Strengthening the Postal Service
Hundreds of Jobs, 15 Post Offices
at Stake in Vermont

Nearly 500 Vermonters joined the congressional delegation and the governor in White River Junction to press postal officials on their misguided plan to shutter the White River Junction mail processing plant, which would eliminate more than 200 local jobs and slow regional mail service. The Postal Service is also considering closing thousands of rural post offices, including 15 throughout Vermont — closures which would undermine the town centers of many of those communities. Bernie helped lead the way to secure a five-month moratorium on any postal service job cuts or facility closures to give Congress time to consider comprehensive reforms, including Bernie's Postal Service Protection Act which calls for a fundamental rethinking of the Postal Service to allow it to adapt and thrive in the 21st century.

"In the middle of a terrible recession, it makes no sense to terminate 100,000 decent-paying postal service jobs and substantially slow down mail delivery. We need a postal service business model which can respond effectively to the new digital age and the needs of businesses and consumers — not one that simply cuts and cuts and cuts," Bernie said.

Video: Watch Bernie's remarks on C-Span »
Video: Watch Fox44's coverage of the meeting »
Slideshow: Vermonters voice strong opposition to closing WRJ mail processing facility »

Protecting Vermont's Seniors Bernie has been helping lead the fight against cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. After meeting with his Seniors Advisory Council, Bernie, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, announced he will introduce legislation to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which funds the Meals on Wheels program, the Congregate Meals Program and a major senior employment program. "With the number of seniors in America living in poverty and hunger increasing, we must redouble our commitment to help seniors live safely and comfortably in their own homes and communities," said Bernie. Read more » Read Bernie's Remarks » Audio Feature: "This investment saves money by reducing health care costs," Bernie said »

Engaging Vermont's Students Bernie visited four Vermont high schools earlier this month to hear students' opinions about what they think the role of government should be. He challenged them to think about what issues are most important and to consider the major problems facing the nation. At Essex High School, students asked Bernie about what could be done to reduce the staggering income inequality in the United States. Others expressed concern about the debt they would accumulate going to college. At Spaulding High School in Barre, students continued to debate the issues in dueling Facebook posts long after Bernie left. Video: One Vermont student's concerns »

Poll Results: Your Priorities for 2012 More than 2,700 people shared their priorities for the year with Bernie in the last Vt. Bernie Buzz poll. The most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression continues to weigh heavily on the minds of Vermonters. More than one in three people, or 36 percent, said jobs and the economy were their top concerns. And more than eight in 10 people, 83 percent, said things are going either "pretty badly" or "very badly" in the country today. Full Results »