ISSUES
Environmental Regulation and Climate Change
Sanders believes that climate change is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed, and that it is caused by human activities. He says climate change will be a top priority from the start of his potential presidency, and he has been very consistent on the issue throughout his long time in government. He sees climate change as a crucial issue because he thinks that the people who will be the most affected by climate change are the lower and middle class, while bigger companies that cause pollution will not be affected.
Some have criticized Sanders for being too weak in his ultimate proposals. For example, The Climate Mobilization, an environmental advocacy group, said, “It is puzzling that Bernie Sanders’ climate-action plan, People Before Polluters, offers a political, not scientific response to the challenge. We need to stop sugar-coating the depth of the climate crisis.” They find that his emergency rhetoric does not match his goal for carbon emission cuts of 80% by 2050 (as they think it should be done in less time). Democratic Candidate Martin O’Malley argued that "Sen. Sanders’ plan . . . appears to include weak carbon pollution reduction targets.”
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Some have criticized Sanders for being too weak in his ultimate proposals. For example, The Climate Mobilization, an environmental advocacy group, said, “It is puzzling that Bernie Sanders’ climate-action plan, People Before Polluters, offers a political, not scientific response to the challenge. We need to stop sugar-coating the depth of the climate crisis.” They find that his emergency rhetoric does not match his goal for carbon emission cuts of 80% by 2050 (as they think it should be done in less time). Democratic Candidate Martin O’Malley argued that "Sen. Sanders’ plan . . . appears to include weak carbon pollution reduction targets.”
Policy Proposals
- Remove fossil fuel subsidies and instead tax fossil fuel companies and heavy polluters in order to discourage the emissions, along with regulations on emission levels.
- Invest in renewable resources (but not nuclear power) and has planned out what renewable resources each state can get all of their energy from, based on what resources are available.
Relevant History
- Sanders has been a very consistent climate leader with a lifetime score of 95% (voting for environmental bills) on the National Environmental Scorecard.
- Co-sponsored the Keep It in the Ground Act to ban future fossil fuel leases on public land. His legislation would keep over 90% of the potential carbon emissions from fossil fuels on federal land and waters underground.
- Advocated for $3.2 billion dollars for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, which helped to install over 9,500 solar panels, and 86,000 buildings were renovated to be more energy efficient.
- Introduced the Rebuild America Act to invest $15 billion to improve public transportation and reduce car exhaust fumes.
- Introduced the Residential Energy Savings Act to help people make their homes more energy efficient.
- Introduced the End Polluter Welfare Act, to get rid of tax deductions for coal, oil, and gas producers.
- Authored a bill to spread solar power throughout the country.
- Co-wrote with Senator Hillary Clinton the Green Jobs Act, which allocated funding for clean energy and energy efficiency research and job training.
Representative Quotes
- “Enough is enough. It’s time for a political revolution that takes on the fossil fuel billionaires, accelerates our transition to clean energy, and finally puts people before the profits of polluters.”
- "Subsidies for the oil, gas, and coal industries are projected to cost taxpayers more than $135 billion in the coming decade. At a time when scientists tell us we need to reduce carbon pollution to prevent catastrophic climate change, it is absurd to provide massive subsidies that pad fossil-fuel companies' already enormous profits."
- "Debating, doubting, or rejecting the basic scientific facts about climate change in the face of the overwhelming evidence and overwhelming scientific opinion will not change those facts."
- “We have a moral responsibility to combat climate change and leave this planet healthy and inhabitable for our kids and grandchildren.”
Gun Control and Gun Violence
Sanders has not clearly positioned himself on one side of the gun control issue. Sanders says he supports certain gun control legislation that pro-gun control people support, but because he comes from a rural state he sees the need for guns. While in the House and the Senate, Sanders has voted for bans on certain weapons and increased background checks but has also voted to give gun dealers and manufactures some immunity from certain lawsuits.
Hillary Clinton has tried to show the difference between her and Bernie Sanders recently. One way she has tried to accomplish this is by attacking Sanders for his vote to grant gun companies immunity from certain lawsuits. Clinton said, “When it really mattered, Sen. Sanders voted with the gun lobby, and I voted against the gun lobby."
