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2013-05-24 13:22:06 (34 comments, 15 reshares, 54 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): 

Senate Votes No on Food Labeling: The Senate on Thursday rejected an amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have allowed states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. “People are concerned about the quality of the food they are ingesting and giving their kids,” Sanders said. Sanders promised to continue pushing for states’ rights to GMO labeling, reported The Associated Press.

Sanders Not Giving Up: Vermont could become the first state to mandate GMO labeling and become a test case for anyone in the bio-technology or food industries who wishes to challenge such a law by claiming that food labeling must be left to federal regulators. “Without federal protection for the states, such legal challenges are pretty much guaranteed from an industry with very deep pockets … Fortunately, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders… is not g... more »

2013-05-23 21:33:55 (29 comments, 24 reshares, 101 +1s)

What's in the Food You Eat?

The Senate on Thursday rejected an amendment that would have allowed states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. Sen. Bernie Sanders said afterward that he would continue to push for Congress to make it clear that states may require the labels. The Vermont House passed a labeling bill in May, putting the state at the forefront of the effort. Similar legislation is pending this year in 26 other statehouses around the country.  “The people of Vermont and the people of America have a right to know what's in the food that they eat,” Sanders said.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=5D3DE12F-3D7E-4FAF-BF79-F2439E629A3B

2013-05-23 17:19:30 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 32 +1s)

Older Americans Act:

Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, today introduced legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Older Americans Act which supports Meals on Wheels and other critical programs for seniors. “With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, our country’s growing population of seniors includes many who rely on these critical programs to help them stay in their own homes and communities,” said Sanders. Speaking at an Older Americans Summit, Sanders and others unveiled the new bill to extend the landmark law that was first enacted in 1965.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=4FB3B340-ADF5-4B7E-A394-3EE8A6794DBD

2013-05-23 13:30:32 (27 comments, 4 reshares, 20 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Senate to Vote on Food Labels: Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to ensure that states may require labeling on foods containing genetically-engineered organisms without fear of litigation from opponents, the Brattleboro Reformer, Bennington Banner and Raw Story reported. Sanders proposed a farm-bill amendment that the Senate is set to vote on today, Congressional Quarterly reported. 

Fed Conflicts: Sen. Sanders said Wednesday he would reintroduce legislation to prohibit bankers from serving on the boards of the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks, The Wall Street Journal reported online. Questioning Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke at a Joint Economic Committee hearing, Sanders noted, “We have had absurd situations where Jamie Dimon, the CEO of the largest financial institution in America, sat on the New York Fed… many of us think that is the foxguar... more »

2013-05-22 15:53:58 (145 comments, 30 reshares, 151 +1s)

Sanders: Let States Require GMO Food Labels: http://goo.gl/4s6RV

2013-05-22 13:39:27 (11 comments, 3 reshares, 32 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Gas Prices: With gasoline prices rising rapidly, Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to see federal regulators follow the lead of Europeans and investigate oil and fuel price manipulation. He also proposed a 30-day deadline for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to curb excessive speculation in crude oil markets that can significantly increase oil and gas prices. Sanders said gasoline price hikes are coming at a time when U.S. inventories are at a three-decade high while demand is low, ABC 22 and Fox 44 reported. 

Apple Skirts Taxes: Apple avoided paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes. A Senate investigation found the tech giant shelters in overseas accounts about $102 billion of its $145 billion in cash, according to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “It is a total scam,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told EdSchu... more »

2013-05-21 21:22:52 (36 comments, 16 reshares, 107 +1s)

Gas Probe Price: 

Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Tuesday for an investigation into oil price manipulation.  He also proposed a 30-day deadline for federal regulators to use emergency powers to curb excessive speculation in crude oil markets.

Over the past five months, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline has gone up by more than 41 cents. The price hikes come at a time when U.S. oil inventories reached a three-decade high while demand for gasoline is lower than four years ago when prices averaged less than $2.30 a gallon.

Sanders spoke about rapidly rising gas prices during a Senate floor speech on two amendments he proposed to the farm bill.

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/lRkKfGr_TWw

2013-05-21 18:16:27 (78 comments, 22 reshares, 126 +1s)

Think Different:

Apple avoided paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes. A Senate investigation found the tech giant parked overseas about $102 billion of its $145 billion in cash. A subsidiary in Ireland that earned $22 billion in 2011 paid only $10 million in taxes, according to the report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “It is a total scam,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told Ed Schultz on Tuesday. “It’s not just Apple. Virtually every major multi-national corporation has used these offshore tax havens,” Sanders added. He has introduced legislation that would take away the  tax breaks and yield $600 billion in revenue over a decade.

