Chairman's Press
Sanders Statement on Hedge Fund Managers Advice To Puerto Rico
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after a group of economists hired by hedge fund managers suggested that the government of Puerto Rico lay off teachers and close schools to pay off debt. "It is a moral outrage that hedge fund managers are calling on the Puerto Rican government to shut down schools and slash the social safety net to pay back billionaires on Wall Street. At a time when 56 percent of children in P… Continue Reading
07.17.15
Sanders Announces He's Backing New Attempt to Break Up Big Banks, Working With Senator Warren on Her Glass-Steagall Act
Sanders Backs 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act WASHINGTON, July 17 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that he is co-sponsoring a bill by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act. This important piece of legislation would prevent commercial banks from engaging in risky investment schemes that nearly destroyed the economy in 2008. "I strongly support Sen. Elizabeth Warren's bill to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act," Sanders said. On July 1, 1999, while Con… Continue Reading
07.14.15
Sanders Joins Rep Conyers & Other Senate/House Members Asking President to Support Expanding Social Security
WASHINGTON, July 12 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) today joined with 70 other members of Congress in calling on President Obama to support expanding Social Security. The letter to the president came on the eve of a historic conference on aging, convened once every 10 years to get the entire country talking about issues relating to older Americans. "A clear majority of Americans support expanding Social Security," wrote Sanders, Conyers and other lawmakers. "As em… Continue Reading
06.25.15
Sanders & Schakowsky Plan Tackles Wealth Inequality With Estate Tax Reform
WASHINGTON, June 25 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today introduced legislation to increase estate tax rates on the top three-tenths of one percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million, while eliminating loopholes that have allowed the wealthiest Americans to avoid billions in taxes. Sanders said the legislation was needed to reduce the massive gap between the very rich and working class Americans. The announcement was the latest tax reform proposal from Sanders, who has made the issu… Continue Reading
06.18.15
Sanders Plan Restores Retirement Security to 10 Million Retirees
Sanders Plan Restores Retirement Security to 10 Million Retirees WASHINGTON, June 18 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today he's working to win passage of a bill that reverses a proposal passed last year that could result in deep pension cuts for retirees and workers in multi-employer pension plans. Sanders said his plan will protect the pensions of up to 10 million Americans. "Hard-working retirees should not ever have to doubt their retirement security," Sanders said. "We made a commitm… Continue Reading
05.15.15
Sanders, Durbin Tell President Federal Workers Deserve ‘Fair Wage’
WASHINGTON, May 15 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led an effort today to help low-wage federal contract workers get a pay raise. Sanders, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 16 other senators, wrote President Obama with a request that he 'lead by example' when it comes to paying federal contract workers by providing a preference to contractors who pay a living wage. "The federal government continues to be America's largest low-wage job creator, subsidizing poverty-level wages through taxp… Continue Reading
05.06.15
Sanders Calls Republican Budget 'Absolute Disaster'
WASHINGTON, May 5 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after Senate Republicans passed a budget resolution: "This Republican budget throws 27 million Americans off health insurance, slashes $5 trillion over the coming decade from programs that help working families, cuts taxes on the richest Americans and raises them on working families with kids. "The budget moves this country in exactly the wrong direction. A… Continue Reading
05.04.15
Sanders review of Republican Budget Conference Agreement Shows It Takes Us in the Wrong Direction
The Republican Budget Conference Report: more tax breaks for millionaires; more pain for the middle class The Republican budget conference report moves this country in exactly the wrong direction. At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, it gives huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, while making devastating cuts to education, Medicare, affordable housing, prescription drug coverage, and many other vital investments for the elderly, the children, the sick, and the poor… Continue Reading
04.27.15
Sanders Warns Governors About Devastating Budget Cuts
WASHINGTON, April 27 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today warned all 50 governors about the devastating cuts their states will face if the Republican budget plan becomes law. In a series of letters, Sanders explained what the cuts would mean for working families, the elderly, children, the sick and the poor if the budget blueprint for the next fiscal year is not revised. House and Senate action on a budget resolution is expected shortly. "The Republican budget moves this country in exactly the … Continue Reading
04.20.15
Sanders: Republican Budgets Would be ‘Total Disaster’ for Working Americans
WASHINGTON, April 20 - As the Senate Budget Committee conference meets for the first time today, Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called the House and Senate budget resolutions a "total disaster" for the working families of our country. Sanders said: "Both the Senate and the House budget resolutions would make the rich richer and cause devastating pain to tens of millions of working families throughout the country. Instead of making health care more affordable, both Republican budgets wou… Continue Reading