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Hillary Clinton has tried to show the difference between her and Bernie Sanders recently. One way she has tried to accomplish this is by attacking Sanders for his vote to grant gun companies immunity from certain lawsuits. Clinton said, “When it really mattered, Sen. Sanders voted with the gun lobby, and I voted against the gun lobby."
Policy Proposals
- Revisit the question of legal immunity for some gun companies to ensure better oversight over the industry.
- Strengthen the background check system.
- Close the gun show loophole through enforcing background checks, banning automatic weapons, and investing in mental health research.
Relevant History
- Co-sponsored a bill that would allow the attorney general to deny the sale of a firearm if deemed suspicious or relating to terrorism.
- Voted for a bill that would have prohibited the selling of assault weapons and would have limited the size of magazines.
- Supported a bill that would have required background checks for transactions at gun shows and on the internet.
- Supported a bill that would have allowed citizens to carry concealed firearms across state borders in which both states allow the carrying of concealed firearms.
- Voted to repeal various gun control laws in Washington, DC, such as a ban on semi-automatic weapons and certain handgun ammunition.
- As noted above, voted to given certain legal protections to the gun industry.
- Opposed a bill that would have shortened the time for background checks to 24 hours.
Representative Quotes
- “We need strong sensible gun control, and I will support it. But some people think it's going to solve all of our problems, and it's not. You know what, we have a crisis in the capability of addressing mental health illness in this country.”
- "Nobody should have a gun who has a criminal background, was involved in domestic abuse situations. People should not have guns who are going to hurt other people, who are unstable".
Drugs and Criminal Law
Bernie Sanders has consistently opposed the war on drugs and believes the United States should reform the criminal justice system by focusing on rehabilitating offenders instead of punishing them. Rehabilitation would reduce the high prison populations and costs, and would offer an alternative to the harsh war on drugs that Sanders perceives as a failure. Sanders also views the war on drugs as a failure because it disproportionately affects black and Hispanic populations. Similarly, he wants to work with state governments to reform law enforcement to end racism, recently seen in brutalities and shootings, and to promote more community outreach. Sanders would like to remove the federal ban on marijuana and would encourage states to develop their own laws regarding the substance. He believes the United States should focus on rehabilitating offenders, and because of that belief, he opposes mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenders and strongly opposes capital punishment.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
While serving in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, Bernie Sanders:
Representative Quotes
Policy Proposals
- Change the current law enforcement system to fix issues such as police brutality and racism:
- Locally, he would emphasize community policing and trust building, create more transparency and increase diversity.
- On a national scale, he would fund body cameras for all officers, publicize all police shootings, and establish a new training system that focuses on de-escalation.
- End the war on drugs, invest in drug courts and treatment programs, and assist ex-offenders.
Relevant History
While serving in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, Bernie Sanders:
- Voted for a bill that increased mandatory minimum sentences for federal crimes committed with a firearm, even though he currently opposes mandatory minimums today.
- Voted against an anti-crime bill which placed limits on state law enforcement and raised standards necessary to receive block grants.
- Co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act, which protected women from more forms of domestic violence including stalking, and used funding to encourage law enforcement organizations to emphasize ending domestic violence.
- Voted to ban capital punishment for federal crimes.
- Voted to increase benefits for injured police officers.
Representative Quotes
- “We need to make police departments look like the communities they serve in terms of diversity. We need to end minimal sentencing. We need, basically, to pledge that we're going to invest in this country, in jobs and education, not more jails and incarceration.”
- “Today in America we have more people in jail than any other country on earth, 2.2 million people. Predominantly African-American and Hispanic. We are spending $80 billion a year locking up our fellow Americans. I think, and this is not easy, but I think we need to . . . wage a major effort, to come together as a country and end institutional racism. . . . Now, what does that mean? Well, for a start it means that police officers should not be shooting unarmed people, predominantly African-Americans.”
- “We need, very clearly, major, major reform in a broken criminal justice system. From top to bottom. And that means when police officers out in a community do illegal activity — kill people who are unarmed who should not be killed — they must be held accountable. It means that we end minimum sentencing for those people arrested. It means that we take marijuana out of the federal law as a crime and give states the freedom to go forward with legalizing marijuana.”