Read more about Sanders’ legislation: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=f8e29aae-dda3-4af9-a8e2-c6df481d1ffa

2013-05-21 13:32:52 (20 comments, 2 reshares, 33 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

IRS and Citizens United: Washington continues to focus on the scandal at the Internal Revenue Service while ignoring the root problem. “Nobody wants the IRS singling out applicants based on politics. The American people do, however, want someone … somewhere to do something about the perversion of election finance,” United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard wrote for The Huffington Post. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ted Deutch would reverse the Citizens United decision that some organizations seeking tax exemptions want to exploit, Gerard added. 

Denmark: More than 200 people at a town meeting sponsored by Sen. Sanders in Burlington, Vt., heard Denmark's U.S. ambassador, Peter Taksoe-Jensen, lay out a lengthy list of benefits his country provides all its citizens, Seven Daysblogge... more »

2013-05-20 22:19:45 (37 comments, 14 reshares, 69 +1s)

The Billionaire Bugle:

Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch reportedly are interested in buying the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and other newspapers. That prospect has some journalists, Sen. Bernie Sanders and many others worried about slanted news coverage. Two recent articles offer perspective on how billionaires try to shape what Americans read and hear and see and think. In a New Yorker article entitled “A Word from our Sponsor,” Jane Mayer wrote about how David Koch was a huge donor and board member of WNET-TV, a New York PBS station largely bankrolled by wealthy donors. Despite the station’s attempts to mollify Koch about a documentary in which he was used as an example of the gap between rich and poor in America, Koch quit the board and decided not to make another huge donation. Then there’s hedge fund billionaire Peter G. Peterson. In “60 Minutes and theBillionai... more »

2013-05-20 20:43:59 (19 comments, 17 reshares, 70 +1s)

What can we learn from Denmark? - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130516/OPINION04/705169957

2013-05-20 13:50:55 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 22 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Denmark: Sen. Bernard Sanders introduced Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen at a town meeting before a packed audience at Montpelier High School on Sunday, the Times Argus and Rutland Herald reported. At Burlington City Hall on Saturday they discussed Denmark’s approach to health care, education and environmental protection, WCAX-TV and WPTZ-TV reported on Monday. There was not an empty seat in the house at the Brattleboro Museum on Saturday evening, the Brattleboro Reformer reported.

Workers’ Rights: The National Labor Relations Board was set up to protect American workers but Republicans keep blocking the president’ appointments. “The minority is doing everything they can … to make it impossible for working people … to have their rights protected,” Sen. Sanders said in a clip from a hearing last week played Sunday onThe Ed Show o... more »

2013-05-19 13:07:13 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 46 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

What Can We Learn from Denmark?: Sen. Bernard Sanders is holding public meetings around Vermont this weekend with Denmark’s ambassador to the United States. Sanders said the town hall meetings are aimed at finding out what the United States might learn from Denmark about health care, education and environmental protection. Two of the meetings were held Saturday at Contois Auditorium in Burlington and at the Brattleboro Museum. The third will be held today at Montpelier High School, the Times Argus, Rutland Herald and The Associate Press reported on Sunday. 

Obama’s Broken Promise: President Obama is betraying his own promises and his Democratic base by agreeing to cut Social Security. Sen. Sanders asked the president to keep his "campaign promises to strengthen Social Security," Clarence Lusane wrote in The Times ofTren... more »

2013-05-18 18:56:12 (12 comments, 19 reshares, 95 +1s)

60 Minutes and the Billionaire Agenda: 

CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl is on the board of directors of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which has outspent all others in an attempt to lower taxes for the wealthy and corporations, while also pushing an anti-government agenda that emphasizes cuts to Medicare and Social Security along with downsizing of most other government functions, Richard (RJ) Eskow wrote for Nation of Change. The foundation is financed by conservative anti-government billionaire Pete Peterson, whose views dominate the Republican Party and are the primary influence for the Democrats’ Clinton/Obama wing. 

