November 18, 2012

Going Forward

Senator Bernie Sanders

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of Vermont for allowing me to continue representing them in the U.S. Senate. These are tough times for our country, and I promise to continue working as hard as I can to address the very serious crises that we face,” Bernie wrote in a column for Vermont newspapers. The senator’s column provided an overview of some of the areas he plans to focus on in the months ahead: the economy, deficit reduction, and global warming. “The U.S. economy today is working very well – for millionaires and billionaires. Not so well for the disappearing middle class,” Bernie wrote. “While we have come a long way in the last four years since Wall Street greed drove us to the verge of a worldwide depression, much more has to be done to create the millions of jobs that we need.

Read Bernie’s column »

Hands Off Social Security

Hundreds of people packed two hearing rooms on Capitol Hill Thursday as Bernie hosted a summit with seniors, the disabled, labor and other grassroots groups. They are united to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from budget cuts. The summit was held one day before President Obama and congressional leaders met at the White House to discuss ways to reduce deficits and avert a cascade of Jan. 1 spending cuts and tax increases. “We are here to send a very loud and very clear message to the leadership in the House, in the Senate, and in the White House: Do not cut Social Security; do not cut Medicare, do not cut Medicaid -- and do not provide more tax breaks to the top 2 percent who are doing phenomenally well and, in many cases, have never had it so good,” Bernie said.

Made In Vermont

After learning many of the products sold at the Smithsonian were not made in the United States, Bernie demanded a change. As a result of Bernie’s "Made in America" effort, many companies throughout the United States, including a dozen in Vermont, have received contracts from the Smithsonian to either sell products in the national museum's gift shops or through their catalog.  The recession has caused hardship for many of these small companies. A & O Glass Works in Burlington, Vt., for example, said their contract worth tens of thousands of dollars gave them a much-needed boost.

State of the Union

Bernie is sponsoring his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. In recent years, more than 500 Vermont high school students from dozens of high schools throughout the state participated. “It’s my hope that this essay contest will provide an opportunity for students to explore current issues in depth, and will help develop their critical thinking about some of the problems we face as a nation,” Bernie wrote in a letter to teachers last week.  A panel of Vermont teachers will select the finalists and the winner.  The top essays will be published in the Congressional Record.

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VERMONT FACTS

128,619 Vermonters receive Social Security benefits; 106,313 Vermonters receive Medicare; 182,045 Vermonters receive Medicaid »

 

In Other News

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Vermont has 3,660 women veterans. Last month, Bernie, who serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, helped celebrate the opening of the women's care center at the VA medical center in White River Junction. "This facility is about keeping our promise to the brave women who have served in uniform,” Bernie said »

RAIL TRAIL ON TRACK

The 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which winds its way from Swanton to St. Johnsbury, won a land use permit that will allow construction to begin. Bernie secured $5.2 million for the project »

ALL ABOARD

Including Vermont's two train routes, Amtrak carried more than 31 million passengers last year, the highest ridership tally since Amtrak began in 1971 »

SOLAR POWER

Lyndon State College students installed 24 photovoltaic panels in a project funded, in part, with a grant secured by Bernie »

 

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