate webpage athttp://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/or by calling (800) 339-9834.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-launches-tenth-annual-state-of-the-union-essay-contest,Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest,2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Launches Tenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest Tuesday, November 26, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) launched his tenth annual State of the Union essay contest on Friday. Each January, the President of the United States delivers the State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress, which outlines priorities for the coming year. Because Senator Sanders knows that great ideas come from every corner of our country, he created the State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont high school students to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve that problem. 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. Sanders will enter the essays of the ten finalists into the Congressional Record the official archive of the U.S. Congress. He will also invite the ten finalists to be interviewed about their essay topic, so their voices and perspectives can be included in his official videos and social media. I started this essay contest 10 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. We need our students to help find solutions for the problems that face our country as they are our future leaders. More than 4,000 students from high schools throughout Vermont have written essays in the past nine years about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, the rising cost of college, and much, much more. Last year, Firdaus Muhammad from Winooski High School was selected as the winner from 590 submissions for her essay on Islamophobia. The deadline for student essay submissions is Jan. 8, 2020. More information can be found on Sanders' Senate webpage athttp://www.sanders.senate.gov/stateoftheunion/ or by calling (800) 339-9834.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-from-senator-sanders-on-the-passing-of-jake-burton-carpenter,Statement from Senator Sanders on the Passing of Jake Burton Carpenter,2019-11-22,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Statement from Senator Sanders on the Passing of Jake Burton Carpenter Friday, November 22, 2019 BURLINGTON, Nov. 22 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today issued following the statement: ""With the loss of Jake Burton, the state of Vermont has lost one its greatest entrepreneurs, the individual who created the entire international snowboard industry. Jake's initiatives have created many hundreds of jobs in Vermont, have brought tens of thousands of snowboarders to our mountains and brought joy and excitement to millions throughout the world. Jane and I and our children, some of whom worked for Burton Snowboards, extend our condolences to Donna and the entire family.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-to-hold-senior-holiday-dinners,Sanders to Hold Senior Holiday Dinners,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders to Hold Senior Holiday Dinners Tuesday, November 19, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Tuesday that his office will again organize six senior holiday dinners throughout Vermont in December. The meals are an opportunity for seniors to come together, enjoy a holiday meal, and hear music from local student choirs. The meals will be held in Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. Seating is limited and RSVPs are required. St. Johnsbury Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 6 at 12:00 pm Where: St. Johnsbury House; 1207 Main Street; St. Johnsbury Details: RSVP by Wednesday, December 4 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Bennington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 6 at 12:00 pm Where: St. Peter's Episcopal Church Parish Hall; 200 Pleasant Street; Bennington Details: RSVP by Wednesday, November 27 to Meals on Wheels of Bennington County at 802-442-8012 ext. 2 Burlington Senior Holiday Dinner When: Sunday, December 8 at 12:00 pm Where: Hilton Hotel; 60 Battery Street; Burlington Details: RSVP by Tuesday, December 3 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Rutland Senior Holiday Dinner When: Thursday, December 12 at 12:00 pm Where: Godnick Adult Center; 1 Deer Street; Rutland Details: RSVP by Monday, December 9 to the Godnick Adult Center at 802-773-1853 Barre Senior Holiday Dinner When: Friday, December 13 at 12:00 pm Where: Canadian Club; 414 East Montpelier Road; Barre Details: RSVP by Tuesday, December 10 to Senator Sanders' Office at 800-339-9834 (toll-free) or 802-862-0697 Brattleboro Senior Holiday Dinner When: Thursday, December 19 at 12:00 pm Where: Brattleboro Senior Center; 207 Main Street; Brattleboro Details: RSVP starting Friday, November 29 and ending on Friday, December 13 to the Brattleboro Senior Center at 802-257-7570 or 802-257-1236",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-announce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing-act,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Announce The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, November 14 Today, at 3 p.m. outside the U.S. Capitol Building, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) will announce the introduction of the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act in partnership with public housing residents, affordable housing advocates, and climate change activists. The sweeping legislation they will unveil aims to retrofit, rehabilitate, and decarbonize the entire nation's public housing stock.The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act invests up to $180 billion over ten years in sustainable retrofits that include all needed repairs, vastly improved health, safety and comfort, and eliminate carbon emissions in our federal public housing. The legislation also provides funding to electrify all buildings, add solar panels, and secure renewable energy sources for all public housing energy needs. The bill dramatically improves living conditions for nearly 2 million people living in roughly 1 million public homes.Faced with the global crisis of climate change, the United States must lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, said Sanders. But let us be clear: as Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez understands, the Green New Deal is not just about climate change. It is an economic plan to create millions of good-paying jobs, strengthen our infrastructure, and invest in our country's frontline and vulnerable communities. This bill shows that we can address our climate and affordable housing crises by making public housing a model of efficiency, sustainability and resiliency. Importantly, the working people who have been most impacted by decades of disinvestment in public housing will be empowered to lead this effort and share in the economic prosperity that it generates for our country.Climate change represents both a grave threat and a tremendous opportunity, said Ocasio-Cortez. The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act will train and mobilize the workforce to decarbonize the public housing stock and improve the quality of life for all residents. I am proud to begin the hard work of codifying the Green New Deal into law with my friend and colleague, Senator Bernie Sanders.About40 percentof total U.S. energy consumption is attributable to residential and commercial buildings. With its focus on transforming 1 million units of federally owned housing, the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act will spur economies of scale for weatherization, retrofitting, and renewable energy, making them more cost effective and attractive throughout the country. The legislation is expected to createnearly 250,000 good-paying, union jobsper year across the country while reducing carbon emissions on the scale of taking 1.2 million cars off the road over the next ten years. Public housing costs would also be reduced by $97 million per year, or 30 percent, and energy costs would be slashed by $613 million, or 70 percent.The legislation envisions a federal-state partnership, creating new grant programs to swiftly and efficiently transition public housing, tribal housing, and Native Hawaiian housing to zero-carbon, energy efficient housing. The bill creates sustainable communities for families by building new childcare and senior centers, expanding access to clean transit, and creating community gardens and other community amenities. Under the legislation, public housing will receive deep energy retrofits, build community-generated renewable electricity, and upgrade unsafe and unsanitary infrastructure, including buildings' water and electrical systems.The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act requires that the hundreds of thousands of jobs created by this investment be high-road, family-sustaining jobs by requiring strong labor standards, prevailing wages, and Buy America requirements. Public housing residents will lead the decision-making process for these investments and receive jobs training for the newly created jobs from this legislation.The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and endorsed by more than 50organizations.Read the bill summaryhere.Read the legislative texthere.Read a section-by-section overviewhere.Read organizational statements of supporthere.Watch the press conference live at 3 p.m. EThere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-introduce-the-green-new-deal-for-public-housing,Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Introduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Introduce the Green New Deal for Public Housing Housing is a human right. If we transform our public housing to energy efficiency, we can begin to address the climate crisis and create thousands of good-paying jobs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/senator-sanders-stands-with-dreamers,Senator Sanders Stands With Dreamers,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senator Sanders Stands With Dreamers We cannot kick these young people out of the only country they have ever known. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-lee-and-tlaib-partner-to-combat-outrageous-ceo-pay,"Sanders, Lee, and Tlaib Partner to Combat Outrageous CEO Pay",2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Lee, and Tlaib Partner to Combat Outrageous CEO Pay Wednesday, November 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, November 13 Sen. BernieSanders(I-Vt.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act, which rewrites the federal tax code to tackle the inequality crisis created by corporate America's unrestrained greed. The typical restaurant employee at McDonald's would have to work for more than2,000years to earn what the company's CEO Chris Kempczinski received last year. A retail worker at Gap Inc. would have to work for more than3,000years to receive the annual compensation of Gap's former CEO Art Peck. Peck's pay was increased by33 percentin 2018, even after he presided overyearsof declines in sales and stock prices. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act wouldpressure corporations to curb these outrageous pay gaps that are the norm today, by imposing graduated taxes for companies that pay their CEO more than 50 times the pay of the median worker. The tax penalties would begin at 0.5 percentage points and rise to 5 percentage points for firms compensating their chief executives at more than 500 times the rate of their workers. A recentreportby the Institute for Policy Studies found that 80 percent of S&P 500 firms paid their CEOs more than 100 times the pay of their median worker. Many of the firms lavishing multi-million-dollar compensation packages on their top executives rely on taxpayer supportthrough public housing, nutrition assistance, and Medicaid, for exampleto assist full-time workers who struggle with poverty wages. In America today, ordinary workers at some of the richest corporations are making poverty wages. Meanwhile, we've got a class of corporate CEOs who make hundredssometimes thousandsof times more than their employees, saidSanders.The last time I checked, corporations got by just fine when CEOs made a million bucks a yearone-tenth of what they make now. All around the world today, large, successful businesses manage to be profitable while treating their workers with dignity and not handing out obscene pay packages to their CEOs. If America's corporate boards can't understand the absurdity of paying their CEO friendsin one yearmore than their workers will earn in a lifetime, then the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will help them figure it out. In the last four decades, inequality has ballooned in our nation and more and more wealth is going to those at the top while workers' wages, especially for workers of color, have remained stagnant, saidCongresswoman Barbara Lee.It is unjust and unacceptable that the CEOs of major corporations are making an average of 287 times more than their average worker with some CEOs making upwards of 1000 times more. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will incentivize companies to reduce the CEO-worker pay gaps and pay their workers the wages they deserve. Because if companies can afford to pay their CEOs tens of millions of dollars, they can afford to raise wages for their employees. Corporate greed is a disease that has long inflicted this countryincome inequality and the pay gap between CEOs and their employees are just two of its symptoms that are harming everyday people, saidCongresswoman Rashida Tlaib. In 2018, for example, General Motors' CEO made nearly 300 times more than the median income of an employee there. We have had enough. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act will help ensure there is more fairness in the workplace when it comes to wages. It's common sense legislation on the path toward justice for all. In the 1970s, the average middle-class American worker could raise a family and save for retirement with their pay. CEOs of successful U.S. corporations in the 1970s received about $1 million annuallyroughly20 to 30 timesthe average pay of their company's middle-class workers. At present, a CEO at a Fortune 500 firm receives about $20 million per year200 to 300 times the average pay of a typical worker, according toresearchby the AFL-CIO. Americans across the political spectrum are outraged by the extreme gaps between CEO and worker pay. According toa nationwide survey, the typical American would limit CEO pay to no more than 6 times that of the average worker. About 62% of all Americans 52% of Republicans and 66% of Democrats favor capping CEO pay relative to worker pay. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act would raise roughly $150 billion over 10 years if current compensation trends continue. The bill alsorequires the Treasury Department to issue regulations to prevent tax avoidance, including against companies that increase the use of contractors rather than employees. Pay-ratio data for privately held corporations would also be made public, just as publicly held corporations are required to make public under current law. The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act is endorsed by theAFL-CIO, Americans for Democratic Action, Campaign for America's Future, Center for Popular Democracy, Communications Workers of America, Coalition on Human Needs, EPI Policy Center, Franciscan Action Network, Institute for Policy Studies/Global Economy Project, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, Jobs With Justice, National Council of Churches, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, NETWORK, Other98, Our Revolution, People's Action, People Demanding Action, Public Citizen, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Social Security Works, Strong Economy for All, Take on Wall Street, and the Working Families Party. The bill was cosponsored by RepresentativesSchakowsky (D-Ill.), Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Norton (D-D.C.), Huffman (D-Calif.), Jayapal (D-Wash.), Khanna (D-Calif.), Thompson (D-Miss.), DeLauro (D-Conn.), Haaland (D-N.M.), Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Pressley (D-Mass.), Garcia (D-Ill.), Omar (D-Minn.), Takano (D-Calif.), Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and McGovern(D-Mass.). Read the bill summaryhere. Read the legislative texthere. Read an FAQhere. Read a support letter by 28 major economic justice organizationshere. Watch the bill's release video here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-delegation-condemns-trumps-cuts-to-refugee-admissions,Vermont Delegation Condemns Trump's Cuts to Refugee Admissions,2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont Delegation Condemns Trump's Cuts to Refugee Admissions Wednesday, November 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, November 13 In response to President Trump's recent cut in refugee admissions, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch issued the following statement: ""President Trump's recent approval of a 18,000 limit on refugee admissions the lowest admissions ceiling in our country's history is a shameful abdication of our role in providing refuge to those fleeing extreme violence and poverty around the world. ""The timing could not be worse. According to the United Nations, more than 70 million people worldwide have been displaced from their homes due to persecution and conflict, including almost 30 million refugees. This is a global humanitarian crisis of an unprecedented scale, and the United States must do its part to address it. ""Welcoming refugees to this country and to Vermont is not only the right thing to do, but it also benefits our communities in many ways. For centuries, immigrants and refugees have made significant contributions to our culture and economy and helped us become the country and state we are today. And here in Vermont, refugees are essential to growing our workforce. At a time when our state's population is aging and declining, employers increasingly rely on the New American community to address labor shortages and help their businesses expand. ""We stand united in our support of the refugee resettlement program and call on the Trump Administration to significantly increase refugee admissions. Refugees come to the U.S. for the same things we all want: safety, freedom, and opportunity. If we turn our backs on refugees, we abandon the very identity of our country as a refuge for the persecuted and oppressed.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-veterans-day-2019,Sanders Statement on Veterans Day,2019-11-11,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on Veterans Day Monday, November 11, 2019 On this Veterans Day we must renew our promise to our nation's veterans, not just through our words but through real action. Too many of our returning service members confront homelessness, mental health issues, and even deportations. We must work together to build a society where our veterans do not have to face these injustices. In my view, it is a disgrace that 38,000 veterans are homeless. If you can't afford to take care of your veterans, then you do not go to war. We must use this day to recommit to protecting our veterans' health care. Veterans overwhelmingly approve of the VAthat means we need to strengthen the VA, not dismantle or privatize it. This means that we preserve, protect and improve the VA with more resources and staff to ensure veterans and their families in Vermont and around the country receive every benefit they have earned and deserve.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-community-kitchen-academy-helps-vermonters,The Community Kitchen Academy Helps Vermonters,2019-11-07,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The Community Kitchen Academy Helps Vermonters A job is more than a ""job and it is more than just making an income. A job is, in an important sense, how we relate to the world in which we live. Contributing to the well-being of our neighbors and our community gives our lives meaning, dignity, and satisfaction. I am grateful for programs like the Community Kitchen Academy that offer underemployed Vermonters valuable job skills to improve their lives, while also providing free, nutritious meals to those in need.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/empowering-youth-and-helping-vermont-communities,Empowering Youth and Helping Vermont Communities,2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Empowering Youth and Helping Vermont Communities Through the YouthBuild program, ReSOURCE is helping young Vermonters gain education and employment credentials, while also empowering them to be active members in our communities. By learning construction trade job skills, these young people are realizing their full potential and leaving a lasting impact on the lives of Vermonters through restoring and building affordable housing. I applaud the work YouthBuild is doing throughout the country and can't wait to see what these young leaders do next.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/its-time-for-universal-school-meals,It's time for Universal School Meals,2019-11-05,2019,2019-11,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"It's time for Universal School Meals In the richest country in the history of the world, it is simply outrageous that 1 in 5 children will go hungry this year. The Universal School Meals Program Act I introduced with Rep. Omar will help provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every student in America, regardless of income - and it will wipe out existing school lunch debt. We must do better for our kids to ensure they succeed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/vermont-fire-departments-awarded-more-than-2-million-in-federal-grants,Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More Than $2 Million in Federal Grants,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"BURLINGTON, Vt., October 30 Vermont's congressional delegation announced Wednesday that the Vermont Fire Academy and fire departments throughout the state have received more than $2 million through 16 federal grants.The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments, fire academies, and EMS agencies obtain critically needed equipment and training to better protect the public and first responders. This year's AFG grants will help departments purchase equipment including air packs, vehicle extraction tools, and a fire truck, and it will also fund paramedic training.Vermont's first responders are some of the most dedicated public servants we have. They keep our communities safe, answering the call at all hours of the day and night, and they put their own safety on the line in doing so. We are pleased that these federal grants will help departments secure the updated equipment they need and deserve so that they can continue to provide these vital services, said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.).The federal grants were awarded to:Putney Fire Department, $181,510Burlington Fire Department, $162,273City of Rutland Fire Department, 47,317Williston Fire Department (in partnership with Essex Rescue and Colchester Rescue), $305,209Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy, $124,585Peru Fire Department, $62,039Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, $124,286Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, $9,524Springfield Fire Department, $95,595Newbury Volunteer Fire Department, $106,286Grafton Firefighters' Association, $65,238Essex Junction Fire Department, $141,071Thetford Volunteer Fire Department, $118,065Readsboro Fire Department, $85,714Poultney Fire Department, $136,333Rupert Volunteer Fire Department, $264,762The next AFG application period is expected to open in December. In preparation, FEMA's grant specialists will be hosting workshops in Vermont and online webinars this fall.Each workshop is approximately 2 hours long and provides information on the AFG programs, what is new for 2019, and tips to develop and submit a successful application.The following workshops are planned:Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00 p.m.Williston Fire Department645 Talcott Road, WillistonWednesday, November 6th, 6:00 p.m.Vermont Division of Fire Safety Central Office1311 U.S. Route 302 Suite 600, BarreThursday, November 7th, 6:00 p.m.Vermont Division of Fire Safety (Vermont Fire Academy)93 Davison Drive, PittsfordMonday, December 2nd,6:00 p.m.Pownal Rescue Squad22 Ladd Brook Road, PownalTuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 p.