Read the article here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=81c22d37-10b9-4530-ac39-34b86d20a2cb

2013-05-18 16:34:45 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Coming up at 1pmET: Sen. Sanders will be holding a town meeting with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksøe-Jensen. Watch live: http://ow.ly/lacva 

2013-05-18 13:18:52 (5 comments, 19 reshares, 66 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): 

Student Loans: With student loan rates set to double on July 1 to 6.8 percent, Sen. Sanders endorsed “excellent” legislation by Sen. Elizabeth Warren to set student interest rates at the same low 0.75 percent level that the Federal Reserve charges big banks. “The only thing wrong with this bill is that Elizabeth thought of it and I didn’t,” Sanders joked on The Thom Hartmann Program.

FCC Nominee: President Obama’s nominee to head up the Federal Communications Commission will sell hundreds of thousands in AT&T and Verizon shares in order to avoid future conflicts of interest. Sen. Sanders and others previously expressed concern about Tom Wheeler’s close ties to the industry as a former lobbyist, The Hill reported. 

Pope on Poverty: Sen. Sanders applauded Pope Francis for condemning a “cult of money”that the pontiff sa... more »

2013-05-17 22:15:49 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 27 +1s)

Week in Review: Headlines all week blared the latest developments in an IRS scandal, the seizure of Associated Press phone logs and hearings staged by House Republicans on last year’s deadly U.S. consulate attack in Libya. Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the IRS as “dead wrong.” He faulted the Justice Department for sweeping up reporters’ phone records.  He dismissed the Benghazi hearings as Republicans trying to turn a tragedy to their political advantage. But where, he asked, were the news stories about the collapsing middle class, chronic unemployment and poverty in America?  Bernie welcomed a Tuesday report that the deficit is shrinking. He called again on Thursday for filibuster reform to stop Republicans from using parliamentary tactics to stiff arm President Obama’s nominees. And he joked on Friday about one small problem he has with an otherwise “excellent” student loan bill by Sen.Elizabeth Warre... more »

2013-05-17 21:02:56 (52 comments, 31 reshares, 146 +1s)

With student loan rates set to double on July 1 to 6.8 percent, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday endorsed legislation by Sen. Elizabeth Warren to set student loan interest rates at the same 0.75 percent level that the Federal Reserve offers to big banks. “A great idea,” Bernie said of Warren’s bill. “The only thing wrong with this bill is that Elizabeth thought of it and I didn’t,” Bernie said Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program. A Congressional Budget Office report on Tuesday projected that the student loan program administered by the U.S. Department of Education would yield a record $51 billion profit off student borrowers.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=C959DC0B-7D8C-4AAE-8FBF-DF74791B8A26

2013-05-17 19:06:33 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

LIVE: Watch Bernie on the Thom Hartmann Program http://www.sanders.senate.gov/

2013-05-17 15:42:26 (101 comments, 44 reshares, 148 +1s)

What Can We Learn from Denmark?
 
The Danish people rank among the happiest in the world and “enjoy a quality of life that many Americans would envy” with universal health care, inexpensive prescription drugs, strong family-leave laws and free higher education, Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in a column published in Friday’s Barre, Vt., Times Argus. The senator will host town meetings this weekend with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksøe-Jensen in Burlington, Brattleboro and Montpelier to explore what Americans could learn from Denmark’s social model.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=22AD4F78-8842-4E24-A548-6E80524C96F7

2013-05-17 14:34:54 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 27 +1s)

Today's news from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Pope on Poverty: Sen. Bernie Sanders applauded Pope Francis for condemning a “cult of money” in the world that the pontiff said was oppressing the poor. In a major speech at the Vatican on Thursday, Francis said the global financial system has worsened poverty while benefiting the wealthy few. Sanders commended the pope. “At a time when the gap between rich and everyone else is growing wider, at a time when Wall Street and large financial institutions are exerting extraordinary power over the American and world economy, I applaud the pope for speaking out on these enormously important issues,” Sanders said in the Burlington Free Press.

The Middle Class: Sen. Sanders wished that the news media would pay more attention to what he called “a new normal” in America where real unemployment is almost 14 percent, median incomehas fallen ... more »

2013-05-16 21:34:02 (18 comments, 9 reshares, 50 +1s)

The New Normal

The news media in Washington, D.C., was focused on a scandal at the IRS, the Justice Department’s seizure of Associated Press phone records and the Obama administration’s editing of talking points about the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “the media may not be all that concerned about little things like the collapse of the American middle class.” He argued that the press should pay attention to what he called “a new normal” in America where real unemployment was almost 14 percent in April, median income has fallen since the economic collapse in 2008 and poverty is near an all-time high.