04.16.15
Sanders Statement on House Passage of Tax Break For Super Rich
WASHINGTON, April 16 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the House voted 240-179 to provide $269 billion in tax breaks for the families of the wealthiest 0.2 percent of Americans. "At a time of increasing inequality, it is beyond belief that Congress would provide hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to a handful of millionaire and billionaire families. "Incredibly, not only are the Republicans giving huge tax breaks to people who need it the least… Continue Reading
04.13.15
Sanders Launches National Budget Town Hall Meeting Series
BURLINGTON, Vt., April 13 - U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he's going outside the Capitol to hear from working-class Americans about how severe Republican budget cuts would affect their families, parents and health care. Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, said he wants to provide a forum outside the rigid structure of Congress as part of his efforts to speak directly with Americans about the issues that matter to them. "The Republican budget plan is a massive tr… Continue Reading
04.13.15
Sanders Leads Senate Effort to Support Seniors
BURLINGTON, Vt., April 10 - U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is leading an effort to call for a significant increase in funds to support expanded access to meals, transportation, family caregiver support and other programs for seniors funded by the Older Americans Act. Sanders wants a 12 percent increase in support for senior programs and he's leading a group of 33 senators advocating for the much-needed investment in next year's budget. "The demand for these programs is great and in many area… Continue Reading
04.09.15
Sanders blasts U.S Corporations for Dodging Taxes
BURLINGTON, Vt., April 9 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Senate Budget Committee ranking member, today issued the following statement on new data showing the extent to which some American companies are avoiding taxes: "I applaud Citizens for Tax Justice for releasing new data today revealing the unfairness of our tax system and the fact that a number of the biggest and most-well known corporations in America continue to pay little or nothing in taxes. At a time when we have massive wealth a… Continue Reading
04.01.15
Sanders Says Secretive Legal Exemptions in Trade Deal ‘Alarming’
WASHINGTON, April 1 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, warned today that a proposed trade agreement appears to give other nations a dangerous legal advantage that could jeopardize America's national security. Sanders said that newly released documents seem to show that the secretive trade deal among North American and Asian countries could be risky for U.S. interests and businesses. The leaked documents show a draft of the trade agreement that has … Continue Reading
03.23.15
New Report From Sanders Lays Bare Republican Budget Gimmicks
New Sanders Report Shows Extent of Republican Budget Gimmicks WASHINGTON, March 22 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, today released a blistering new report detailing how the Republican budget plan is based on budgetary gimmicks. "Instead of being honest and upfront about their goals, the Republicans have used a number of budgetary gimmicks to cover-up the devastating impact that their budget will have on the lives of ordinary Americans," Sander… Continue Reading
03.20.15
Sanders : If Republicans Want Another War, They have to Pay for It
WASHINGTON, March 20 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, today announced plans to demand Republicans pay for the additional $96 billion in military spending by voting on a new tax on millionaires. Sanders said his 'war tax' will be among the first votes facing Senators next week when debate on the fiscal year 2016 budget resolution is brought up for a vote. "Republicans have been telling us for years that because of high deficits we have to cut Soc… Continue Reading
03.20.15
Sanders: Republican Budget Morally Repugnant and Full of Budget Gimmicks
WASHINGTON, March 19 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, called it 'morally repugnant' that Republicans tonight rammed through a budget plan that protects tax breaks for the rich and large corporations while cutting benefits that millions of Americans rely on. "While the rich get richer and corporate profits soar, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages," Sanders said. "Despite that, this morally repugnant Republican budget pr… Continue Reading
03.18.15
Sanders Statement on Republican Budget Plan
WASHINGTON, March 18 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, today criticized a Republican budget proposal that he said will make devastating cuts to American families, children and seniors. Below are his remark as prepared for delivery: "Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing and we look forward to the mark-up tomorrow. Also, thank you for releasing the budget a little bit earlier than it is often released. We've had a few hours to examine … Continue Reading
03.16.15
Sanders: We Must Produce a Budget for America, Not Wealthy Special Interests
WASHINGTON, March 15 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, today urged Republicans to work with the Democratic Caucus to produce a budget which represents the needs of the American middle class and not just the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country. Sanders said a sensible budget must lay the groundwork for: Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and creating millions of new jobs. Raising the minimum wage, improving overtime pay and addr… Continue Reading