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 p.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/Thursday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m.Online WebinarAudio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852#URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/For more information about AFG and to sign up for email updates, please visithttps://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/delegation-release-vermont-fire-departments-awarded-more-than-2-million-in-federal-grants,Delegation Release: Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More than $2 Million in Federal Grants,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Delegation Release: Vermont Fire Departments Awarded More than $2 Million in Federal Grants Wednesday, October 30, 2019 BURLINGTON, Vt., October 30 Vermont's congressional delegation announced Wednesday that the Vermont Fire Academy and fire departments throughout the state have received more than $2 million through 16 federal grants. The awards are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, which helps fire departments, fire academies, and EMS agencies obtain critically needed equipment and training to better protect the public and first responders. This year's AFG grants will help departments purchase equipment including air packs, vehicle extraction tools, and a fire truck, and it will also fund paramedic training. Vermont's first responders are some of the most dedicated public servants we have. They keep our communities safe, answering the call at all hours of the day and night, and they put their own safety on the line in doing so. We are pleased that these federal grants will help departments secure the updated equipment they need and deserve so that they can continue to provide these vital services, said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The federal grants were awarded to: Putney Fire Department, $181,510 Burlington Fire Department, $162,273 City of Rutland Fire Department, 47,317 Williston Fire Department (in partnership with Essex Rescue and Colchester Rescue), $305,209 Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Vermont Fire Academy, $124,585 Peru Fire Department, $62,039 Bethel Volunteer Fire Department, $124,286 Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, $9,524 Springfield Fire Department, $95,595 Newbury Volunteer Fire Department, $106,286 Grafton Firefighters' Association, $65,238 Essex Junction Fire Department, $141,071 Thetford Volunteer Fire Department, $118,065 Readsboro Fire Department, $85,714 Poultney Fire Department, $136,333 Rupert Volunteer Fire Department, $264,762 The next AFG application period is expected to open in December. In preparation, FEMA's grant specialists will be hosting workshops in Vermont and online webinars this fall.Each workshop is approximately 2 hours long and provides information on the AFG programs, what is new for 2019, and tips to develop and submit a successful application. The following workshops are planned: Tuesday, November 5th, 6:00 p.m. Williston Fire Department 645 Talcott Road, Williston Wednesday, November 6th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety Central Office 1311 U.S. Route 302 Suite 600, Barre Thursday, November 7th, 6:00 p.m. Vermont Division of Fire Safety (Vermont Fire Academy) 93 Davison Drive, Pittsford Monday, December 2nd,6:00 p.m. Pownal Rescue Squad 22 Ladd Brook Road, Pownal Tuesday, December 3rd, 2:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Wednesday, December 4th, 7:00 p.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ Thursday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m. Online Webinar Audio: 800-320-4330; PIN: 174852# URL:https://fema.connectsolutions.com/r1_2019_afg/ For more information about AFG and to sign up for email updates, please visithttps://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/its-time-for-billionaires-to-pay-their-fair-share-in-taxes,It's Time for Billionaires to Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes,2019-10-28,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"It's Time for Billionaires to Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes We are facing levels of inequality not seen since the Gilded Age of the robber barons, where the top one-tenth of one percent owns about as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. The richest 400 billionaires pay lower taxes than everyone else. In my view, this obscene inequality in wealth and political power is not compatible with a democratic society. I am proud that Rep. Jimmy Gomez is leading three dozen members of the House in introducing the For The 99.8% Act to tax today's dynasty trusts and curb their power, while raising trillions of dollars for the essential programs we need as a country.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-pressley-warren-85-lawmakers-urge-congress-to-expand-community-health-centers-funding,"Sanders, Pressley, Warren, 85 Lawmakers Urge Congress to Expand Community Health Centers Funding",2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Pressley, Warren, 85 Lawmakers Urge Congress to Expand Community Health Centers Funding Thursday, October 24, 2019 Washington, October 24 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) co-led an effort with Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 85 other members of Congress, urging House and Senate leadership to increase funding to Community Health Centers (CHCs)a network of 1,400 facilities in all 50 states and U.S. territories that provide medical, dental, and mental health care, substance-abuse treatment, and low-cost prescription drugs for nearly 30 million people. Federal funding for CHCs is set to expire on November 21. The lawmakers ask for strong and long-term funding at the levels outlined in H.R. 1943/S. 962, the Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Act, legislation introduced by Sanders and Representative James Clyburn (D-N.C.), also a signatory to the letter. The Sanders-Clyburn bill increases resources for the National Health Service Corpsas well, which provides scholarships and loan repayment to 10,000 clinicians who work in underserved communities. Additionally, write the members of Congress, we urge you to provide strong funding levels for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, which supports over 700 medical residents in underserved areas around the country. CHCs are considered indispensable health providers in thousands of communitiesparticularly for communities of color, poor, underinsured, and rural populations, as well as children, veterans, and seniors. A spending authorization passed earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions would provide flat funding for community health centers over four years, effectively a cut to services that would likely push 3.4 million people out of primary care at CHCs by 2023. The Congressional letter, in contrast, advocates for funding levels specified by the Sanders-Clyburn legislation, which would expand resources to CHCs by 10 percent annually over five years. This would amount to $6.86 billion more than the flat funding proposed by Senate Republicans, and expand primary coverage to 10 million more Americans by 2024 in comparison.The House and Senate must still negotiate on federal levels of CHC funding. It is no exaggeration to call Community Health Centers a lifeline for millions of Americans, Sanders said. President Trump and the Republicans tried and failed to destroy the Affordable Care Act in Congress. Now they're in the courts still trying to kick millions off their health care. We are standing together to push back on this relentless assault on people's basic health. Congress must expandand not allow any cuts tothe comprehensive medical treatment that so many millions of people depend on through community health centers. The dozens of members of Congress also stress the economic impact of Community Health Centers, writing that CHCs employ more than 220,000 people across the country, produce nearly $55 billion in economic activity, and save our health care system more than $24 billion per year. CHCs also assist patients with healthy and affordable foods, housing support, and transportation assistance, and are working on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, they conclude. Sanders has been a longtime champion ofCHCs. In 2009, he secured $11 billion in the Affordable Care Act to expand primary health care to 25 million Americansthrough CHCs, including through 24 new health center sites in Vermont. More than one in four Vermonters rely on CHCs for their health care. Read the letterhere. Read a bill summary of S. 962, the Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Acthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/americans-deserve-a-living-wage,Americans Deserve A Living Wage,2019-10-22,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Americans Deserve A Living Wage In one of the wealthiest countries in the history of the world, no one should be in poverty. The current $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage is a starvation wage and must be increased to a living wage of $15 an hour. Time for the Senate to do its job and take a vote.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/climate-strikers-will-help-pass-a-green-new-deal,Climate Strikers Will Help Pass A Green New Deal,2019-10-20,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Climate Strikers Will Help Pass A Green New Deal Climate strikersled by young peopleare once again on the march for environmental justice. This movement is not going away. It is growing stronger. Together, we will transform this country and pass a Green New Deal.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/this-is-how-we-pay-for-college-for-all,This is How We Pay for College for All,2019-10-20,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This is How We Pay for College for All How can we afford it? It's a question critics ask anytime I propose a bold new program like College for All. The answer in this case is very simple: with a small fee on Wall Street we can pay for these programs, end harmful speculation, and curb bloat in the financial sector all at the same time. So let's do it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/democracy-is-building-powerful-grassroots-movements,Democracy is Building Powerful Grassroots Movements,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Democracy is Building Powerful Grassroots Movements I have long believed that democracy isn't just voting every four yearsit's about ordinary people creating community, engaging in the political process together, and building powerful grassroots movements to achieve progressive change. And that's exactly what we're doing.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-a-green-new-deal-for-our-health,We Need a Green New Deal for Our Health,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need a Green New Deal for Our Health Today, millions of climate strikers, led by a global youth movement, showed politicians around the world that the demand for environmental justice will not go away. It is only growing stronger. We need a Green New Deal to transform our economy and protect the health and wellbeing of our communities.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-to-protect-the-us-postal-service-from-privatization,We Need To Protect the U.S. Postal Service From Privatization,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need To Protect the U.S. Postal Service From Privatization Danny Glover's parents were able to buy a home with their savings from working for the U.S. Postal Service. We should modernize and expand our post offices and allow them to offer basic banking solutionsnot privatize and destroy them, as Donald Trump and his billionaire friends want to do.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-will-investigate-wall-street-corruption-for-the-people-of-puerto-rico,We Will Investigate Wall Street Corruption for the People of Puerto Rico,2019-10-19,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Will Investigate Wall Street Corruption for the People of Puerto Rico A message to Wall Street: We will investigate your corruption. We will not let you cut the schools, hospitals and pensions that the Puerto Rican people need to live with dignity and recover from Hurricane Maria.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/leahy-sanders-welch-urge-fda-to-swiftly-resolve-critical-drug-recall,"Leahy, Sanders, Welch Urge FDA to Swiftly Resolve Critical Drug Recall",2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, October 18 Today, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly resolve therecallofNatpara, a lifesaving drug used to manage blood calcium levels for people with a rare condition called hypoparathyroidism.For the more than 2,000 patients in the United States who rely onNatparato manage their blood calcium levels, the shortage of available product has potentially dire health consequences. Untreated hypoparathyroidism can lead to heart failure and death. Patients across the country have already been hospitalized due to an inability to getNatpara, and we fear that as more patients run out ofNatpara, the number of avoidable hospitalizations or worse may increase, the letter said.Natparais manufactured solely by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and wasrecalled on September 5 due to a potential issue with rubber particulates from the injector pen contaminating the medicine.Despite therecallnow lasting over a month,FDAhas not shared any substantive information with patients about how long therecallmay last, what steps are being taken to develop short- and long-term solutions, or other patientguidance, wrote the members of Congress. [O]urconstituents have repeatedly contactedFDAand been left confused as to when the drug may become available again, as well as how they should proceed in the meantime. Given that these patients depend onNatparato prevent serious health complications, this is entirely unacceptable.Let us be clear we strongly supportFDA's critical mission to protect public's health and use itsrecallauthority to protect patients from potentially harmful products. However, we also believe thatFDA's responsibility to American patients includes a responsibility to be transparent when possible, a commitment that has not been fulfilled in this case, the members said.It's really scary, said Vermonter Ryan Pollyin an interviewwith NBC5 news about therecall. Without this medication, I could be sitting at work, and the next thing I know, I could be having a seizure or my heart could stop. And I have five kids; I want to be around for my kids.The members urgedFDAto work with Takeda as expeditiously as possible to resolve therecall, to use the agency's available drug shortage tools to potentially provide patients with other treatment options, and to ensure patients have full information about when the supply ofNatparawill resume and what measures patients can take while they wait.To read the letter, clickhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/hasan-minhaj-takes-on-congress-over-student-debt,Hasan Minhaj Takes on Congress Over Student Debt,2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Hasan Minhaj Takes on Congress Over Student Debt Hasan Minhaj is right. Instead of just worrying about Wall Street, maybe it's time we start worrying about the 45 million Americans with $1.6 trillion in student debt. We could start by cancelling that debt and making public colleges and universities tuition-freepaid for by a tax on Wall Street's greed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-to-invest-in-our-infrastructure,We Need To Invest In Our Infrastructure,2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need To Invest In Our Infrastructure The Trump administration proposed $87 billion in cuts to infrastructure over the next 10 years in this year's annual budget. Here's a thought: Instead of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on endless wars, what if we actually invest in our infrastructure here at home?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/drug-prices-are-too-damn-high,Drug Prices Are Too Damn High,2019-10-17,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Drug Prices Are Too Damn High Prescription drug costs are too damn high! For decades, we've been paying more to pharmaceutical companies than any other country. You know what that makes us? The suckers of the world. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/new-cbo-report-a-15-minimum-wage-is-a-good-thing-for-america,New CBO Report: A $15 Minimum Wage Is A Good Thing For America,2019-10-17,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"New CBO Report: A $15 Minimum Wage Is A Good Thing For America In the richest country in the history of the world, no one should be living in poverty. It's time to raise the current starvation level minimum wage to a living wage. It's time for Congress to pass the Raise the Wage Act to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/we-need-to-fight-implicit-bias-in-health-care,We Need to Fight Implicit Bias in Health Care,2019-10-17,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Need to Fight Implicit Bias in Health Care Across every chronic and acute health condition, racial and ethnic minorities fare worse than their white counterparts. Studies confirm that racism in health care is a major part of this problem. This is unacceptable. Together, by passing the Health Equity and Accountability Act and Medicare for All, we can fight against racial bias and repair our broken health care system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-and-omar-lets-pass-universal-school-meals-for-children,Sanders and Omar: Let's Pass Universal School Meals for Children,2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Omar: Let's Pass Universal School Meals for Children In the richest country in history of the world, when the top 1 percent are making more than they ever have before, it is simply outrageous that 1 in 5 children will go hungry this year. I am proud to propose legislation to make sure that no student goes hungry at a public school and to eliminate the stigma surrounding children who receive free or reduced lunch.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/support-for-medicare-for-all-keeps-rising,Support for Medicare for All Keeps Rising,2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Support for Medicare for All Keeps Rising Some of you may have seen a recent poll which showed that 86% of Democrats and 68% of Independents now support Medicare for All. The reason is pretty obvious. It is getting harder and harder to defend a dysfunctional healthcare system in the United States, in which over 80 million people are uninsured or underinsured and some 30,000 people die every single year because they don't get to a doctor when they should. What the American people are demanding, loud and clear, is a system that guarantees health care to all people as a human right, not a system in which billions of dollars are made by drug companies and insurance companies. We are going to win this fight.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-fight-for-college-for-all,The Fight for College for All,2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The Fight for College for All For three decades, I have been advocating for tuition-free higher education. If you are new to this effort, we welcome you to the fight for justice. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-tackles-its-affordable-housing-crisis,Vermont Tackles its Affordable Housing Crisis,2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont Tackles its Affordable Housing Crisis We are experiencing nothing less than an affordable housing crisis on a national level. Millions of working families around the country pay 50% or more of their incomes on housing, leaving little left for other expenses like food, clothing, transportation and healthcare. The rising cost of owning or renting a home is simply unsustainable. Vermont's strong nonprofit network makes the state a leader in affordable housing development, but there is still much that needs to be done to address this crisis.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-omar-unveil-sweeping-legislation-to-provide-universal-school-meals-to-children,Sanders and Omar Unveil Sweeping Legislation to Provide Universal School Meals to Children,2019-10-15,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, October 15 Today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) announced the introduction of the Universal School Meals Program Act tohelpprovide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every student in Americawithout demanding they prove they are poor enough to deserve help getting three meals a day.In the richest country in history of the world, when the top 1 percent are making more than they ever have before, it is simply outrageous that 1 in 5 children will go hungry this year,said Senator Sanders.Today, I am proud to propose legislation to make sure that no student goes hungry at a public school and to eliminate the stigma surrounding children who receivefree or reduced lunch.There are nearly 1 in 10 households in Minnesota that struggle with food insecurity, along with millions more across the country,said Representative Omar.We must find a way to address this crisis. When our children have empty stomachs, they cannot learn. They have more trouble concentrating. They are more likely to be absent or tardy. Study after study finds that access to meals increases child participation. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, no child should be turned away from a meal if they cannot afford it. I am proud to join Senator Sanders in ensuring that school meals are provided free of cost to all children all year long.The bill prohibitsschools that participate in the federal school meal programfromdenying meals to students, and reimburses districts for any meal debt owed by families. Universal school meals benefit students, their parents, teachers, and the schools themselves. Studies show that students with access to free breakfast have improvedattendance ratesandperform better in school,and children with access to universal school meals have improvedhealth outcomes.Under this legislation, teacherswhorankhunger as a top three priorityin children's healthcould expect fewer behavioral incidents and lowersuspension rates. More and more schools are already seeing the benefits of offering universal school meals to all children:school participationratesin the universal school meals program more than doubled from 2014 to 2018.Currently, only students from homes with incomes below 185 percent of the poverty line ($47,600 for a family of four) can enroll in free or reduced-price meals at school. Not all eligible students participate in the program, and many students whose families struggle to make ends meet are deemed ineligible. Furthermore,75 percentof school districts report carrying school lunch debt, which in some cases amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and some districts have resorted toheinous scare tacticsto collect school meal debt.That ends under the Universal School Meals Program Act. This bill will: Prohibitschools participating in the school lunch programfrom denying any child a prepared hot lunch or breakfast; Increase reimbursement rates in line with USDA's estimatedcost of producing mealsto $2.72 for breakfast and $3.81 for lunch and dinner; Create a $0.30 perlunch incentive for schools that procure 30 percent of their food from local sources; Reimburse schools for all of their delinquent meal debt and stop the harassment of parents and students; Provide an additional $60 per month per child on EBT cards to help families in need purchase food during the summer months; Eliminatethe two tiered reimbursement rate for theChild and Adult Care Food Program(CACFP) and allow child care providers to receive the highest reimbursement rate regardless of income; Empowerschools tocollect Title Ifundinginformation fromexisting resources and without putting the burden on individual families to report their income. This legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Andr Carson (D-IN), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and endorsed by Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), National Education Association (NEA), Hunger Free Vermont, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFAVT), Social Security Works, Hmong American Farmers Association, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Progress America, Other 98%, Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Appetite For Change, Pillsbury United Communities (PUC), The Food Group, The Good Acre, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Rural Vermont, Feeding America,Democratic Socialists of America, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.To read a UniversalSchoolMeals Program Act fact sheet, clickhere.To read a section-by-section, clickhere.To read the legislation, clickhere.To watch a video on the benefits of universal school meals, clickhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-khanna-welcome-call-by-senior-obama-officials-to-defund-illegal-yemen-war,"Sanders, Khanna Welcome Call by Senior Obama Officials to Defund Illegal Yemen War",2019-10-15,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Khanna Welcome Call by Senior Obama Officials to Defund Illegal Yemen War Tuesday, October 15, 2019 Washington, October 15 Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) welcomed an extraordinary new effort by senior Obama Administration officials, constitutional scholars, Yemeni activists, progressive leaders, celebrities, and philanthropists to urge Congress to defund unauthorized U.S. military activities in Yemen. The letter, organized by the Quaker peace advocacy organization Friends Committee on National Legislation, features President Obama's National Security AdvisorSusan Rice, UN AmbassadorSamantha Power, Deputy National Security AdvisorBen Rhodes, Vice Presidential National Security AdvisorsJake SullivanandColin Kahl, Undersecretary of StateWendy Sherman, White House Middle East CoordinatorRobert Malley, and U.S. Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes RegionTom Perriello, among other senior administration officials. In addition to making a war with Iran more likely, the conflict in Yemen is also imperiling tens of millions of the most vulnerable people on earth through disease, starvation, and violence, wrote the public figures to Democratic Congressional leadership with regard to the Saudi-led military campaign, now in its fifth year. We urge you to use the opportunity presented by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 (NDAA) to reassert the power over war that the Constitution vests in Congress in order to terminate unauthorized U.S. participation in the Saudi-led military campaign. In March, Sanderspartnering with Khanna, the Progressive Caucus, and Congressional Republicansintroduced Senate Joint Resolution 7, invoking the War Powers Act of 1973, to direct the president to end unauthorized hostilities in Yemen. Bipartisan majorities in both chambers passed the bill, a milestone in the 45 years since the enactment of the War Powers Act. President Trump vetoed the measure, insisting on prosecuting a war declared unauthorized by Congress. This defiance has no precedent in the history of America's constitutional governance, the letter's signatories note. The letter urges Democratic leadership to now hold firm and work together to insert into the annual bill authorizing Defense Department spending a provision prohibiting all ongoing U.S. involvement in the war, introduced by both Sanders and Khanna. In the House, the measure was adopted by a 240-vote margin and was co-sponsored by Representatives Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). The signatories call on Congress to utilize its ultimate leveragethe power of the purseto effectively override Trump's veto, enshrine its will into federal law, and prohibit all funds from going to this war. A Congressional prohibition of the broad spectrum of U.S. involvement in the Saudi air campaign could quickly halt these Saudi bombings, they argue, and could play a key role in resolving the conflict and humanitarian crisis. When we first started out to use the War Powers Act to end this unconstitutional war, we faced an uphill battle. But we are building a powerful grassroots movement to stop this humanitarian nightmare,said Sanders.The activists, scholars, and national security experts who led this letter are exactly right: Congress must now stand up to this president and block every nickel of taxpayer money from going to this unconstitutional war. By ending this conflict, Congress has a chance to not only alleviate the suffering of millions of Yemenis, but ensure that America is never again embroiled in another unconstitutional war. Other prominent signatories include legal scholars Bruce Ackerman and Larry Tribe of Yale and Harvard Law Schools, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine, veteran CIA analyst and expert on U.S.-Saudi relations, Bruce Riedel, and Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams. Leaders of progressive organizations, such as Open Society Foundations, Ploughshares Fund, MoveOn, Indvisible, VoteVets, Public Citizen, Demand Progress, Win Without War, Common Defense, Peace Action, and Quincy Institute also participated, as did progressive filmmakers Mark Ruffalo, Alyssa Milano and Ava DuVernay. It's encouraging to see so many national security experts, activists, and even the Incredible Hulk coming together to voice their opposition to U.S. support for the war in Yemen,said Khanna.The Yemen War Powers Resolution stands as a bipartisan, bicameral commitment to end the world's largest humanitarian crisis and restore Congressional war powers in the United States Constitution. No president should ever be allowed to declare war without first seeking Congressional authorization. This amendment must be kept in the final defense bill to bring about an end to the war. President Trump was elected on the promise of putting a stop to our endless wars: It's time he follow through on that pledge. Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-office-holds-roundtable-with-vermonters-on-agriculture-and-the-green-new-deal,Sanders Office Holds Roundtable with Vermonters on Agriculture and the Green New Deal,2019-10-10,2019,2019-10,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Office Holds Roundtable with Vermonters on Agriculture and the Green New Deal Thursday, October 10, 2019 Burlington, October 10 This week, the Burlington office of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hosted farmers, environmental advocates, and community members across Vermont to share recommendations with his staff on how agriculture can help mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects. Farmers in Vermont and around the country know that the debate about the reality of climate change is over, said Sanders. They wantand deserveto be part of the solution in addressing this global threat. We need to hear from them and get their ideas on how to move forward. Discussion with the Senator's staff focused on ways to position farmers to address climate change while improving the financial stability of their farms.Farmers highlighted the importance of rewarding measurable improvements to land, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as well as providing financial incentives for farmers to develop sustainable farming practices. We need to recognize and compensate the expertise of farmers as land managers, because at the end of the day, it's farmers who will have to put Green New Deal policies into practice, said Abbie Corse, an organic dairy farmer from Whitingham, Vermont, who participated in the discussion. In July, Senator Sanders introduced a Senate resolution to declare that the climate emergency facing the planet demands a national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization of the resources and labor of the United States. He is also an original sponsor of a March resolution in support of a Green New Deal. Sanders has long advocated for a comprehensive federal strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, restore precious ecosystems, and protect clean air and water, while creating millions of family-sustaining jobs and investing in a sustainable economy. Farmers and environmental advocates pressed for the need to improve soil health because both groups understand how critical it is draw down carbon and to make farmland resilient to the impacts of extreme weather like flooding and droughts.The group also strongly supported the idea that farms can best combat climate change when they are financially viable. For many in attendance, that includes reining in corporate consolidation and large-scale agribusiness to stop the decline of small farms and the drain of populations from rural areas. We can find solutions that both help our farmers stay afloat while also tapping into the great potential for farms to store carbon and provide protection from extreme weather events, said David Mears, Executive Director of Audubon Vermont. I am excited that Senator Sanders and his team are developing those ideas, drawing upon the innovative spirit that infuses Vermont's farmers, he remarked after the roundtable. Vermonters interested in sharing their ideas for improving the agricultural economy through the Green New Deal can contact Senator Sanders' Burlington Office by phone at 800-339-9834 or submitting a message here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-ocasio-cortez-lead-push-for-oversight-against-wall-street-corruption-in-puerto-rico,"Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Lead Push for Oversight Against Wall Street Corruption in Puerto Rico",2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Lead Push for Oversight Against Wall Street Corruption in Puerto Rico Tuesday, September 24, 2019 WASHINGTON,September 24 Following the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Mara's devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) led more than a dozen lawmakers in a call to reverse the crippling austerity imposed on Puerto Rico;end the priority given tothe demands ofWall Street vulture fundsover of theneeds of the Puerto Rican people;and put a moratorium on any payments on Puerto Rican debt until an independent investigation is completed to root out corruption.What we are doing with this letter is telling the unelected austerity boardin charge of Puerto Rico's finances that enough is enough. Itis working hand in hand with ultra-rich investors to try to squeeze blood from a stone,said Senator Sanders.Explain how on earth reducing money for schools and hospitals is supposed to generate economic growth. Do the 30,000 Puerto Ricans still living under tarps need more cuts to their health care? Do struggling teachers and retirees need to see public education and pensions slashed?In the letter to the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB), the members of Congress condemned the board's insistence on slashing public health, education, and pensions, including hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed cuts to Medicaid and the University of Puerto Rico. They noted that the unprecedented protests of recent weeks called not only for the resignation of Governor Rossell but for the end of the Financial Oversight and Management Board's control over the economic decisions of the island.Puerto Rico has already suffered a lost decade of no economic growth, and fresh austerity is expected to deepen the crisis and spur further outmigration. During this moment of popular struggle for responsive and legitimate governance on the island, the lawmakers write, Puerto Rico must no longer be treated as a colony.The members of Congress call on the board to provide detailed answers within two weeks regarding increasing evidence of the FOMB's internal mismanagement and conflicts of interest, and apparent noncompliance with laws governing financial disclosure. Citing reports of board members' ties to powerful banking interests, thelawmakersdemand a full accounting of each member's professional or familial ties to any institutions and persons who hold Puerto Rico's debt or maintain contracts with the FOMB, and thorough financial disclosures of each board member, including details of outside compensation.The vast majority of the board's $300 million annual budget goes to fees for lawyers and consultants who are not subject to disclosure requirements, the lawmakers note, including actors such as McKinsey & Company and Citigroup, which stand to make millions from a deal struck by the board on Puerto Rico's debt that favors the interests of creditors.PuertoRicomust not be treated like a colony anymore,said Ocasio-Cortez.A just recovery process means we have to call out the crippling effects of austerity thatla junta has imposed and demand transparency from those making these decisions.Puertorriqueoswill continue to die in the face of a severe health crisis and others are using blue tarps as roofs two years after Mara. We must holdla juntaaccountableotherwise Wall Street vultures will continue to be prioritized over the needs of the people.If the island is to actually recover, we must end the brutal austerity program being imposed on Puerto Rico's working families and put some austerity for once on this undemocratic board and the Wall Street vulture funds taking advantage of Puerto Rico's misery,said Sanders.The letter was signed by Representatives Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Jess Chuy Garca (D-Ill.).The bicameral letter was supported by Boricuas Unidos en la Dispora, the Vamos 4 Puerto Rico network, the Hispanic Federation, the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the Center for Popular Democracy, and the Hedge Clippers Campaign.Read the letter here.Lase la carta en espaol aqu.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-barriers-to-an-affordable-higher-education,The Barriers to an Affordable Higher Education,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The Barriers to an Affordable Higher Education In the United States, student loan debt now tops credit card and auto loan debt, totaling nearly $1.6 trillion. Instead of giving tax cuts to the 1%, we should impose a modest tax on Wall Street speculation to bail out a generation of students who are being crushed by debtjust for seeking a higher education. My College for All legislation is simple: It would cancel all student debt within six months and make public colleges and universities tuition-free.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermonts-senior-centers-make-friends-and-stay-healthy,Vermont's Senior Centers: Make friends and stay healthy!,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont's Senior Centers: Make friends and stay healthy! Through my efforts to increase funding for the Older Americans Act, I have been a long-time supporter of senior centers. From nutritious meals, to volunteer service opportunities, to exercise, art, language, and cooking classes, Vermont's senior centers are an excellent resource to help seniors stay active and healthy. To find a senior center near you, call the Vermont Senior Helpline at 1-800-642-5119, or visit the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living's website at: https://asd.vermont.gov/services/vermont-senior-centers",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/must-read/we-must-stand-up-to-trump-and-protect-nutrition-assistance-for-vermonts-families,We Must Stand Up to Trump and Protect Nutrition Assistance for Vermonts Families,2019-09-17,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"We Must Stand Up to Trump and Protect Nutrition Assistance for Vermont's Families By: Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy, Peter Welch Tuesday, September 17, 2019 Back-to-school season has begun across America. Millions of children have returned to classrooms, ready to start a new school year. Now, thanks to the Trump Administration, hundreds of thousands of struggling familiesincluding many Vermontersmay have to worry about how they will be able to afford their child's lunch every day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently unveiled a shameful new rule that could deny over half a million needy students free school meals. The Trump administration proposal would also kick over 3 million people off of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps. We stand with the state of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont and dozens of our colleagues in Congress in opposing this rule. Right now, states can allow low-income families who have already qualified for federal assistance programs to be automatically enrolled in other programs.This option has a proven track record of reducing the paperwork burden for both families and states while extending support to those in need. The Trump administration would eliminate that automatic enrollment option to all states for nutrition assistance, in a move that targets working families, seniors, and people with disabilities. SNAP is a successful program that lifted8.4 million peopleacross the country out of poverty in 2015 alone. Vermont's automatic enrollment of SNAP recipients is an important piece of the program's success. It allows families to build the assets they need to lift themselves out of poverty without fearing that they will lose their benefits.A single parent shouldn't have to choose between a promotion and school lunch for their children. Last fall, Congress passed a five-year Farm Bill, reauthorizing SNAP. Congress debated reducing access to SNAP, including this proposal to deny states the option of automatic enrollment, and rejected any such change. Both the House and Senate recognized SNAP as a critical tool in the fight against poverty and ensured access to food for millions of Americans. The President signed that law. Now his administration is proposing an end-run around Congress by pushing this rule to kick millions off of nutrition assistance. We know this Trump proposal will directly affect Vermonters. According to the State of Vermont, which administers SNAP locally through the 3SquaresVT program, 21 percent of students would be kicked off 3SquaresVT.Because students who access 3SquaresVT are automatically eligible for free lunch, more than4,500 Vermont childrenthree times the number of kids who attend our state's largest public high schoolwould be deprived of free meals. This will have an even greater impact on those Vermont schools where participation in 3SquaresVT determines universal school meal programs, school and library technology support, and student-loan forgiveness for teachers. If the President is motivated by cost, then he should end welfare for the rich, by repealing the $1.3 trillion tax cut that overwhelming benefitted the wealthiest people in the country and large corporations. If he is worried about overreliance on government programs, he should end thetax avoidance schemesfor the rich that he helped create. It is obscene that in the wealthiest country in world history,40 millionpeople live in poverty, including over 12 million children.We are committed to fighting this administration's effort to punish millions of America's poor and deny them food. We must work together to preserve the programs that lift people out of poverty and provide healthy, nutritious meals to our schoolchildren. If you wish to learn more about how the Trumpadministration's proposal would affect Vermont or to leave a comment for the Trump administration about the proposed rule you may do so here:https://www.hungerfreevt.org/protect3squaresvt Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.),SenatorPatrick Leahy (D-Vt.) andRepresentativePeterWelch(D-Vt.) proudly represent theState of Vermont in the United States Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/poverty-a-death-sentence-sanders-declares-as-gao-links-inequality-to-mortality,"Poverty a Death Sentence, Sanders Declares, as GAO Links Inequality to Mortality",2019-09-09,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Poverty a Death Sentence, Sanders Declares, as GAO Links Inequality to Mortality Monday, September 9, 2019 WASHINGTON, September 8 A groundbreaking Government Accountability Office (GAO) study commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), released today, provides a comprehensive picture of income, wealth, life