Continue reading here: http://goo.gl/eHTqn

2013-05-16 20:03:53 (36 comments, 7 reshares, 57 +1s)

What Can We Learn from Denmark?
Sen. Bernie Sanders is holding a series of town meetings in Vermont this weekend with Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen. In Denmark, social policy in areas like health care, child care, education and protecting the unemployed are part of a ‘solidarity system’ that provides strong opportunity and security for all citizens,” Bernie said. “Danes pay high taxes, but in return enjoy a quality of life that many Americans would envy.”

Read Bernie’s column, “What Can We Learn from Denmark?”
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=2cced539-17a5-4f20-a855-c62768b8a27c

2013-05-16 15:14:26 (218 comments, 117 reshares, 470 +1s)

Must Read: Cutting Social Security and Not Taxing Wall Street

As we move toward the fifth anniversary of the great financial crisis of 2008, people should be outraged that cutting Social Security is now on the national agenda, while taxing Wall Street is not. After all, if we take at face value the claims made back in 2008 by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and former Treasury Secretaries Henry Paulson and Timothy Geithner, Wall Street excesses brought the economy to the brink of collapse.

But now the Wall Street behemoths are bigger than ever and President Obama is looking to cut the Social Security benefits of retirees. That will teach the Wall Street boys to be more responsible in the future.

Most people are now familiar with President's Obama's proposal to cut Social Security by reducing the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). While the final formula is somewhat... more »

2013-05-16 13:52:06 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 23 +1s)

Today's news from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Shrinking Deficit: Commenting on a Congressional Budget Office estimate that the deficit will shrink this year to $642 billion, Sen. Bernie Sanders said it’s time to focus on creating jobs by rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, MSNBC online and Talking Points Memo reported. “We have [had] success on deficit reduction. Now it is time to create jobs and protect working families,” said Sanders.

Filibuster Reform: Senate Democrats are considering using a simple majority vote to confirm President Obama’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, The Hill reported. “One of the reasons for disfunctionality is the majority does not rule,” Sanders said of the Senate gridlock caused by Republican abuses of Senate rules. He is among several senators advocating an up-or-down vote on Cabinet nominees.
Learning fr... more »

2013-05-15 21:50:27 (25 comments, 17 reshares, 100 +1s)

Red Ink

The federal deficit is expected to shrink to $642 billion this year, half of what it was four years ago, the Congressional Budget Office estimated on Tuesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, welcomed the news. He cautioned, however, that the budget should not be balanced on the backs of seniors and children. And he called for rebuilding the country’s crumbling infrastructure to create millions of jobs, stimulate the economy and help working families. “We must not place ourselves in a situation in which the operation was a success but the patient died, and the patient that I am talking about, of course, is the disappearing middle class, the backbone of this great country.”

2013-05-15 14:36:53 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Obamacare: Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the Obama administration for redirecting funds set aside for community health centers to pay for implementation of the Affordable Care Act. “Taking, as I understand, $150 million designed to expand community health centers and putting them into another area is to me very, very disturbing and a real setback for what we had hoped to accomplish in strengthening primary care in America,” Sanders, a key proponent of the health centers, told National Journal. He has voiced his concern to the White House over what he regards as a violation of the spirit of the law.

Corporate Lobbyists Defend Tax Breaks: Sen. Sanders’ bill to end tax breaks for corporations that shelter income overseas was one target of big-money interests that unleashed thousands of lobbyists on Capitol Hill. More than 2,220organ... more »

2013-05-14 19:25:29 (51 comments, 12 reshares, 71 +1s)

Young, Unemployed, and Discouraged in America:

After an “incredibly disheartening” job search that lasted several months, one young Vermonter told Sen. Bernie Sanders that he “ended up taking an unpaid internship.” Burdensome student loans remain a stumbling block for many just out of college. A 20-year-old Michigan graduate with a technical degree said, “I fear that if I do not get a job soon that I will have to default on my loans or go back to school just to give myself more time.”  With the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-old workers 16.2 percent in April, Bernie is working on legislation. He asked unemployed young people to tell him their stories. There have been hundreds of responses.

Share your story with Bernie:
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=D99D9152-2160-4C94-9CF3-AB97CBBC312F

2013-05-14 13:51:55 (57 comments, 7 reshares, 41 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): 

Nuclear Option: Senate Democrats are considering a majority vote “nuclear option” to stop Republican filibusters that are blocking confirmation of President Obama’s nominees, The Hill reported. After last week’s Republican boycott of a vote on Gina McCarthy for EPA administrator, Sen. Bernie Sanders predicted that the Republican minority would throw up more parliamentary roadblocks in the full Senate. “I think it is time for the Democratic leadership to do what he American people want and that is to have a majority rule in the United States Senate,” Sanders said.

VA Backlog: As part of an effort to resolve a VA claims backlog, Sen. Sanders introduced a bill that calls for a working group within the Department of Veterans Affairs to look at ways to hire veterans and evaluate employees who work on claims, Military Timesreported. “I... more »

2013-05-13 19:51:12 (36 comments, 5 reshares, 32 +1s)

Guard Outreach

A Vermont National Guard outreach effort will receive $1.8 million this year for the pioneering program that informs veterans and their families about benefits they have earned, Vermont’s congressional delegation announced today. The award is Vermont’s share of $20 million for eight states that have adopted the Vermont outreach program model and a new effort to expand the program to National Guard and Reserve units nationwide.

The Vermont program was launched in 2006 with funds secured by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who now chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “In a rural state like ours, soldiers coming home can be isolated. What we did was put together a team of veterans to go out and visit people in their homes to talk to them and help them get the services that are available to them. I am proud that the Vermont outreach program has become a model forthe nat... more »

2013-05-13 14:23:22 (27 comments, 5 reshares, 21 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):
 
Danish Ambassador: Sen. Bernie Sanders this weekend will hold public meetings around Vermont to talk about what the United States might learn from Denmark about health care, education and environmental protection. Sanders will be joined by Ambassador Peter Taksøe-Jensen at town meetings on Saturday in Burlington and on Sunday in Brattleboro and Montpelier, The Associated Press reported in an article published by the Brattleboro Reformer.

Alternative Media: Goddard College Community Radio will host a special Saturday conference to discuss the digital age of media, journalism and democracy. The events will start on Friday with a special live broadcast of the Thom Hartmann Program with Sen. Sanders.

Small Business Exports: Sen. Bernie Sanders will host an initiative to support small Vermont businesses interested in exportingt... more »

2013-05-12 14:00:48 (6 comments, 5 reshares, 35 +1s)

 
Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):
 
Obama Losing on Social Security Cuts: “I think we`re going to beat the president on this. I think we`re in the process of not only rallying people in the United States Congress but all over this country,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told Ed Schultz Saturday on MSNBC.  While crediting Obama on social issues, Sanders said the president’s proposal to cut cost-of-living adjustments for retirees and disabled veterans is among economic issues where “we have to be honest and say the president has not been strong.”
 
Kid’s Day: Kids paraded through downtown Burlington, Vt., Saturday while adults used the 28th Annual Kids Day to talk about keeping kids well fed through the summer. “In our country, there are a number of children who are struggling with nutrition issues … No priority’s higher than feeding our kids,” Sanderssaid in the Burlington ... more »

2013-05-11 21:44:26 (26 comments, 9 reshares, 87 +1s)

Mr. President, Don't Cut Social Security: http://youtu.be/Pmg9hshxbFs

2013-05-11 16:57:19 (24 comments, 12 reshares, 46 +1s)

Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears - Justin Gillis, The New York Times:

The level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, has passed a long-feared milestone, scientists reported on Friday, reaching a concentration not seen on the earth for millions of years.

Scientific monitors reported that the gas had reached an average daily level that surpassed 400 parts per million — just an odometer moment in one sense, but also a sobering reminder that decades of efforts to bring human-produced emissions under control are faltering.

The best available evidence suggests the amount of the gas in the air has not been this high for at least three million years, before humans evolved, and scientists believe the rise portends large changes in the climate and the level of the sea.

“It symbolizes that so far we have failedmis... more »

2013-05-11 13:26:15 (11 comments, 4 reshares, 27 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Global Warming: Milestone Scientists reported on Friday that the level of the most important heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, reached an average daily level above 400 parts per million, a concentration not seen on the earth for at least three million years, according to The New York Times. It called the milestone a sobering reminder that efforts are failing to bring under control the emissions that cause global warming.