expectancy, and retirement security among older Americans. GAO found not only that the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer, but provided evidence that led Sanders to conclude that poverty is, in effect, a death sentence: The rich are living longer lives, while poor Americans are dying young.GAO found that amongAmericans aged 51-61 in 1992,fewer than half of those in the poorest 20 percent of America's wealth distribution had survived by 201448 percent. Among the richest 20 percent, 75.5 percent were still alive. The poorest 20 percent were twice as likely to die over the 22-year period than the wealthiest 20 percent. Poverty is a life-threatening issue for millions of people in this country, and this report confirms it,said Sanders.We are in a crisis never before seen in a rich,industrializeddemocracy. For three straight years, overall life expectancy in the wealthiest nation in world history has been declining, often driven by deaths of desperation and despair: liver disease, drug overdoses, and suicide. We must put an end to the obscene income and wealth inequality in our country, and ensure living wages, quality health care, and retirement security for our seniors as human rights. If we do not urgently act to solve the economic distress of millions of Americans, a whole generation will be condemned to early death.GAO similarly observed this massive disparity in life expectancy when examining income and education: only half of those without college degrees and in the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution survived to 2014. Amongthose with college degrees and inthe top 20 percent, based on mid-career earnings, 80 percent were still alive.The astonishing contrasts in income, wealth and life expectancy among older Americans emerged from GAO analysis of nationally representative datasets linked to restricted administrative data, as well as interviews with researchers in the field. The study offers a new window into the socioeconomic conditions of older and middle-aged Americans across the income spectrum.GAO also confirmed America's decades-long growth in wealth inequality: The average wealth of the top 20 percent of older households more than doubled, from $2.1 million in 1989 to $4.6 million in 2016. By comparison, the average wealth of an older household in the bottom 20 percent plummeted, from $4,500 in 1989, to negative $4,300 in 2013more debt than assets.GAO research also highlighted profound income inequality, finding that one in five older households lived on less than $22,000 in 2016, with the bottom quintile averaging just $14,000 in annual income. By comparison, the top 20 percent of older households hadaverageannual income 28 times higher than the bottom 20 percent$398,000 in 2016, up from $242,000 in 1989.Yet inequality was not fueled simply by the top 20 percent of older households accruing more income and wealth than the rest. Rather, the top 1 percent of older households pulled far away from the rest of the top 20 percent, securing some of the largest gains over thirty years.GAO found that the top 1 percent of older households increased their wealth from$15 millionin 1989 to an average of $37 million in 2016. This is more than ten times the wealth of older households in the following 19 percentiles, which averaged $2.9 million. Average income similarly doubled among the richest 1 percent of older households, from $1.6 million annuallyin 1992 to$3 million a yearin 2016. This is 10 times the annual income of the top quintile as a whole in 2016, and over 200 times the income of the bottom 20 percent of older households.The research also showed persistent inequalities in income and wealth between white households and families of color. In 2014, white households in the bottom 20 percent had about $9,700 more inmedianincome and $119,000 more inmedianwealth than comparable minority households.The report released today also noted the implications of these findings on retirement security. In 2016, very few11 percentof the households in the bottom 20 percent had retirement accounts. Only 19 percent of this group owned a home, a drop from 28 percent in 2007. Theaverage home equity of the bottom 20 percent was only $2,000. By contrast, most of the top 20 percent of Americans own a home, with home equity averaging$559,000280 times greater than the bottom quintile.The report commissioned by Sanders builds on his longstanding legislative efforts in the Senate Health Committee.In 2011, as chairman of the PrimaryHealthand Aging Subcommittee, Senator Sandersheld the hearing, Is Poverty a Death Sentence? and releaseda reportby the same title on the role of poverty in the early deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.In a November 2013 hearing, Dying Young: Why Your Social and Economic Status May Be a Death Sentence in America, the Senator invited Sabrina Shrader, a resident of McDowell County, West Virginia, to testify. McDowell County suffers from the lowest life expectancy in the country for men64 yearscomparable toaverage male life expectanciesin Ethiopia, Myanmar and Yemen. Men in wealthy Fairfax County, Virginia, located 350 miles away, lived nearly two decades longer, with an average life expectancy of82 years. Read the GAO reporthere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nuclear-regulatory-commission-will-hold-public-meeting-in-vermont,Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Hold Public Meeting in Vermont,2019-09-04,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, September 4 Next week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold a public meeting in Brattleboro to discuss best practices for community and citizen advisory boards, like Vermont's Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens' Advisory Panel, associated with nuclear plant decommissioning activities. The meeting, one of ten planned around the country in communities affected by nuclear decommissioning, will also serve as an opportunity for the NRC to hear about lessons learned by these groups. Communities impacted by the decommissioning of nuclear plants deserve a role in shaping decommissioning plans, said Senator Sanders, as they bear the brunt of the safety, environmental, and economic impacts of plant closure. It is these communities that are left with the legacy of nuclear power and its consequences, and their input and concerns must be taken seriously. The meetings are required under a provision authored by Sanders in the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act which requires the NRC to submit a report to Congress about the role of citizen advisory panels. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that has oversight over the NRC, Sanders has long advocated for strong community involvement. The meeting will be held at the Brattleboro Area Middle School from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2019. Click here for more details.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-lee-khanna-gaetz-lead-bipartisan-effort-to-defund-us-role-in-saudi-war-in-yemen,"Sanders, Lee, Khanna, Gaetz Lead Bipartisan Effort to Defund U.S. Role in Saudi War in Yemen",2019-09-03,2019,2019-09,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, September 3 Sen. Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.),Sen. Mike Lee(R-Utah),Rep. Ro Khanna(D-Calif.) andRep. Matt Gaetz(R-Fla.) led a bipartisan group of 44 lawmakers urging Congress to defund unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen in the upcoming bill to authorize Pentagon spending. The U.S.-Saudi military campaign in Yemen has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, leaving 24 million Yemenis80 percentof the populationin need of humanitarian assistance.Writing to the chairmen and ranking members of the armed service committees in the House and Senate who oversee the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2020, the members of Congress called for the inclusion of an amendment introduced by Reps. Khanna, Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) to end all U.S. involvement in offensive strikes in the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. The House amendment passed by a vote of 240-185. Sanders introduced a similar amendment to the Senate NDAA.The lawmakers note that bipartisan majorities in both chambers of Congress have voted repeatedly to end unauthorized U.S. military participation in the Saudi- and Emirati-led conflict. S.J.Res. 7, introduced by Sanders, Lee, and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), passed by 54 votes in the Senate and 247 votes in the House. As you finalize the NDAA, we strongly urge you to include the House provision that prohibits military support for the Saudi-led coalition's war against the Houthis in Yemen,wrote the members of Congress.Inclusion of this amendment would ensure that our men and women in uniform are not involved in a war which has never been authorized by Congress, and continues to undermine rather than advance U.S. national security interests.The NDAA's inclusion of the Khanna-Smith-Schiff-Jayapal amendment would ratify Congress's intent to end the war, by terminating U.S. logistical support, intelligence sharing, and the transfer of spare parts to Saudi and Emirati warplanes conducting aerial strikes. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Bruce Riedel hasarguedthat the Saudi-led aerial bombing campaign in Yemen will be grounded if the United States halts the flow of logistics. The amendment would also end any U.S. effort to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany Saudi and Emirati forces in the war, including midair refueling for warplanes engaged in bombings.Remarking on this year'sdeadliest Saudi bombingin Yemen, which killed 100 over the weekend,Sanders said,U.S. logistical support, spare-parts transfers and intelligence sharing for the Saudi dictatorship's airstrikes make us complicit in this nightmare. By passing our bill earlier this year, the House and Senate have spoken: America's involvement in Saudi Arabia's war is unconstitutional and must end immediately. Now we must use Congress's power of the purse to block every nickel of taxpayer money from going to assist the Saudi dictatorship as it bombs and starves civilians in Yemen,said Sanders.By standing firm and shutting off funding, we can put an end to this humanitarian catastrophe,Sanders concluded.Including our Yemen amendment in the final NDAA is essential to ending the Saudi-led war in Yemen. By banning the transfer of spare parts to the Saudis, we will immediately ground their air force and put an end to the bombing of innocent civilians,said Khanna.The president has to sign the NDAA, and including our amendment even gives him the chance to live up to his campaign promise to end foreign wars.The letter was signed by Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). The letter was joined by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Anthony Brown (D-Md.), Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Andy Levin (D-Mich.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.).Read the letterhere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-cummings-seek-answers-on-drug-companies-apparent-obstruction-of-congressional-investigation-into-generic-drug-price-increases,Sanders and Cummings Seek Answers on Drug Companies Apparent Obstruction of Congressional Investigation into Generic Drug Price Increases,2019-08-14,2019,2019-08,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Cummings Seek Answers on Drug Companies' Apparent Obstruction of Congressional Investigation into Generic Drug Price Increases Wednesday, August 14, 2019 WASHINGTON,August 14Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, andRep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent letters toHeritage Pharmaceuticals,Mylan N.V., andTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., opening an investigation into the companies' apparent coordinated obstructionofa 2014inquiry into the way their companies raised prices on lifesaving generic drugs. Not only did your company's apparent obstruction undermine our investigation, Sanders and Cummingswrote to each of the pharmaceutical CEOs, but it may have caused further harm to patients and health care providers by delaying the discovery of evidence about the companies' price-fixing. In 2014, Sanders and Cummingssentletters to the companies requesting information and documents regarding price increasesof generic medicines.The prices of some of these drugs had risen by as much as8,281 percentbetween October 2013 and April 2014.Heritage, Mylan, and Teva executives allegedly played a central role in the scheme. According to the complaint filed by Connecticut and 43 other states in May, the pharmaceutical companies coordinated to inflate the prices of several drugs that were the subject of Sanders'and Cummings'2014 investigation.Connecticut officials obtained anemailsent on October 3, 2014, from Heritage's outside counsel to then-Heritage Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Glazer discussing how Teva, Mylan, and Heritage planned to coordinate their responses to the congressional requests. The Heritage representative wrote that the consensus at this point is that the responses will be polite f-u' letters. Theemailstated that the companies were planning to schedule a conference call to coordinate the response and make sure everyone is on the same page. Obstructing or evading a Congressional investigation, including withholding or concealing information, is a violation of federal law,wrote Sanders and Cummings to the three drug companies in response. Sanders and Cummings renewed their original request for documents and requested information regarding the companies' apparent efforts to stonewall the 2014 investigation, in order to obtain a more detailed understanding of what specific actions took place to thwart the ability of Congress to enact legislative reform, and jeopardize patients' access to generic drugs. We are writing once again to obtain the information requested in 2014, wrote Sanders and Cummings, requesting responses by August 28, 2019. This information is critical to our investigation, and necessary to develop and pursue legislative policies that address anti-competitive behavior in the generic pharmaceutical industry. Clickhereto read letter to Heritage Pharmaceuticals. Clickhereto read letter to Mylan N.V. Clickhereto read letter to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Due to a typographical error, a previous version of these letters attributed the letter sent on October 3, 2014 to a Mylan representative. The author was actually outside counsel for Heritage Pharmaceuticals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-sewell-130-lawmakers-call-for-reversal-of-trump-plan-to-cut-nutrition-aid-to-3-million-americans,"Sanders, Sewell, 130+ Lawmakers Call for Reversal of Trump Plan to Cut Nutrition Aid to 3 Million Americans",2019-08-08,2019,2019-08,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Sewell, 130+ Lawmakers Call for Reversal of Trump Plan to Cut Nutrition Aid to 3 Million Americans Thursday, August 8, 2019 WASHINGTON, August 8 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) led a group of 19 Senators and 120 U.S. Representatives demanding that the Department of Agriculture withdraw its disastrous rule that would kick over 3 million people off of food assistance. The Trump Administration's proposed rule would end the streamlined eligibility option for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for people who have already demonstrated that they qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. According to the Administration's own estimates, this proposal would strip benefits from 3.1 million people nearly one in 10 recipients of nutrition assistance. Millions of families will go hungry if your administration moves forward with this policy, the members of Congress warned. We urge you to immediately rescind this shortsighted proposal. In a nation where the three wealthiest people own more wealth than the bottom half, increasing the barriers for hungry families is unconscionable, argued the members of Congress. The United States already experiences some of the highest youth-poverty and infant-mortality rates among advanced countries. The lawmakers stressed the fact that more than 13 million children live in poverty and the vast majority of SNAP benefits 84 percent go to households with a child, senior, or person with a disability. Due to public schools' reliance on SNAP enrollment when determining eligibility for free school meals, the Trump Administration proposal would additionally strip 500,000 children's automatic eligibility for free school lunches, the members of Congress noted. The legislators cite the findings of a United Nations report on extreme poverty in the United States, which concluded that in a rich country like the United States, the persistence of extreme poverty is a political choice made by those in power. The Trump Administration's proposal to strip nutrition assistance from millions of Americans demonstrates that it is once again doubling down on that choice, they conclude. Sanders and Sewell previously partnered in an effortlast yearto draw then-Ambassador Nikki Haley's attention tothe failure of the United States to recognize social and economic rights, andthe severity of hunger and deprivation outlined in the UN report, which amounted to Third World conditions of absolute poverty for millions of Americans. The letter was signed by Senators Booker (D-N.J.), Harris (D-Calif.), Udall (D-N.M.), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Feinstein (D-Calif.), Warren (D-Mass.), Markey (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Wyden (D-Ore.), Merkley (D-Ore.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cardin (D-Md.), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Murphy (D-Conn.). The letter was also signed by House Members Lee (D-Calif.), Nadler (D-N.Y.), Chu (D-Calif.), DeLauro (D-Conn.), Moore (D-Wis.), Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Cummings (D-Md.), Horsford (D-Nev.), Waters (D-Calif.), Lujn (D-N.M.), Davis (D-Ill.), Velzquez (D-N.Y.), Johnson (D-Texas), Lowey (D-N.Y.), Bustos (D-Ill.), Butterfield (D-N.C.), Castro (D-Texas), Higgins (D-N.Y.), Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Schneider (D-Ill.), Kennedy (D-Mass.), Wild (D-Pa.), Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Gallego (D-Ariz.), McGovern (D-Mass.), Hill (D-Calif.), Evans (D-Pa.), Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Cohen (D-Tenn.), Pressley (D-Mass.), Johnson (D-Ga.), Cox (D-Calif.), Kuster (D-N.H.), Norton (D-DC), Tlaib (D-Mich.), Rice (D-N.Y.), Foster (D-Ill.), Van Drew (D-N.J.), Trone (D-Md.), Morelle (D-N.Y.), Payne (D-N.J.), Coleman (D-N.J.), Brown (D-Md.), Lieu (D-Calif.), Smith (D-Wash.), Luria (D-Va.), Hayes (D-Conn.), Kelly (D-Ill.), Omar (D-Minn.), Torres (D-Calif.), Garcia (D-Texas), Schrader (D-Ore.), Houlahan (D-Pa.), O'Halleran (D-Ariz.), Kaptur (D-Ohio), Titus (D-Nev.), Adams (D-N.C.), Kim (D-N.J.), Vela (D-Texas), Crdenas (D-Calif.), Speier (D-Calif.), Green (D-Texas), Garca (D-Ill.), Hastings (D-Fla.), Courtney (D-Conn.), Pingree (D-Maine), Serrano (D-N.Y.), Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Fudge (D-Ohio), Shalala (D-Fla.), Pocan (D-Wis.), Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.), Cleaver (D-Mo.), Ryan (D-Ohio), Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), Connolly (D-Va.), Eshoo (D-Calif.), Bass (D-Calif.), Doyle (D-Pa.), Neal (D-Mass.), Sarbanes (D-Md.), Lofgren (D-Calif.), Panetta (D-Calif.), Clay (D-Mo.), Correa (D-Calif.), Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Rochester (D-Del.), Cooper (D-Tenn.), Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Veasey (D-Texas), Craig (D-Minn.), DelBene (D-Wash.), Khanna (D-Calif.), Trahan (D-Mass.), Rose (D-N.Y.), Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Soto (D-Fla.), Carbajal (D-Calif.), Garamendi (D-Calif.), Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Yarmuth (D-Ky.), Price (D-N.C.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Scott (D-Ga.), Lynch (D-Mass.), Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), Neguse (D-Colo.), Gomez (D-Calif.), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), Rush (D-Ill.), Vargas (D-Calif.), Langevin (D-R.I.), Brownley (D-Calif.), Peters (D-Calif.), Meng (D-N.Y.), and Haaland (D-N.M.). Read the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/this-vermont-couple-knows-we-must-bring-down-outrageous-drug-prices,This Vermont Couple Knows We Must Bring Down Outrageous Drug Prices,2019-08-07,2019,2019-08,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This Vermont Couple Knows We Must Bring Down Outrageous Drug Prices The American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for the prescription medications they need. That includes tens of thousands of Vermonters. It is unacceptable that Tom and Sue Carlson are forced to spend their precious time and energy worrying about these outrageous costs when they should be able to focus on his health and their time together. The president's empty promises are not enough we must act now to allow families like the Carlsons to safely import the lifesaving medications they need.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/must-read-trump-plans-to-cut-basic-food-assistance,Must Read: Trump plans to cut basic food assistance,2019-08-01,2019,2019-08,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Must Read: Trump plans to cut basic food assistance By: Anore Horton & John Sayles; VT Digger Thursday, August 1, 2019 Last week, the Trump administration announced its latest attempt to take food away from over 3 million veterans, families and older Americans in need by forcing Vermont and 42 other states to change the way they have run the SNAP program (3SquaresVT in Vermont) for over 20 years. Broad-based categorical eligibility affords Vermont the flexibility to enable access to critical 3SquaresVT benefits for vulnerable low-income Vermonters (including working families, children, veterans, older adults, and people with disabilities). Hunger Free Vermont and the Vermont Foodbank strongly oppose this proposal, which will increase hunger and hardship for thousands of Vermonters and millions of Americans. For over 40 years, 3SquaresVT has been our state's first line of defense against hunger, because it works. It provides, on average, over 70,000 Vermonters and 40 million Americans with money to spend on food in grocery stores and farmers markets each month. It is proven to reduce hunger, lift people out of poverty, and leads to positive short and long-term health, education, and employment outcomes. We know that many families in Vermont who are working are still struggling to make ends meet; many rely on food shelves and other assistance to feed their families. This year, 1 in 4 Vermonters will visit a food shelf. This number is far greater than the number of Vermonters who are able to participate in 3SquaresVT, which highlights that these programs already don't do enough to eliminate hunger for many working families. Eliminating or restricting categorical eligibility will harm Vermonters, and weaken our nation's most effective anti-hunger program. Those likely to be affected by this proposal disproportionately are working families with children, and research shows that food insecure children have higher rates of fair and poor health, higher rates of hospitalization, and delays in cognitive development, among other health issues. Ensuring that children have access to a program that is proven to reduce food insecurity and poverty is essential we should be increasing benefits, rather than putting working families at risk of increased hunger and hardship. This proposal is another in a long line of attempts by this administration to demonize low-income Americans and keep them from applying for programs that help them and their families get what they need to thrive. Blaming struggling families will not solve hunger in America. The real issue is that millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet and aren't able to access enough food to grow, learn, and stay healthy. If the Trump administration was truly concerned about food insecurity, it would be working to increase wages and improve access to housing, health care, and food assistance, instead of repeatedly proposing severe cuts to programs that support low-income Americans. This dangerous proposal is not yet final, and there is a 60-day public comment period where individuals and organizations can have their voices heard. Together, we can fight this cruel, unjust, and unnecessary proposal and show that Vermonters believe in supporting our neighbors during times of need so that they can move out of a place of poverty. To read the full article, click here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-applauds-committee-passage-of-transportation-bill-with-major-investments-in-vermont,Sanders Applauds Committee Passage of Transportation Bill with Major Investments in Vermont,2019-07-30,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Applauds Committee Passage of Transportation Bill with Major Investments in Vermont Tuesday, July 30, 2019 WASHINGTON, July 30 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) applauded the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's passage of a five-year, $287-billion transportation funding bill that includes more than $1.3 billion forVermontto maintain its roads, bridges and transit systems. It is no secret that our infrastructure is crumbling, said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who helped draft the bill as a member of the transportation subcommittee. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gaveVermont's infrastructure a C' grade. One-quarter of our bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Almost 30 percent of our roads are in poor or very poor condition. Sanders staved off proposals that could have resulted in steep cuts toVermont's funding.My priority was to make sureVermontcontinues to receive the federal resources it needs to improve our roads and bridges.I am very pleased this bill does just that. The bill would provide at least $1.33 billion in federal highway aid from 2021 through 2025 to repairVermont's roads and bridges, an increase of 20 percent. The bill incorporates several provisions authored by Sanders that would benefitVermont, including: changes to helpVermontfund the operation of rural transit routes; making additional funding available for the state's rail system; and a new $1 billion grant program to build a national network of recharging stations for electric vehicles. Sanders also supported the creation of programs to reduce transportation emissions and improve the resiliency of the state's roads and bridges from extreme weather events like Tropical Storm Irene,which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change. As ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders noted that President Trump's budget called for $87 billion in cut to infrastructure investments. Trump campaigned on rebuilding our infrastructure, but is proposing cutting these programs after signing into a law a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefited the top 1 percent, Sanders said. While this bill is a step forward, I would prefer to go much further, Sanders said. He cited studies by the American Society of Civil Engineers that say we must double the current rate of spending in order to get our roads, bridges and transit to a state of good repair over the next ten years. We can fix our roads, bridges andrapidly transform our infrastructure to aggressively tackle climate changeall while creating millions of good-paying jobs doing it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/the-american-federation-of-teachers-supports-college-for-all,The American Federation of Teachers Supports College for All,2019-07-23,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"The American Federation of Teachers Supports College for All Teachers are facing outrageous levels of student debt. It is time to cancel student debt for all and make public universities and colleges tuition-free. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ilhan Omar and I are incredibly proud to have the support of Randi Weingarten and AFT - American Federation of Teachers in this effort. #CollegeforAll",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-trumps-ignorance-on-climate-change-is-threatening-the-lives-of-our-children-and-future-generations,Sanders: Trumps Ignorance on Climate Change is Threatening the Lives of our Children and Future Generations,2019-07-19,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders: Trump's Ignorance on Climate Change is Threatening the Lives of our Children and Future Generations Friday, July 19, 2019 Washington, July 19 As anunprecedented heatwavethreatened 195 million Americans today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) condemned President Trump's denial of climate change, which isresponsiblefor longer, more frequent, and more intense heatwaves across the planet: Donald Trump's ignorance regarding the climate changeemergencyis threatening the very lives of our children and future generations. The past five years togetherrepresentthe warmest years ever recorded. This June has been thehottestJune on record, and July will likely be the hottest July on record. In the last several yearsin Europe, Australia, Africa, India, and the United Statesthere have been terrible heatwaves resulting in thousands of deaths. For the sake of future generations and the fate of our entire planet, we must stand up to Trump and the fossil fuel industry and transform oureconomyaway from fossil fuelstowardenergy efficiency and sustainable energy. We need a president who helps lead the world in a new energy direction, not one who protects fossil fuel profits.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/congress-must-fully-fund-idea,Congress Must Fully Fund IDEA,2019-07-19,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Congress Must Fully Fund IDEA I support Erin Maguire's fight for full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) on behalf of students across Vermont. Our students and teachers deserve the best public schools and I will continue to fight to ensure our young people have the facilities, resources and support services they need to be successful in college, career and in life.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-house-passage-of-15-minimum-wage,Sanders Statement on House Passage of $15 Minimum Wage,2019-07-18,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Statement on House Passage of $15 Minimum Wage Thursday, July 18, 2019 WASHINGTON, July 18Senator Sanders released the following statement on the passage of the Raise the Wage Act of 2019 in the House of Representatives: ""Four years ago, when I first introduced legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour it was considered an impossible dream. ""But today, thanks to a strong grassroots movement led by millions of fast food workers and the SEIU, the United States House of Representatives just voted to approve legislation to raise the federal minimum wage from the starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to a living wage of $15 an hour by 2025 and to index it to median wage growth every year after that. Today, I am proud to say that a $15 minimum wage has gone from laughable to inevitable. Seven states and over 40 cities have passed $15 minimum wage laws. ""Today, I will be sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell demanding that he bring my $15 an hour legislation to the floor for a vote as soon as possible. If Senator McConnell wants to vote against that bill and explain to the people of Kentucky why he believes a $7.25 minimum wage is acceptable to him that is his prerogative. But he should not deny the rest of the Senate the opportunity to vote for this bill and increase wages for 40 million Americans.No one who has a job in America should be living in poverty.Let the Senate vote."" Read the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-and-omar-lead-group-of-dozen-lawmakers-calling-for-investigation-of-amazon-workplace-abuse,Sanders and Omar Lead Group of Dozen Lawmakers Calling for Investigation of Amazon Workplace Abuse,2019-07-16,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders and Omar Lead Group of Dozen Lawmakers Calling for Investigation of Amazon Workplace Abuse Tuesday, July 16, 2019 Washington, July 16 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)led a group of 13 members of Congress urging the Department of Labor to immediately investigate chronic violations of workplace safety at all Amazon warehouses, owing to the breadth and severity of past violations as well as mounting public revelations of brutal and hazardous working conditions. Their letter to the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) comes in the wake of a Monday work stoppage by Amazon warehouse workers in Minnesota to protest unfair and unsafe conditions in the midst of Prime Day, Amazon's biggest sales event of the year. The bicameral group of lawmakers cite a work environment at Amazon warehouses that creates a high risk of physical injuries, a risk increased by Amazon's intentional disregard for the health and safety of their employees, including a disturbing pattern of preventable deaths. Amazon workers have launched rallies in cities across the United States and strikes in countries around the world during Amazon's Prime Day event to push for fair treatment. Hundreds of workers have shared their stories with us about unconscionable working conditions at Amazon, said Sanders. Today, we call on the Department of Labor to immediately investigate all Amazon warehouses for violations of workplace safety and labor laws and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. People who work for a company owned by the wealthiest person in America should not have to risk their lives, health or well-being on the job. They must be treated with dignity and respect. Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the face of the planet. They earned $59.7 billion last quarter. Their CEO, Jeff Bezos, is the wealthiest man in the worldwith a net worth greater than 125 of the world's 195 nations. Yet, according to extensive reporting, they fail to treat their workers with basic humanity, said Omar. Amazon workers often work in overheated facilities without air condition. They fear taking bathroom and water breaks for fear of retaliation. Workplace injuries are often ignoredsometimes leaving workers homeless or bereft of income. There are multiple reports of deaths of Amazon workers on the company's watch. This is a 21st century sweatshop. It is past time for OSHA to launch a comprehensive investigation into the inhumane condition in Amazon warehousesand hold this corporate malfeasance accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Al Green (D-Texas), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Andy Levin (D-Mich.),and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) joined in demanding a comprehensive investigation by the Department of Labor. The lawmakers noted that despite Amazon's 100 warehouses employing more than 125,000 people in the United States, OSHA had reported conducting only 150 inspections of Amazon spaces and issued just 41 violations in the last five years.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/restorative-justice-an-alternative-approach-to-our-broken-criminal-justice-system,Restorative Justice: An Alternative Approach to Our Broken Criminal Justice System,2019-07-16,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Restorative Justice: An Alternative Approach to Our Broken Criminal Justice System It is no secret that our criminal justice system is broken and in need of major reforms. We have to ask ourselves if we are in the business of punishment, or if we do have a duty of preventing crime and rehabilitating people. I am proud that the Lamoille Restorative Center and a number of other centers around Vermont are taking an alternative approach to the traditional criminal justice system and taking the profit motive out of it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/you-cannot-call-me-inconsistent_health-care-has-always-been-a-human-right,You Cannot Call Me Inconsistent- Health Care Has Always Been A Human Right,2019-07-11,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"You Cannot Call Me Inconsistent- Health Care Has Always Been A Human Right You can call me a lot of things but you cannot call me inconsistent. Our nationmust join every other major nation of the world and guarantee health care as a human right.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-blumenauer-and-ocasio-cortez-announce-introduction-of-climate-emergency-resolution,"Sanders, Blumenauer and Ocasio-Cortez Announce Introduction of Climate Emergency Resolution",2019-07-09,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Blumenauer and Ocasio-Cortez Announce Introduction of Climate Emergency Resolution Tuesday, July 9, 2019 WASHINGTON, July 9 On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced the introduction of a resolution in both chambers of Congress to declare that the climate emergency facing the planet demands a national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization of the resources and labor of the United States in order to restore the climate for future generations. The resolution, cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Merkley (D-Ore.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Booker (D-NJ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Warren (D-Mass.), and Harris (D-Calif.), and 19 members of the House, comes in the wake of President Trump's environmental speech yesterday, in which heavoidedanymentionof climate change. The lawmakers note in the resolution that the United States has a proud history of collaborative, constructive, massive-scale federal mobilizations of resources and labor in order to solve great challenges, such as the Interstate Highway System, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Reconstruction, the New Deal, and World War II, and that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the global community has little more than a decade to stop the worst impacts of climate change. The lawmakers' bicameral recognition of the climate emergency stands in sharp contrast to President Trump's recent misuse of emergency declarations, manufactured in order toseize fundsthat Congress refused to appropriate to build a wall on the border with Mexico and tosell Saudi Arabia weaponsthat Congress had blocked. Climate change, an actual emergency, has been described by Trump as a hoax. Today, as we face the global crisis of climate change, it is imperative that the United States lead the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. What we need now is Congressional leadership to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them that their short term profits are not more important than the future of the planet. Climate change is a national emergency, and I am proud to be introducing this resolution with my House and Senate colleagues,Sanders said. To address the climate crisis, we must tell the truth about the nature of this threat,said Blumenauer.Congressional Republicans have teetered on the brink of ignorance for far too long and now urgent, massive action is needed. This is an emergency. We must act now. Today we stand in solidarity with tens of millions of people from around the world in calling for a mass mobilization of our social and economic resources. It is time we began a swift transition away from fossil fuels and towards a sustainable renewable energy economy. Climate change represents not only our greatest threat but one of our greatest opportunities. Working to solve the climate crisis will create tens of millions of union jobs, empower communities, and improve the quality of life for people across the globe,said Ocasio-Cortez. The United States is facing a climate crisis. We must speak that truth, and then we must take bold action to confront the existential crisis before us,saidSenatorHarris.In California and across the country, Americans are already seeing the impact of the climate crisis as unprecedented floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and extreme weather events devastate their communities. I'm proud to join my colleagues in this resolution that affirms that the policy of the United States Congress will be based on science fact, not science fiction. The resolution is endorsed by 15 independent organizations. It's abundantly clear that climate change has arrived and that we are living in a climate crisis. It's past time that the federal government recognize this fact and declare a climate emergency. We need bold, comprehensive legislation to move us off fossil fuels and onto a clean energy revolution. This resolution lays out the scope of what we need to do. It's time to act for the future of our planet,saidMitch Jones, Climate & Energy Program DirectorofFood & Water Watch. It's heartening to see members of Congress taking up their authority and calling out the climate crisis as it happens. We are experiencing the effects of a global emergency, right now, in every part of our nation and it demands that we take immediate action that is equitable and to scale. Communities most impacted by this crisis have known for decades that our climate is changing and that it is affecting our health, safety, and the prospects of the next generation. We applaud Sen. Sanders and Reps. Blumenauer and Ocasio-Cortez for this step, and call on their colleagues in the House and Senate to support this resolution and show their commitment to just climate action today to give us a chance at tomorrow,saidTamara Toles O'Laughlin, North America Directorof350 Action. The climate crisis poses a threat unlike any other in history. If we fail to mobilize national resources very soon, with the utmost speed and unprecedented scale, we will face catastrophic harm in the coming decades and possibly existential threats to the nation and human civilization by the end of this century. There is nothing more deserving of theemergency'designation. Senator Sanders and Reps. Blumenauer and Ocasio-Cortez should be commended for their leadership in calling the climate crisis exactly what it is: a genuine national emergency,saidDavid Arkush, Managing DirectorofPublic Citizen's Climate Program. We're in a climate emergency fueled by a democracy emergency an out-of-control fossil fuel industry is hijacking our government, and it's time we acted like it and fought back. We the people demand that our government say no' to Big Oil and yes' to our futures. This resolution is a critical step toward a system that works for people, not polluters, and we thank Sen. Sanders and Reps. Blumenauer and Ocasio-Cortez for their bold leadership,saidStephen Kretzmann, Founder & Executive Director of Oil Change U.S. Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) applauds Senator Sanders, Representative Blumenauer and Representative Ocasio-Cortez who continue to demonstrate leadership in addressing the climate crisis with this resolution. Logic dictates that we must clearly name the crisis if we are serious about addressing it. The road to a truly just and regenerative economy begins with recognizing and naming the challenge that confronts us. This resolution is a necessary step on the path to doing just that,saidAngela Adrar, Executive DirectorofClimate Justice Alliance. Climate and ecological breakdown threatens to destroy human civilization and kill billions of innocent people through mass starvation, wars over declining resources, and in the worst case scenario, a runaway greenhouse effect. This historic national declaration of climate emergency formally acknowledges this unprecedented threat and demands the only sane response: A massive, federal government-led mobilization of all available resources to rapidly halt and reverse global warming through a managed phase out of coal, oil, and gas, a large-scale carbon sequestration effort, and other life-saving measures,saidEzra Silk, Co-Founder and Director of Strategy & PolicyofThe Climate Mobilization. We are absolutely in a climate emergency, and it's time all of our elected officials started acting like it. Acknowledging that climate change represents a monumental threat, as this resolution does, is a critical first step. What the American people need to survive this crisis is swift action from our government to end drilling, fracking, and mining for fossil fuels and to invest in a more just, inclusive economy built on renewable energy,"" said Janet Redman, Climate Campaign Director, Greenpeace USA. ""For decades our politics has been dominated by fear -- fear of fossil fuel corporations, fear of a just transition, and fear of each other. As our leaders have been crippled by fear, we're now left with only 11 years to rapidly transition off fossil fuels and toward green energy. It's time to declare a national emergency to stop the crisis and create millions of good-paying jobs in our communities,saidAlexandra Rojas, executive directorofJustice Democrats. To read a summary of the resolution, click here. To read the resolution, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermonts-forest-industry-is-important-to-our-rural-economy-and-environment,Vermont's forest industry is important to our rural economy and environment,2019-07-08,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont's forest industry is important to our rural economy and environment Thank you to the people and businesses who steward Vermont's forests and produce great products from our wood. Your work helps improve our rural economy and preserve our beautiful forests.