Koch Protests: The fight is on against possible Koch brothers ownership of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other papers. Unions and liberal advocacy groups are planning protests and running ads. There are online petitions against a Koch Tribune purchase, including one from Sen. Bernie Sanders, who claims in an email to have 65,000 signatures so far, The Huffington Post reported.
... more »

2013-05-10 23:03:43 (60 comments, 4 reshares, 35 +1s)

The Week in Review:

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday put a spotlight on high unemployment among young people. On Thursday, protecting seniors from budget cuts was the focus of summit he hosted in Washington. On Thursday, Sanders renewed his call for filibuster reform after Senate Republicans used stalling tactics to keep President Obama’s nominees to head EPA and the Department of Labor bottled up in committee. A Thursday Senate speech focused on modernizing the U.S. Postal Service. And in a Wednesday column in Politico, Sanders examined the severe shortage of primary care physicians in the United States.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=B7FD30D7-DF11-42BC-9640-B348A06B65A0

2013-05-10 21:05:49 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

The Week in Review:

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday put a spotlight on high unemployment among young people. On Thursday, protecting seniors from budget cuts was the focus of summit he hosted in Washington. On Thursday, Sanders renewed his call for filibuster reform after Senate Republicans used stalling tactics to keep President Obama’s nominees to head EPA and the Department of Labor bottled up in committee. A Thursday Senate speech focused on modernizing the U.S. Postal Service. And in a Wednesday column in Politico, Sanders examined the severe shortage of primary care physicians in the United States.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=B7FD30D7-DF11-42BC-9640-B348A06B65A0

2013-05-10 13:18:40 (12 comments, 4 reshares, 34 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

EPA Nominee Blocked: Republican senators on Thursday staged a surprise boycott of a committee meeting and stalled the confirmation of President Obama's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Even if Democrats can move Gina McCarthy’s nomination out of committee, she still could face a filibuster on the Senate floor and wouldn't have the 60 votes she needs, Sen. Bernie Sanders told his Democratic allies. He urged the Senate to change filibuster rules so nominees can be confirmed by majority vote The Boston Globe and Politico reported. 

Veterans Benefits: Sen. Sanders is sponsoring legislation to beef up veterans’ benefits. Sanders has been critical of federal budget cuts that target cost-of-living increases for veterans. His bill -- which has bipartisan support -- would insure that veterans’ benefits wouldrise t... more »

2013-05-09 19:51:36 (67 comments, 12 reshares, 75 +1s)

Republican Obstructionists:

Republicans on the Senate environment committee on Thursday blocked a vote on the nomination of Gina McCarthy to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. “The American people want this government to function. This type of obstructionism is enormously anti-democratic,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders.  The latest Republican stalling tactic came one day after Republicans on Wednesday delayed for the second time in two weeks a vote on the nomination of Tom Perez to head the Department of Labor.

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/BbBhL-HWcEU
Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=45B02AC6-98F1-4D49-9DA3-C7E3D2388D1D

2013-05-09 13:17:54 (29 comments, 2 reshares, 31 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Disabled Vets: Veterans’ service organizations are stepping out in opposition to a House bill that would tie disabled veterans benefits cost-of-living adjustments to Social Security increases. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Senate veterans’ committee chairman, remains a “key ally” in opposition a stingier consumer price index proposed by President Obama that would cut yearly inflation adjustments, Military.com reported. 

Social Security: Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined Sen. Sanders and others on Wednesday at a summit on protecting Social Security benefits, The (Springfield, Mass.) Republican reported. 

Big Banks: New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says some banks are “flagrantly violating” the terms of a national mortgage settlement and he plans to sue two of them, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Other banksface lawsuits... more »

2013-05-08 22:13:11 (63 comments, 6 reshares, 52 +1s)

Social Security Summit:

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday brought together seniors and veterans organizations and other members of Congress for a Capitol summit meeting to protest proposed cuts in Social Security and disabled veterans’ benefits. “There are fair ways to reduce deficit but balancing the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the children and the poor are not among them,” Sanders said.

Watch highlights from the summit: http://youtu.be/KAFLMqpPeXs
Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=47367A72-FB11-4275-9034-A4AD50E0ED2E

2013-05-08 17:01:16 (42 comments, 1 reshares, 32 +1s)

Happening now: Sen. Sanders is holding a summit on defending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. Watch live here: www.sanders.senate.gov

2013-05-08 13:23:39 (40 comments, 6 reshares, 40 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Democrats Defect on Obama Budget: The majority of Senate Democrats running in 2014, including three from red states, have broken with President Obama and are opposing his effort to cut Social Security benefits. “The only way you beat right-wing Republicans is contrasting your views with theirs, Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday on The Ed Show. “You’ve got to stand up and fight for a middle class which is disappearing. You have to have the guts to take on the big-money interests and say, ‘No. We’re not going to balance the budget on the backs of an elderly woman in Vermont living on $15,000 a year.’” 