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/these-high-schoolers-want-you-to-know-about-the-war-in-yemen,These High Schoolers Want You To Know About The War in Yemen,2019-07-07,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"These High Schoolers Want You To Know About The War in Yemen The Yemeni people need humanitarian aid, not more bombs. These incredible high schoolers are organizing to put an end to U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia's brutal war in Yemen. I believe that as more young people get involved in the political process, we can achieve great things, like bringing peace to the desperate people of Yemen.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-seniors-message-for-congress,Vermont Seniors' Message for Congress,2019-07-05,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont Seniors' Message for Congress My office recently asked Vermont seniors what issues matter most to them and what message they have for Congress. What they shared is no big surprise: older Vermonters want Congress to support and expand Medicare, make sure seniors have access to affordable housing and prescription drugs, and address climate change to protect the planet for their children and grandchildren.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/college-for-all-q-and-a,College for all Q A,2019-07-04,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"College for all Q & A You've got questionsRep. Jayapal, Rep. Omar and I have got answers. How do we cancel $1.6 trillion in student debt? We pay for it in a very simple way: a small tax on Wall Street speculation. This is not a ""radical"" idea.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/our-health-care-system-failed-this-mother-forcing-her-to-bury-her-child,"Our Health Care System Failed This Mother, Forcing Her to Bury Her Child",2019-07-03,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Our Health Care System Failed This Mother, Forcing Her to Bury Her Child Callie Greer had to bury her daughter Venus because our health care system failed her. Health care is not something that only the wealthy deserve to have. That is why Medicare for All is the answer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-condemns-ice-and-cbp-impunity-calls-for-the-end-of-family-detention-,"Sanders Condemns ICE and CBP Impunity, Calls for the End of Family Detention",2019-07-02,2019,2019-07,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Condemns ICE and CBP Impunity, Calls for the End of Family Detention Tuesday, July 2, 2019 WASHINGTON, July 2In response tonewsof deplorable conditions faced by detainees at border facilities recently visited by members of Congress,as well asrevelationsthat nearly 10,000 current and former Border Patrol agents were involved in a secret Facebook group in which racist and sexist posts were commonplace, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement: We have all seen horrific images of women and children crowded into filthy cells at detention camps without running water and forced to sleep on concrete, sometime for months. Authorities in charge of these facilities have demonstrated cruelty and indifference, andlike President Trumpdo not respect basic human rights or the oversight authority of Congress. ""Further, racist and sexist behavior on the part of those who wear a uniform of the United States is unacceptable, said Sanders, referring to comments made by ICE and CBP officers on Facebook. The Department of Homeland Security must investigate and take strong action against those found guilty of this vulgar behavior. ""The time is long overdue for a complete overhaul of our immigration system. Instead of demonizing the undocumented, we must provide a path toward citizenship, immediate legal status for the 1.8 million young people eligible for the DACA program and create a humane policy for those seeking asylum at the border. Further, we must stop family separation; reunite families that have been separated; end detention of families, children and anyone who doesn't pose a danger; eliminate private detention facilities; and protect asylum seekers as the law requires. We also must oppose Trump's nightmarish mass-deportation plans. ""What we need to do is convene the countries of this hemisphereto address the violence and deprivation that is prompting people to flee their own countries, Sanders concluded. As neighbors, we can solve these problems together.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/congress-authorizes-war-not-the-president,"Congress Authorizes War, Not The President",2019-06-28,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Congress Authorizes War, Not The President Today, I stood with a majority of my Senate colleagues who voted to uphold the rule of law. The Constitution and the War Powers Act are perfectly clear: President Trump cannot go to war with Iran without congressional authorization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/nuclear-regulatory-commission-to-hold-public-meeting-in-vermont,Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Hold Public Meeting in Vermont,2019-06-27,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Hold Public Meeting in Vermont Thursday, June 27, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 27 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced a public meeting to be held in Vernon, Vermont to discuss the best practices and lessons learned associated with community and citizen advisory boards (CABs) associated with decommissioning plant activities, like those ongoing in Vernon relating to the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant. The meetings are required under a provision secured by Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act. The public meeting is tentatively expected to take place between August and October.Communities experiencing the safety and economic impacts of nuclear plant decommissioning deserve a role in shaping those decommissioning plans for nuclear reactors near them, Sanders said. This input is especially critical given the potential for non-operational plants to sit for decades before removal and decontamination.Click herefor more details about the meetings.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/one-hundred-academics-endorse-college-for-all-act-urge-congress-to-pass-it,"One Hundred Academics Endorse College for All Act, Urge Congress to Pass it",2019-06-27,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"One Hundred Academics Endorse College for All Act, Urge Congress to Pass it Thursday, June 27, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 27 One hundred experts in the fields of law, economics, and education wrote an open letter to the U.S. Congress in support of the College for All Act, introduced earlier this week by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). The groundbreaking legislation guarantees free public college and trade school for all while cancelling all $1.6 trillion in student debt.Between 1964 and 2019, the average annual cost of attending a four-year public college or university soared by an unimaginable 3,819 percent, the scholars wrote. By failing to adequately invest in higher education, governments have shifted a greater share of the financial burden onto those trying to advance their studies.In the face of this crisis, nothing short of a complete overhaul of our public higher education system will suffice. We must treat education as the public good that it is, the academics added. This means 'hitting the reset button' on student loan debt by cancelling the entire outstanding amount, so that some 45 million Americans and their loved ones are no longer trapped by the policy failures of the past.To some, the experts wrote, this will appear too radical. To us, it is the bold solution we need. It is high time we enacted policies that benefit the real job creatorsthe ones on Main Street. They conclude, The time has come to cancel student loan debt and to allow future generations to graduate from college debt free.Senator Sanders welcomed the academics' letter. Thesescholarsare saying what millions of young people already know from their own experience: the Wall Street crash of 2008 devastated the economic prospects of an entire generation,Sanders said. If we do not act boldly and decisively, these young people will face lower living standards than those their parents enjoyed. Our College for All Act will boost our economy and offer real opportunity for our people. And the cost will be borne entirely byspeculatorson Wall Street.These academics confirm that a college degree should be a right for all, not a privilege for the few,said Rep. Jayapal.What's more, our student debt crisis is oppressing borrowers of color, shutting them out from the benefits that American higher education can and should offer. I am so proud to stand with my colleagues and introduce this bold package of legislation to reinvest in our nation's future. We are committed to restoring freedom to students, workers and families freedom from the student debt that is holding them back.Economists understand that this bill would not only allow Americans struggling with debt pursue their dreams, but would unleash billions of dollars in economic growthstimulating our entire economy,said Rep. Omar, applauding the scholars' endorsement.The academics calculated that the cancellation of student debt would create up to a million new jobs annually, reduce the racial wealth gap, boost consumer spending, and fuel new business creation.The College for All Act cancels all student debt, including undergraduate and graduate debt. The lawmakers propose paying for this entirely through a small tax on high-frequency trades of stocks, bonds, and derivatives on Wall Street, which would raise $2.4 trillion over ten years. Economists estimate that the full amount of this tax would be borne by the financial industry, not individual holders of stock or pension funds.In addition to cancelling student loan debt, the legislation eliminates tuition and fees at all public four-year colleges and universities, as well as making community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs tuition- and fee-free for all. The College for All Act caps student-loan interest rates at no higher than what the federal government pays for its debt1.88 percent, compared to current student-loan interest rates as high as 8.5 percent.States participating in the federal partnership proposed by Sanders, Jayapal and Omar would be required to demonstrate that their public colleges and universities are curbing tuition and fee increases for all students, including out-of-state students and graduate students.Read the academics' letter here.Read a fact sheet on the College for All Act here.Read the bill text forS. 1947College for All Act here.Watch a Facebook Q&A with Sanders, Jayapal and Omar here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-leads-letter-probing-trump-administration-delay-in-providing-emergency-nutrition-assistance-for-puerto-rico,Sanders Leads Letter Probing Trump Administration Delay in Providing Emergency Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico,2019-06-27,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Leads Letter Probing Trump Administration Delay in Providing Emergency Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico Thursday, June 27, 2019 (En espaol) WASHINGTON, June 27 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget, led six Senators in a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue probing the Trump administration's failure to release emergency nutrition assistance funds to Puerto Rico already appropriated by Congress. The Senate Budget Committee has oversight authority over OMB. Senators Schumer (D-NY), Warren (D-MA), Harris (D-CA, Gillibrand (D-NY), Murray (D-WA) and Murphy (D-CT) joined the inquiry into the Trump Administration's delay in providing much-needed assistance. Puerto Rico's nutrition assistance funding lapsed in March, which triggered widespread reductions in benefits. We would like to know the exact status of these funds, including details regarding why funds have not yet been released to Puerto Rico, wrote the Senators, calling on the agencies to respond by July 1st. The President signed the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act into law on June 6, 2019. Congress passed that legislation to provide emergency relief to hundreds of thousands of American citizens, specifically including $600 million for disaster nutrition assistance, with the understanding that the funds would be distributed as soon as possible. A recentWashington Postreport, however, found that the funds may not be able to be distributed until September. The Trump administration has a history ofdelaying fundsto Puerto Rico. The Trump administration originallyopposedthe inclusion of disaster nutrition assistance funding for Puerto Rico. Congress nevertheless made a bipartisan decision to reject the Trump administration's exclusion of these funds. The people of Puerto Rico are still struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which hit Puerto Rico over a year and a half ago. Currently, almost 45 percent of Puerto Rican households with children rely on nutrition assistance. In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, it is unconscionable that the Trump administration is allowing the most vulnerable Puerto Ricans to struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table, Sen. Sanders said. The people of Puerto Rico are American citizens and deserve to be treated as American citizens. We are asking the Trump administration for answers about why there is unequal treatment for the territories. We must do everything we can to help Puerto Rico recover from the hurricanes and protect the most vulnerable in our society. As our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico continue to struggle to recover from the devastation of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, they deserve to be treated with the same compassion and expediency as every other citizen, said Minority Leader Schumer. I am very concerned as to why this desperately needed nutrition assistance is not being swiftly delivered to Puerto Rico. We are demanding an explanation from the Trump administration on the delay in delivering this much-needed assistance that Congress appropriated to help those still struggling to recover from the hurricanes meet their basic food needs. More than a year and a half after Hurricane Maria and despite Congress approving emergency nutrition assistance funds, communities in Puerto Rico still do not have the resources they need to get back on their feet,said Sen. Harris.The administration's delay in delivering this assistance is inexcusable, and we need answers. We must take immediate action to help our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who continue to struggle in their recovery efforts. Our fellow citizens are still suffering in Puerto Rico more than a year and a half after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the islands,said Sen. Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. It's disgraceful that the Trump Administration still has not released the emergency nutrition assistance funds for Puerto Rico that Congress already appropriated and the Americans living there desperately need. There are no excuses for this, and the Trump Administration must act now to correct this tragic situation that they have caused. After Puerto Rico suffered devastating natural disasters that left countless people without reliable access to healthy, nutritious food, Congress sent emergency nutrition assistance funds to the island to ensure that hungry families and children were able to eatand it's inexcusable that the Trump administration would drag its feet in getting these critical resources to Americans enduring such a crisis,Sen. Murray said.As a nation we are all responsible for Puerto Rico's recovery and the well-being of our fellow citizens, and I will not stop pressing for answers until the funds Congress appropriated reach families and communities in need. The permanent, second-class treatment of Puerto Ricans by this administration is abhorrent and deeply concerning. Connecticut is home to many Puerto Rican families, and many found refuge after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in communities around our state, said Sen. Murphy. I'm proud to join my colleagues in trying to get to the bottom of what's holding up this funding from getting to the island, and I look forward to a quick response so these families can get the much needed assistance they deserve. In March this year, Sen. Sanders and 11 cosponsorsintroducedthe Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act (S. 677).This bill would give territories like Puerto Rico equitable treatment under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while maintaining the flexibility of the existing Puerto Rico nutrition assistance program.The bill allows for a transition from the current capped amount of block-grant funds for territories to SNAP, which provides states with automatic expansions in funding for food assistance in times of greater need. To read the letter, click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-lidera-la-carta-indagando-ante-el-retraso-para-proveer-asistencia-nutricional-de-emergencia-para-puerto-rico-por-parte-de-la-administracin-de-trump,Sanders lidera la carta indagando ante el retraso para proveer asistencia nutricional de emergencia para Puerto Rico por parte de la administracin de Trump,2019-06-27,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders lidera la carta indagando ante el retraso para proveer asistencia nutricional de emergencia para Puerto Rico por parte de la administracin de Trump Thursday, June 27, 2019 WASHINGTON, 27 de junio -El senador Bernie Sanders (I-VT), miembro de mayor rango de la minora del Comit de Presupuesto en el Senado de los Estados Unidos, envi una carta al director de la Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (OMB, por sus siglas en ingls), Mick Mulvaney, y al Secretario del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA, por sus siglas en ingls), Sonny Perdue indagando acerca del fracaso de la administracin de Trump para desembolsar los fondos de asistencia nutricional de emergencia a Puerto Rico ya asignados por el Congreso. El Comit de Presupuesto del Senado tiene autoridad de supervisin sobre la OMB. Los senadores Charles Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA) y Chris Murphy (D-CT) se unieron para indagar acerca del retraso de la Administracin de Trump en desembolsar estos fondos. El financiamiento de la asistencia nutricional de Puerto Rico expir en marzo, lo que desencaden reducciones en estos beneficios. ""Nos gustara saber el estado de estos fondos, incluyendo detalles sobre por qu los fondos an no han llegado a Puerto Rico,"" escribieron los Senadores, pidiendo a las agencias que respondan antes del 1 de julio. El Presidente firm la Ley de Asignaciones Suplementarias Adicionales para la Asistencia de Desastres el 6 de junio de 2019. El Congreso aprob esta legislacin para brindarle ayuda de emergencia a cientos de miles de ciudadanos estadounidenses, incluyendo $600 millones para asistencia nutricional en casos de desastre, con el entendimiento de que los fondos se distribuiran lo antes posible. Sin embargo, un informe reciente del Washington Post encontr que el desembolso de estos fondos puede ser postergado para el mes de septiembre. La administracin de Trump tiene un historial de retrasar los fondos para Puerto Rico. Originalmente, la administracin de Trump se opuso a la inclusin de fondos de asistencia nutricional por desastres para Puerto Rico. El Congreso, de manera bipartita, tom la decisin de rechazar la exclusin de estos fondos por parte de la administracin de Trump. Nuestros conciudadanos en Puerto Rico, todava estn luchando por recuperarse de la devastacin de los huracanes Mara e Irma, que azotaron a la isla hace ms de un ao y medio. Actualmente, casi el 45 por ciento de los hogares puertorriqueos con nios dependen de la asistencia nutricional. ""En el pas ms rico de la historia del mundo, es inconcebible que la administracin de Trump est permitiendo que los puertorriqueos ms vulnerables luchen por poner comida sobre la mesa,"" dijo Sanders. ""Los puertorriqueos son ciudadanos estadounidenses y merecen ser tratados como tales. Estamos exigiendo respuestas a la administracin de Trump sobre por qu hay un trato desigual para los territorios. Debemos hacer todo lo posible para ayudar a Puerto Rico a recuperarse de los huracanes y proteger a los ms vulnerables de nuestra sociedad."" Mientras que nuestros compatriotas en Puerto Rico continan luchando por recuperarse de la devastacin de los huracanes Mara e Irma, debemos asegurarnos que ellos sean tratados con la misma compasin y rapidez que todos los dems ciudadanos. Estoy muy preocupado ya que esta ayuda nutricional se necesita desesperadamente y no se est entregando rpidamente a Puerto Rico. Exigimos una explicacin por parte del gobierno de Trump sobre el retraso en la entrega de esta importante ayuda que el Congreso asign para aquellos que todava luchan por recuperarse y que buscan satisfacer sus necesidades alimentarias bsicas. ""Luego de ms de un ao y medio despus del huracn Mara y a pesar de que el Congreso aprob los fondos de asistencia nutricional de emergencia, las comunidades en Puerto Rico an no cuentan con los recursos necesarios para recuperarse"", dijo Harris. ""El retraso de la administracin en el desembolso de esta asistencia es inexcusable, y necesitamos respuestas. Debemos tomar medidas inmediatas para ayudar a nuestros compatriotas en Puerto Rico que continan luchando en sus esfuerzos de recuperacin. Nuestros conciudadanos en Puerto Rico siguen sufriendo luego de ms de un ao y medio despus de que los huracanes Irma y Mara devastaran las islas, dijo la senadora Gillibrand, miembro del Comit de Agricultura del Senado. Es una vergenza que la Administracin de Trump an no haya desembolsado los fondos de asistencia nutricional de emergencia para Puerto Rico que el Congreso haba aprobado y que los estadounidenses que viven all necesitan desesperadamente. No hay excusas para esto, y la Administracin de Trump debe actuar ahora para corregir la trgica situacin que han causado. Puerto Rico fue devastado a causa de desastres naturales que dejaron a innumerables personas sin acceso a alimentos saludables y nutritivos, y el Congreso asign fondos de asistencia nutricional de emergencia a la isla para garantizar que las familias de escasos recursos y los nios pudieran comer. Es imperdonable que la administracin de Trump arrastre los pies para llevar estos recursos a los ciudadanos estadounidenses que vivieron tal crisis"", dijo la Senadora Murray. ""Como nacin, todos somos responsables de la recuperacin de Puerto Rico y del bienestar de nuestros conciudadanos, y no dejar de presionar hasta que los fondos que el Congreso asign lleguen a las familias y comunidades necesitadas. El trato permanente como ciudadanos de segunda clase hacia los puertorriqueos por parte de esta administracin es abominable y profundamente preocupante. Connecticut es el hogar de muchas familias puertorriqueas, y muchas de ellas buscaron refugiarse en las comunidades de nuestro estado despus de los huracanes Irma y Mara. Me enorgullece unirme a mis colegas para indagar acerca de la razn del retraso de los fondos que no han llegado a la isla, y espero una respuesta rpida para que estas familias puedan obtener la asistencia que tanto necesitan, dijo Murphy. En marzo de este ao, el Sen. Sanders y 11 coauspiciadores introdujeron la Ley de Asistencia Nutricional Equitativa para los Territorios (S. 677). Este proyecto de ley le dara a los territorios, como Puerto Rico, un trato equitativo bajo el Programa Suplementario de Asistencia Nutricional (SNAP, por sus siglas en ingls) a la misma vez que mantiene la flexibilidad del programa de asistencia nutricional existente en la isla. El proyecto de ley provee una transicin de la cantidad actual de fondos de subvencin en bloque para los territorios a SNAP. Esta ayuda es la que les provee expansiones automticas a los estados en la financiacin de la asistencia alimentaria en tiempos de mayor necesidad. Para leer la carta, haga clic aqu.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/rep-jimmy-gomez-knows-how-important-health-insurance-is,Rep. Jimmy Gomez Knows How Important Health Insurance Is,2019-06-26,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Rep. Jimmy Gomez Knows How Important Health Insurance Is As a child, Rep. Jimmy Gomez grew up without health insurance. Today he is calling for Medicare for All to guarantee health care to every person, so that no one has to go through what his family did.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-jayapal-and-omar-introduce-groundbreaking-bills-to-ensure-college-for-all-and-eliminate-all-student-debt,"Sanders, Jayapal and Omar Introduce Groundbreaking Bills to Ensure College For All and Eliminate All Student Debt",2019-06-24,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Jayapal and Omar Introduce Groundbreaking Bills to Ensure College For All and Eliminate All Student Debt Monday, June 24, 2019 Washington, June 24 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) unveiled landmark legislation today to eliminate tuition and fees at all public four-year colleges and universities, as well as make community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeship programs tuition- and fee-free for all. The three lawmakers' proposal also eliminates all $1.6 trillion in student debt for 45 million Americans. This is truly arevolutionaryproposal which accomplishes three major goals,said Sanders.First, in a highly competitive global economy, it makes certain that all Americans, regardless of income, can get the college education or job training they need to secure decent paying jobs by making public colleges, universities and trade schools tuition-free and debt-free. Second, in a generation hard hit by the Wall Street crash of 2008,Sanders said,it forgives all student debt and ends the absurdity ofsentencing an entire generation to a lifetime of debt for the crime' of getting a college education. Third, it pays for these proposals by implementing a tax on Wall Street speculators.In 2008, the American people bailed out Wall Street. Now, it is Wall Street's turn to help the middle class and working class of this country. There is a crisis in higher education at a time when a postsecondary degree is more important than ever,said Jayapal.A college degree should be a right for all, not a privilege for the few. What's more, our student debt crisis is oppressing borrowers of color, shutting them out from the benefits that American higher education can and should offer. I am so proud to stand with my colleagues and introduce this bold package of legislation to reinvest in our nation's future. We are committed to restoring freedom to students, workers and families freedom from the student debt that is holding them back. There are currently 45 million Americans with student debt,said Omar.That's 45 million people who are being held back from purchasing their first home; 45 million people who may feel that they can't start a family; 45 million people who have dreams of opening a business or going into public service, but are held back. My bill would end this crisis by cancelling all $1.6 trillion in student loan debt,Omar said.This would not only allow Americans struggling with debt pursue their dreams, but would unleash billions of dollars in economic growthstimulating our entire economy. We can fully fund this with a small tax on Wall Street speculation. The American people bailed out Wall Street. It's time for Wall Street to bail out American people. Under the College for All Act, the average student loan borrower would save about$3,000 a year, and the economy would get a boost ofapproximately $1 trillionover 10 years, which could be used to buy new homes, cars, and open up small businesses. Student debt is also disproportionately impacting African Americans and Latinos. Twelve years after starting college, for example, the median black borrower owedmore than he or she had taken outin the first place. The estimated $2.2 trillion cost of this bill would be paid for entirely by a tax on Wall Street speculation. During the financial crisis, Wall Street received thelargest taxpayer bailoutin the history of the United States. Now, argue the lawmakers, it's Wall Street's turn to help rebuild the disappearing middle class. The members of Congress propose imposing a small Wall Street speculation tax of just 0.5 percent on stock trades (50 cents for every $100 worth of stock), a 0.1 percent fee on bonds, and a 0.005 percent fee on derivatives, which would raise up to$2.4 trillionover the next decade.More than 1,000 economistshave endorsed a tax on Wall Street speculation andsome 40 countrieshave already imposed a similar financial transactions tax. This milestone legislation was endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, Freedom to Prosper, Social Security Works, Progress America, Progressive Democrats of America, Student Action, People's Action, Debt Collective, the American Medical Students Association, CREDO Action, and the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE). Read a fact sheet on College For All here. Read the legislative text here. Read a fact sheet on the Inclusive Prosperity Act to raise revenue for the proposal here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/farmers-can-help-address-climate-change,Farmers Can Help Address Climate Change,2019-06-24,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Farmers Can Help Address Climate Change Corporate agricultural practices contribute to climate change, which ironically is threatening our entire food system. Fortunately, many family farmers across Vermont and America are transforming their agricultural practices to sequester carbon, become more resilient, and help solve the global warming crisis.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-opposes-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia-calls-on-trump-to-obey-constitution,"Sanders Opposes Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia, Calls on Trump to Obey Constitution",2019-06-20,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Opposes Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia, Calls on Trump to Obey Constitution Thursday, June 20, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 20 Today, Senator Sanders (I-Vt) issued the following statement as he voted in support of joint resolutions to block the transfer of $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and other states in response to President Trump's announcement of a national emergency over Iran, which was intended to bypass statutory Congressional oversight over arms sales: The Trump administration's attempt to do an end-run around Congressional disapproval in order to transfer weapons to the Saudi and Emirati regimes is a violation of the law, and an affront to the Constitutional order. Repeatedly, we see this president using phony emergency' declarations to sidestep the law to get what he wants. The fact that he is transferring these weapons at a time when the Saudis and Emiratis are waging a catastrophic war in Yemen, a war that a bipartisan majority in Congress has declared to be unauthorized and illegal, is even more outrageous. It's time for the president torespect the will of a convincing majority of the Senateand follow the law. I will do everything I can to assert Congress's power over the purse to end the war in Yemen and block these weapons from being used by the Saudis in that war.Trump should not do the bidding of the repressive, undemocratic regime of Saudi Arabia,which was exposed this week by the United Nations for the premeditated killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the coverup of that crime.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/millennials-are-not-broke-because-they-buy-too-much-coffee,Millennials Are Not Broke Because They Buy Too Much Coffee,2019-06-20,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Millennials Are Not Broke Because They Buy Too Much Coffee Millennials are not broke because they buy too much coffee. The economy has been rigged against them and here is how: See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/sanders-op-ed-fighting-for-seniors-by-strengthening-the-older-americans-act,Sanders Op-ed: Fighting for seniors by strengthening the Older Americans Act,2019-06-20,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Op-ed: Fighting for seniors by strengthening the Older Americans Act By: Senator Bernie Sanders Thursday, June 20, 2019 It is no secret that many seniors in Vermont and throughout the United States are having trouble making ends meet. In the United States, 7.2 million seniors live in poverty and nearly 9 million face the threat of hunger. Every day, seniors struggle with the high cost of prescription drugs, food, heating or housing. Others deal with loneliness and isolation, a real problem in Vermont's more rural communities. It should go without saying, but no senior citizen in the richest country in history should ever have to decide between buying groceries or the medications they need to stay healthy. No senior should worry about keeping a roof over their head. Unfortunately, this is the reality today for far too many older Americans and it is both unacceptable and immoral. Which is why it is particularly unconscionable that President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress have proposed huge tax breaks for billionaires while trying to make deep cuts to or completely do away with the programs that help seniors stay healthy and secure. This includes the essential programs funded underthe Older Americans Act, the major federal vehicle for the delivery of social and nutrition services for more than 11 million older Americans. I cannot overstate the importance of the Older Americans Act, especially for our state Vermont which has the second oldest population in the nation. The OAA funds congregate meal sites, home-delivered meals like Meals on Wheels, exercise and wellness activities, transportation services, employment and community service programs, vulnerable elder rights protection, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, family caregiver support and more. In Vermont, these programs keep thousands of seniors healthy and in their homes. For example, Meals on Wheels prepared and home-delivered nearly 800,000 freshly cooked nutritious meals to more than 5,700 Vermont seniors last year. This not only helps ensure seniors have access to adequate nutrition, but the volunteer drivers also make sure that seniors they visit are safe, secure and warm. And the drivers also provide invaluable social interaction and companionship, which helps prevent the isolation that put seniors at higher risk of depression, dementia, falls and hospitalization. It is a wonderful, necessary and extremely cost-effective service for older Vermonters. At a time when seniors' cost of living continues to rise and as our population continues to age, the demand for these programs will only grow. Today, there are more than 70 million Americans aged 60 years and older, and the U.S. Census estimates that number will increase to 100 million by 2040. Here in our state, more than one in every four Vermonters will be over the age of 65 by 2030. That is why I pushed so hard to increase funding for senior nutrition programs by more than $60 million over that past two years. While this modest increase was a much-needed step in the right direction, we clearly must do more to make sure no senior ever goes hungry. And the last thing we should do is cut these programs. Congress is now discussing the reauthorizationof the Older Americans Act. As the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee on retirement security and the co-chair of the Expand Social Security Caucus, I am committed to expanding and strengthening the programs funded under this critically important law. In the meantime, I will continue my efforts now endorsed by 39 of my Senate colleagues to significantly increase funding for existing OAA programs. I have often said that a great nation is judged not by the tax breaks it gives to the very wealthy, but by how it cares for its families, children, seniors, veterans, the poor and the sick. With the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, we can take a significant step to protect and support seniors in Vermont and every corner of the country. Let's get it done.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/celebrating-juneteenth-with-a-good-friend,Celebrating Juneteenth With A Good Friend,2019-06-19,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Celebrating Juneteenth With A Good Friend I'm proud to celebrate #Juneteenth with Mr. Danny Glover. This year's holiday takes on special significance because of today's House hearing on H.R. 40 to study the impacts of slavery. We must come to terms with slavery's horrors and how they affect every aspect of our lives today.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/must-read-trumps-war-on-the-poor,Must Read: Trump's war on the poor,2019-06-19,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Must Read: Trump's war on the poor By: Sue Minter; VT Digger Wednesday, June 19, 2019 The trump administration has a uniquely cruel solution for our many neighbors who struggle with poverty: Just declare that they are not poor and strip them of essential services. This is the likely result of a proposal now under consideration to lower the federal poverty line the income threshold that determines what it means to be poor in America. The artificial maneuver to move millions of people out of poverty will terminate critical assistance for food, heat, housing and child care, to name a few, for many of our most vulnerable community members. As the executive director of Capstone Community Action, an organization that provides essential services to build ladders out of poverty, I see daily the low-income Vermonters who will be directly impacted by this change. So do you. You may not know it, but the person serving your meal or working the checkout line at your grocery store is homeless. Or the person operating the chairlift or cutting your hair is struggling to put food on their table, and their kids depend on free healthy meals at school. When these people are not helping you, Capstone is helping them. When the federal poverty line was established during President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty in the 1960s it was tied to livable wage at that time and is adjusted annually for inflation. In 2018, the federal poverty line for a family of four was $25,100. This is supposed to account for what it costs to live. The problem is that the cost of living for essentials like food, housing, heat and child care has increased exponentially since the 1960s, but the definition of living in poverty does not take these costs into account. This problem will be exacerbated by the proposal now under review. Trump wants to make poor people simply vanish. The reality is that the ranks of the poor are growing: As of 2016, 135,000 Vermonters that's 1 in 9 of our neighbors live below the federal poverty line in extreme poverty. For children, the situation is far more dire. Statewide, 1 out of 7 children under age 5 live in extreme poverty, and in central Vermont, the region Capstone Community Action serves, it's 1 in 5 kids who live in extreme poverty. Poverty is not permanent. Critical services such as early education, food, job training and housing assistance have a proven track record of success. A child in Head Start can break generational cycles of poverty. At Capstone, and at fellow community action agencies across Vermont and the U.S., disadvantaged people are gaining self-sufficiency, courage and a path to a future beyond poverty and into prosperity. The greatest measure of a society is the way it treats the most vulnerable. We can end poverty. We must stop this insidious proposal by the Trump administration to shrink poverty and abandon those in need. We don't end poverty by pretending it doesn't exist. We end poverty by investing in all children and strengthening programs to help families gain economic security and mobility. We end poverty by providing opportunity and hope. To read the full article, click here",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/every-major-country-has-universal-health-care-except-the-us,Every Major Country Has Universal Health Care... Except The U.S.,2019-06-18,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Every Major Country Has Universal Health Care... Except The U.S. There is absolutely no reasonable explanation as to why the United States is the only major nation that does not guarantee health care as a human right. The time for Medicare for All is now!",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/our-future-is-not-fossil-fuel,Our Future Is Not Fossil Fuel,2019-06-18,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Our Future Is Not Fossil Fuel Blackrock's role in destroying our planet is unacceptable. Our future is not in fossil fuel investments. Our future is shifting to sustainable energy, creating millions of jobs, leading the world in new technology and leaving our children a clean environment.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/leahy-sanders-and-welch-encourage-vermont-dairy-farmers-to-enroll-in-new-farm-bill-safety-net-program,"Leahy, Sanders And Welch Encourage Vermont Dairy Farmers To Enroll In New Farm Bill Safety Net Program",2019-06-17,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Leahy, Sanders And Welch Encourage Vermont Dairy Farmers To Enroll In New Farm Bill Safety Net Program Monday, June 17, 2019 MONDAY, June 17, 2019 -- Vermont's congressional delegation Senator Patrick Leahy (D), Senator Bernie Sanders (I), and Representative Peter Welch (D) on Monday urged Vermont dairy farmers to consider enrolling in the newDairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, a safety net measure created in the 2018 Farm Bill to help producers manage volatile milk prices and feed costs. The enrollment period opens Monday,and runs through September 20. The voluntary program, advocated by Leahy, Sanders and Welch,is designedspecifically to benefit smaller-scale producers. It provides payments to producers when the difference between milk prices and feed costs drop below coverage levels selected by producers. The program continuesto build onthe significant improvements to the Margin Protection Program (MPP)secured by Leahy in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, offering dairy farmers higher coverage levels and lower premiums. In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders, and Welch said: The launch of the Dairy Margin Coverage program couldn't come soon enough for Vermont's dairy farmers. As they continue to endure low milk prices, extreme weather, retaliatory tariffs and a challenging economy, the improvements Congress has made to the dairy safety net will provide immediate relief. We fought hard during the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure that this new program benefits small-scale producers like those in Vermont, and the results already look promising. Farmers who enroll now can receive retroactive payments for January, February, and March alone that will exceed the premiums for all of 2019. We encourage all Vermont dairy producers to learn about the program, talk to their cooperatives, talk to their USDA field agents, and enroll in this improved program. While the changes made in the DMC will have an immediate positive impact, we will continue working to help farmers stabilize the market and manage the supply of milk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that signups will continue through September 20th, 2019. The USDA Farm Service Agency has created aDMC decision support toolto assist producers in choosing their levels of coverage. Farmers also have the option to receive a 25 percent discount on their premiums if they choose to lock in coverage levels for five years.In addition to making the program more affordable, the 2018 Farm Bill also provides an option for dairy farmers to receive a 75 percent credit or 50 percent refund of the net premiums they paid into the Margin Protection Program from 2015 to 2017, when the program did not provide adequate support to farmers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-responds-to-trump-gulf-of-oman-must-not-be-used-as-pretext-for-illegal-war-with-iran,Sanders Responds to Trump: Gulf of Oman Must Not Be Used as Pretext for Illegal War With Iran,2019-06-14,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Responds to Trump: Gulf of Oman Must Not Be Used as Pretext for Illegal War With Iran Friday, June 14, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 14Senator Sanders issued the following statement responding to an apparent attack on a pair of oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and to President Trump's claim today that Iran did do it: Attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman are unacceptable and must be fully investigated. But this incident must not be used as a pretext for a war with Iran, a war which would be an unmitigated disaster for the United States, Iran, the region and the world. The time is now for the United States to exert international leadership and bring the countries in the region together to forge a diplomatic solution to the growing tensions. I would also remind President Trump that there is no congressional authorization for a war with Iran. A unilateral U.S. attack on Iran would be illegal and unconstitutional.