Social Security Summit: Sen. Sanders and members of the Senate Defending Social Security Caucus will host a summit on Wednesday to discuss legislative and grassroots efforts to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, andveterans’ bene... more »

2013-05-07 21:30:16 (3 comments, 9 reshares, 50 +1s)

Dental Care for Kids:

Millions of children are suffering today because they do not receive dental care. In fact, each year, nearly 17 million low-income children in the United States do not see a dentist. Children have even died as a result of infections that could have been prevented if they only had access to a dentist. Sen. Bernie Sanders will introduce legislation later this year to address the nation’s dental crisis. His bill would expand the number of places where people can see dentists.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=6393B765-9901-40D4-891F-CC2FD1068510

2013-05-07 13:34:59 (43 comments, 7 reshares, 37 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Koch Brothers: Sen. Sanders and Jim Dean, chairman of the liberal advocacy group Democracy for America, sent a letter to Tribune Co. CEO Peter Liguori asking him to reject any offer from Koch Industries to buy the newspaper chain, the Wichita (Kan.) Business Journal reported. The letter called owners Charles and David Koch “right-wing extremists” with “enormous economic and political power.” 

Tax Havens: Thirty-one corporations in the Business Round Table – a group favoring the slashing of Social Security and Medicare benefits – have avoided $128 billion in federal income taxes by setting up more than 500 subsidiaries in tax haven countries while receiving $6.5 billion in IRS tax refunds. Sen. Sanders and Rep. Jan Schokowsky introduced legislation that would require corporations to pay U.S. taxes on offshore profits,according to... more »

2013-05-06 19:21:09 (38 comments, 19 reshares, 82 +1s)

Bank Fraud:

At least eight federal agencies are investigating JPMorgan Chase at a time when the bank is raking in record profits, according to The New York Times. “Virtually every single major financial institution in this country has engaged in fraud at one time or another,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said on the Thom Hartmann Program. “So the question that has to be raised is whether fraud is the business model of Wall Street? I think you can probably make a case that it is.” Among many examples, JPMorgan Chase in 2011 paid $156.3 million to settle fraud charges related to the financial crisis.  No one went to jail. In a separate settlement that same year, the bank paid $56 million over allegations that it had overcharged members of the military on their mortgages.

Continue reading here: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=E95FECC5-1D38-4542-90A9-60C59A296857

2013-05-06 13:14:31 (34 comments, 4 reshares, 35 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

FCC: President Obama's nominee to head the Federal Communications Commission has an extensive history with the industries he would be in charge of regulating, experience that has some observers wondering if Tom Wheeler was the best choice for the job. Sen. Bernie Sanders said he was “troubled” that the president would nominate a person with such extensive lobbying experience to the powerful post, The Hill reported. “The head of the FCC should be looking out first and foremost for the public interest and may have to stand up to some of our nation's biggest media and telecom companies,” Sanders said. 

Health Care: The stress that 30 million additional insured people will place on the health care system in 2014 requires funneling more resources into primary health care training, witnesses told a Senate panel. The currentshortfal... more »

2013-05-05 17:56:02 (77 comments, 79 reshares, 223 +1s)

2013-05-05 13:19:50 (101 comments, 13 reshares, 78 +1s)

Today's news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): 

USPS: Postal Service finances sank after Congress passed legislation in 2006 that required pre-funding the health benefits of future retirees 50 years in advance at a rate of about $5.6 billion per year, a situation some call a  "manufactured crisis." Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter DeFazio are sponsoring bills to eliminate the pre-funding requirement and allow the Postal Service to raise rates more freely, among other changes. Unions support the bill and it has some supporters in the Senate and the House, the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday.

FCC: Sen. Sanders had some choice words on the issue of media consolidation and President Obama’s nominee to chair the Federal Communications Commission. "Before the Senate votes on Mr. Wheeler's confirmation, the American people deserve to know where he stands on oneof ... more »

2013-05-04 16:37:17 (107 comments, 66 reshares, 232 +1s)