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-sanders-and-rep-cummings-call-on-justice-department-to-investigate-generic-drug-companies-for-price-fixing-conspiracy_-,Sen. Sanders and Rep. Cummings Call on Justice Department to Investigate Generic Drug Companies for Price-Fixing Conspiracy,2019-06-13,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sen. Sanders and Rep. Cummings Call on Justice Department to Investigate Generic Drug Companies for Price-Fixing Conspiracy Thursday, June 13, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 13 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, wrote to Attorney General William Barr to urge him to investigate 20 generic drug manufacturers for allegedly engaging in an unprecedented, multi-billion-dollar price-fixing conspiracy in violationof federal antitrust law. ""It is sick and disgraceful that generic pharmaceutical executives, who should be making medicines affordable for the American people, were instead busy coordinating a cover-up scheme to hide the truth about their price-fixing conspiracy when we asked about their skyrocketing prices,"" Sanders said. ""In my view, their polite f-u' letters designed to obstruct our investigation were clearly illegal. The Department of Justice must hold these bad actors accountable to the fullest extent of the law. ""I am deeply troubled by the allegations that Teva and its peers conspired to inflate the prices of lifesaving generic drugs, and that they obstructed our investigation in the process,"" said Cummings. ""We cannot stand for this type of harm to the public or this interference with Congress' oversight responsibilities. We will take all appropriate actions to ensure that generic manufacturers are held accountable for misconduct. Acivil lawsuit filedlast monthby a coalition of 44 state attorneys general against 20 generic drug manufacturers and more than a dozen executivesfollowedSanders' and Cummings' original2014 investigation into 14 generic drug companies' suspicious price increases. The attorneys general alleged that these companies and individuals participated in a massive scheme to defraud the American people, engaging in a coordinated effort to artificially inflate prices for more than 100 generic drugs and destroy evidence of criminal conduct. Civil enforcement will not be sufficient to protect consumers, wrote Sanders and Cummings. We write to urge the Department of Justice to prioritize criminal enforcement of federal antitrust laws against generic drug manufacturers. Theyemphasized that, vigorousantitrust enforcement is vital to ensuring that millions of Americans can afford the medications they need. Sanders and Cummings also called on the Department of Justice to open an investigation into whether Teva Pharmaceuticals and its co-conspirators unlawfully obstructed their 2014 investigation. In response to the 2014 investigation, generic drugmakers cited the costs of regulatory compliance, drug shortages, and user feesexplanations that were at best, grossly misleading, and at worst, intentional lies to Congress, wrote Sanders and Cummings. The state attorneys general have uncovered evidence that these companies coordinated with each other to obstruct the 2014 investigation. An unredacted copy of the states' complaint, released to the media, revealsthe below email suggesting coordination between Mylan, Teva, and Heritage: Executives deleted text messages, coordinated their responses, and lied to our offices in order to conceal a massive conspiracy to fix prices for generic drugs, raising them by as much as 1,000 percent, the Members said in response. Read the letter here. Watch Senator Sanders and Conneticut Attorney General William Tong discussing the issuehere.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/it-is-time-for-medicare-for-all,It Is Time for Medicare for All!,2019-06-12,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"It Is Time for Medicare for All! This is a historic day because today, Medicare for All is being discussed in the Ways and Means Committee for the very first time. I am grateful to my colleagues Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Debbie Dingell for advancing this fight in the House of Representatives. Make no mistake about it: Medicare for All is coming.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-co-sponsors-unveil-legislation-to-put-territories-on-par-with-states-for-medicaid,"Sanders, Co-sponsors Unveil Legislation to Put Territories on Par with States for Medicaid",2019-06-11,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders, Co-sponsors Unveil Legislation to Put Territories on Par with States for Medicaid Tuesday, June 11, 2019 En espaol WASHINGTON, June 11 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) along with seven other cosponsors in the Senate, introduced legislation Tuesday to address the immediate humanitarian needs in the territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Territories Health Equity Act of 2019 (S. 1773) would correct long-standing inequities in federal health care funding for Medicaid and Medicare, and give the nearly four million Americans living in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands access to the health care they need. The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.) introduced the companion bill (H.R.1354) together with 37 cosponsors in the House. The Senate version of the bill is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers,Latinos for Healthcare Equity, BoricuActivate, Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora (BUDPR), and the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union. Over a year and a half after Hurricane Maria, much of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain devastated. The vast majority of residents in Puerto Ricoa full 85 percentreport they are worried they will be unable to access health care if they need it. Nearly one in four people living in Puerto Rico report they or a family member have developed a new or worsened health condition as a result of Hurricane Maria, and one in three report they or someone in their home have had trouble accessing medical care. Similarly, in the face of an increased demand for services, the U.S. Virgin Islands has been unable to spend the Medicaid dollars required to secure federal matching funds. Temporary Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expires in September. This funding cliff could be disastrous for the more than 1.5 million people covered by the program. In Puerto Rico alone, an estimated 900,000 people could lose coverage. The legislation introduced today would provide the territories with the same need-based, open-ended Medicaid funding that is currently available to the fifty states and the District of Columbia by eliminating the arbitrary cap on annual federal Medicaid funding and increasing the federal matching rate for the territories' Medicaid expenditures. The bill would also address Medicare disparities by updating hospital reimbursements and increasing funding for the territories to provide prescription drug coverage to low-income seniors. Above all, the bill would ensure that Americans living in the territories are eligible for health coverage that is as comprehensive as the coverage available to Members of Congress. It is unconscionable that in the wealthiest nation in the world we have allowed ourfellow citizensto suffer for so long. The full resources of the United States must be brought to bear on this crisis,for as long as is necessary, saidSanders. We must go forward to ensure a strong health care system in all the territories and address inequities in federal law that have allowed the territories to fall behind in almost every measurable social and economic criteria. ""I would like to thank Senator Sanders for introducing the Senate companion bill to H.R. 1354, Territorial Health Equity Act of 2019. Both bills make improvements to the treatment of the United States territories under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. I am appreciative that Senator Sanders continues to support on matters that are critical to the well-being of residents in the U.S. territories,""Plaskettsaid. ""Families in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other territories deserve access to the same federal health care programs as families throughout the rest of the United Statesno exceptions, said Senator Warren. We are introducing the Territories Health Equity Act to end discriminatory double standards in the way Medicare and Medicaid are administered in the U.S. territories."" As co-sponsors of the House version of this Bill we are excited to have Senator Sanders joining us in the fight for Territorial healthcare equality. These measures will bring much needed parity in the Medicaid funding levels for Guam and relieve a legacy pressure point that has been choking our healthcare budgets for decades, said Delegate Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-GU-At Large) More than 3,000 U.S. citizens died in the wake of Hurricane Maria, largely due to the incompetence and delay of President Trump's federal response. Instead of being allowed to recover, Puerto Rico is being threatened with cuts, with one million residents at risk of losing their already-insufficient Medicaid coverage in September. I applaud Senator Sanders and his colleagues for introducing the Territories Health Equity Act of 2019 to ensure that Puerto Rico's vulnerable families receive full, open-ended federal funding for need-based care. This is a vital step in Congress's recognition that Puerto Rico can no longer be treated as a colony, and moreover, a step toward social justice, saidCarmenYuln Cruz, Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The U.S. government can no longer turn its back on the American citizens of Puerto Rico, and treat us as second class citizens. That is why we support Senator Sanders' Territories Health Equity Act of 2019 which will finally result in a permanent fix to the discriminatory and unequal Medicaid and Medicare funding for Puerto Rico, the USVI and all territories. This is more urgent than ever since Puerto Rico faces an upcoming Medicaid cliff' which, if not funded by the end of 2019, may result in 600,000 Puerto Ricans become uninsured overnight, said Dr. Jaime R. Torres of Latinos for Healthcare Equity. U.S. territories have had to withstand decades of unequal and colonialist treatment. In the last couple of years, they have also had to withstand the increasing impacts of climate change with direct hits from record-setting tropical cyclones. This time, the already suffering and vulnerable people in these U.S. territories face another catastrophic threat, this time to their medical care, which can be easily adverted by the U.S. Congress, if its members decide to put the well-being of its colonial subjects at the same level as those U.S. citizens living in the states,"" said Edil Seplveda, Co-founder of Boricuas Unidos en la Dispora. For a summary of the bill,click here. For the section by section,click here. For a copy of the legislation,click here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-y-coauspiciadores-presentan-legislacin-para-poner-los-territorios-a-la-par-con-los-estados-en-cuanto-a-medicaid,Sanders y coauspiciadores presentan legislacin para poner los territorios a la par con los estados en cuanto a Medicaid,2019-06-11,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders y coauspiciadores presentan legislacin para poner los territorios a la par con los estados en cuanto a Medicaid Tuesday, June 11, 2019 11 de junio de 2019 El Senador Bernie Sanders (I-VT) junto con otros siete coauspiciadores en el Senado, presentaron un proyecto de ley dirigido a las necesidades humanitarias inmediatas en los territorios estadounidenses, incluyendo a Puerto Rico. La Ley de Equidad de la Salud en los Territorios del 2019 corregira las desigualdades en la distribucin de fondos federales para el cuidado de la salud bajo Medicaid y Medicare. Dicho proyecto de ley le brindara pleno acceso a los servicios de salud a los casi cuatro millones de estadounidenses que viven en Puerto Rico, las Islas Vrgenes, Guam, Samoa Americana y las Islas Marianas del Norte. El proyecto de ley es coauspiciado en el Senado por los senadores Jeff Merkley (D-OR.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) y Ed Markey (D-MA). La Congresista Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), junto a 37 coauspiciadores, present un proyecto de ley similar (H.R.1354) en la Cmara de Representantes. La versin del proyecto de ley en el Senado ha sido endosada por la Federacin Estadounidense de Maestros, Latinos for Healthcare Equity, BoricuActivate, Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora (BUDPR) y la Asociacin Internacional de Maquinistas y Sindicatos de Trabajadores Aeroespaciales. Luego de ms de un ao y medio despus del huracn Mara, todava existen partes de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vrgenes que permanecen devastadas. La gran mayora de los residentes en Puerto Rico, un 85 porciento, informa que les preocupa que no puedan acceder atencin mdica de necesitarla. Casi una de cada cuatro personas que viven en Puerto Rico informa que ellos o un miembro de su familia han desarrollado alguna condicin de salud nueva o que empeor como resultado del huracn Mara y que uno de cada tres inform que ellos o alguien en su hogar ha tenido problemas para conseguir atencin mdica. De manera similar, ante mayor demanda de servicios de salud, las Islas Vrgenes no han podido gastar el dinero necesario de Medicaid para obtener paridad en fondos federales. La asignacin de fondos temporera de Medicaid para Puerto Rico y las Islas Vrgenes expira en septiembre. Esta falta de fondos podra ser desastrosa para los ms de 1.5 millones de personas que reciben esta ayuda. En Puerto Rico, se estima que 900,000 personas podran perder su cubierta. La legislacin introducida hoy le proveera a los territorios los fondos necesarios para ofrecer el mismo Medicaid disponible en los cincuenta estados y el Distrito de Columbia. Esto se lograra al eliminar el lmite arbitrario en el financiamiento federal anual de Medicaid y al aumentar la tasa de pareo federal para los gastos de Medicaid de los territorios. El proyecto de ley tambin atiende las disparidades de Medicare mediante la actualizacin de los reembolsos hospitalarios y el aumento de los fondos para que los territorios puedan proveer la cobertura de medicamentos recetados a personas mayores de bajos recursos. En fin, esta legislacin asegurara que los estadounidenses que viven en los territorios son elegibles para recibir la misma cubierta de salud que cualquier congresista recibira. Es inconcebible que en la nacin ms rica del mundo hemos permitido que nuestros conciudadanos sufran por tanto tiempo. Todos los recursos de los Estados Unidos se deben utilizar para enfrentar esta crisis, por el tiempo que sea necesario, dijo Sanders. ""Debemos garantizar la existencia de un sistema de salud slido en todos los territorios y corregir las desigualdades en la ley federal que han permitido que los territorios se atrasen en casi todos los renglones sociales y econmicos. ""Quiero agradecerle al senador Sanders por presentar este proyecto de ley, junto al Territorial Health Equity Act de 2019 (HR 1354). Ambos proyectos de ley mejoran el trato hacia los territorios bajo los programas de Medicare y Medicaid. Aprecio que el senador Sanders contina presente apoyando los asuntos vitales para el bienestar de los residentes en los territorios de los EE.UU."", dijo Plaskett. ""Las familias en Puerto Rico, las Islas Vrgenes y los dems territorios merecen tener el mismo acceso a los programas federales de cuidado de salud que las familias en el resto de los Estados Unidos, sin excepciones"", dijo la Senadora Warren. ""Estamos presentando la un proyecto de ley llamado Ley de Equidad en la Salud de los Territorios para acabar con las prcticas discriminatorios en la forma en que Medicare y Medicaid se administran en los territorios de los Estados Unidos "". Como coauspiciadores de la versin de este proyecto en la Cmara de Representantes, nos complace que el Senador Sanders nos acompae en la lucha por la igualdad en la asistencia salubrista en los territorios. Estas medidas traern la igualdad necesaria en los niveles de financiamiento de Medicaid para Guam y aliviarn un asunto que ha estado asfixiando nuestros presupuestos de atencin mdica durante dcadas, dijo Delegado Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-GU). Ms de 3.000 ciudadanos estadounidenses murieron a raz del huracn Mara, en gran parte debido a la incompetencia y demora de la respuesta federal del presidente Trump. En lugar de que se le permita recuperarse, se est amenazando a Puerto Rico con recortes, con un milln de residentes en riesgo de perder su ya insuficiente cobertura de Medicaid en septiembre. Aplaudo al Senador Sanders y sus colegas por presentar la Ley de Equidad en la Salud de los Territorios de 2019 para asegurar que las familias vulnerables de Puerto Rico reciban fondos federales completos y abiertos para la atencin de salud basada en la necesidad. Este es un paso vital para que el Congreso reconozca que Puerto Rico ya no puede ser tratado como una colonia y, adems, representa un paso hacia la justicia social, dijo Carmen Yuln Cruz, Alcaldesa de San Juan, Puerto Rico. El gobierno de los Estados Unidos no puede darle la espalda a los ciudadanos estadounidenses en Puerto Rico y tratarnos como ciudadanos de segunda clase. Es por eso que apoyamos la Ley de Equidad en la Salud de los Territorios del 2019 del Senador Sanders, que finalmente resultar en una solucin permanente a la asignacin de fondos discriminatoria y desigual de Medicaid y Medicare para Puerto Rico, las Islas Vrgenes y los dems territorios. Esto es ms urgente que nunca, ya que Puerto Rico se enfrenta a un prximo precipicio de Medicaid' que, de no ser atendido a fines del 2019, puede resultar en que 600,000 puertorriqueos pierdam sucubierta mdica de repente, dijo Dr. Jaime R. Torres de Latinos for Healthcare Equity. Los territorios de los Estados Unidos han tenido que soportar dcadas de trato desigual y colonialista. En los ltimos aos, tambin han tenido que sentir los impactos crecientes del cambio climtico con los azotes directos de ciclones tropicales sin precedentes. Los que ya sufren y las personas vulnerables en estos territorios estadounidenses enfrentan otra amenaza catastrfica, esta vez a sus cubiertas de salud. El Congreso de los Estados Unidos puede evitar esto fcilmente si sus miembros deciden poner el bienestar de sus sbditos coloniales al mismo nivel que los ciudadanos estadounidenses que viven en los estados, dijo Edil Seplveda, cofundador, Boricuas Unidos en la Dispora. Para obtener una copia de la legislacin, haga clic aqu. Press Contact",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/vermont-summer-meals-help-fight-childhood-hunger,Vermont Summer Meals Help Fight Childhood Hunger,2019-06-11,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Vermont Summer Meals Help Fight Childhood Hunger When school lets out, thousands of children across Vermont become more at risk for hunger. Vermont's many summer meal programs help fill that gap, providing free delicious and nutritious meals at over 300 locations to children up to 18 years. To get more information on meal locations and times, text FOOD to 877877 or call 2-1-1.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/thank-you-reginald-brown-this-is-why-we-need-medicare-for-all,Thank You Reginald Brown! This is Why We Need Medicare for All!,2019-06-10,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Thank You Reginald Brown! This is Why We Need Medicare for All! Thank you, Reginald Brown, for sharing your story. I am proud to stand with you to make sure we do not go backward on health care. We are fighting for Medicare for All to make sure that Reginald and every HIV-positive American can afford the lifesaving medicine they need to live.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-calls-on-mcconnell-to-put-15-minimum-wage-bill-on-the-senate-floor,Sanders Calls on McConnell to put $15 Minimum Wage Bill on the Senate Floor,2019-06-06,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sanders Calls on McConnell to put $15 Minimum Wage Bill on the Senate Floor Thursday, June 6, 2019 WASHINGTON, June 6 In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called for the Raise the Wage Act to be brought to the floor of the Senate for an immediate vote. The bill, co-sponsored by 32 members of the Senate, would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 and index it to median wage growth thereafter. Millions of Americans are sick and tired of working longer hours for lower wages while almost half of all new income goes to the top one percent, Sanders argued. I ask that you allow the Senate to take up the Raise the Wage Act to immediately begin improving the lives of working Americans across the country. Sanders noted that corporations like Amazon and Disney had already conceded to popular pressure and now provide their workers with a minimum wage of $15 an hour. On Wednesday, the CEO of Walmart joined widespread calls for Congress to take action on raising the federal minimum wage, calling the current federal floor of $7.25 an hour too low. The House companion to Senator Sanders' Raise the Wage Act,H.R. 582, has been favorably discharged by the House Committee on Education and Labor, enjoys 206 cosponsors, and is poised to receive a floor vote soon. More than20 stateshave recently passed measures to raise wages, and states such as Connecticut, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia have already enacted legislation to quickly transition to a $15 hourly wage floor. The Raise The Wage Act would dramatically improve the lives ofone in nine workerswho face poverty even when working full time, and woulddisproportionately benefitthe roughly one in seven black workers and one in five Hispanic workers who arepaid poverty wages. Workers across America have experienced 40 years of wage stagnation and roughly 40 percent of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency, noted Sanders. The Raise the Wage Act would give more than 40 million low-wage workers a raise. Read the letter here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/this-doctor-got-a-17000-medical-bill-after-getting-a-promotion,"This Doctor Got A $17,000 Medical Bill After Getting A Promotion",2019-06-06,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"This Doctor Got A $17,000 Medical Bill After Getting A Promotion This doctor is furious. When she changed health insurance, she got a $17,000 bill for her medications. She knows better than anyone how much we need Medicare for All. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/transgender-individuals-deserve-dignity,Transgender Individuals Deserve Dignity,2019-06-06,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Transgender Individuals Deserve Dignity Thousands of transgender individuals are often disrespected and denied health care services due to their gender identity. That's unacceptable. The Equality Act is an important first step to ensure the transgender community gets the respect and dignity they deserve. #PrideMonth",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/medicare-for-all-would-protect-parents,Medicare for All Would Protect Parents,2019-06-04,2019,2019-06,Independent,House,VT,Bernard Sanders,S000033,www.sanders.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Medicare for All Would Protect Parents We need Medicare for All to protect new moms like Meghan. Insurance companies throwing sky-high deductibles at growing families like this one is just short of criminal. See Video on YouTube Tweet Copy Link",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z