Civil Rights - Gender and Sexual Orientation
Bernie Sanders is an advocate for LGBT and women’s rights. Sanders says he will fight to pass the Equal Pay Act to ensure that men and women receive equal pay for equal work. Sanders believes in protecting a woman's right to choose a safe abortion. Sanders would like to also take actions to help prevent unwanted pregnancies and to give women the tools to be able to provide for a new child. Due to the fact that the reason for many abortions are financial, Sanders also advocates for a higher minimum wage and providing full universal healthcare. With these securities, he believes pregnant women would not be burdened by the heavy cost of medical bills during a pregnancy and be able to provide for a baby in the future. In line with his philosophy of preventing abortions from even happening, he supports providing quality birth control and contraceptives to all women.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Policy Proposals
- Expand the Civil Rights Act by preventing discrimination by businesses, employers, and many other public bodies on the basis of qualities like sex, age, pregnancy, and sexual orientation.
- Ban any discrimination based on sexual orientation towards both parents who want to adopt.
- Work with the Department of Health and Human Services to make sure LGBT Americans are receiving adequate health care, free from discrimination.
- Work with schools to prevent bullying of LGBT students.
- Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that will aim at preventing wage discrimination based on gender, closing the gap between men and women wages.
- Enact the Equal Rights Amendment, to codify gender equality in the Constitution.
- Expand Planned Parenthood funding to provide more quality care for women.
- Expand Social Security by an average of $65 a month to keep up with rising costs of living and medical costs. Sanders states that this will benefit women because “more than twice as many elderly women lived in poverty than men in 2013.”
Relevant History
- Voted against the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
- Voted against an amendment that would have prevented same-sex couples in D.C. from adopting children.
- Voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.
- Co-sponsored Uniting Families Act which would have allowed the partner of any U.S. Citizen or resident to receive lawful permanent residency if they got married.
- Voted in favor of the Employment Discrimination Act which would have banned any discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation.
- Co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act, which had the purpose of preventing the states or federal government from restricting a woman’s right to an abortion.
- Voted to pass Violence Against Women Act to set up funding and resources to prevent domestic violence.
- Voted against a bill that would “define an unborn child as eligible for State’s Children Health Program.”
- Supported Prevention First Act that was aimed at expanding family planning and providing contraceptives to target STD’s and teen pregnancies.
Representative Quotes
- "Many of my Republican colleagues talk about family values. Their values are that our gay brothers and sisters should not be able to get married, or enjoy all of the benefits of American citizenship. I disagree."
- “As somebody who has consistently voted to end discrimination in all forms — who voted against DOMA way back in the 1990s — I will do all that I can to continue our efforts to make this a nondiscriminatory society, whether those being discriminated against are transgender, gay, black or Hispanic.”
- “We are not going back. Not only are we not going to retreat on women's rights, we are going to expand them. We are going forward, not backward.”
- “You said something about ‘homos’ in the military, was the gentleman referring to the many thousands and thousands of gay people who have put their lives on the line in countless wars defending this country? Is that the group of the people the gentleman was referring to? You used the word homos. You have insulted thousands of men and women who have put their lives on the line. I think you owe them an apology.” This quote comes from a response Sanders had to a fellow Congressman’s argument for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and using the word “homos” in his speech. Video.
Civil Rights - Race and Ethnicity
Bernie Sanders has strong views about the issue of racial justice in America. He seeks to push the country to address racial violence, which he has sorted into five categories: physical, legal, political, economic, and environmental. With regard to physical violence, he speaks out against extremists and recognizes hateful acts of violence toward racial minorities as acts of terror. His stance on legal violence is related to the racial imbalance in the criminal justice system. He is against the mandatory minimum sentences that have been put in place as a result of what he considers a failed “War on Drugs,” and he believes that these sentences treat people of color unfairly. He also speaks out about over-incarceration of nonviolent offenders in America as well as the system of policing in America that he sees as a broken one. Sanders emphasizes the need for a strong path back from prison that will keep people from entering a cycle in the system. On top of all of these issues, he is also against the privatization of prisons and believes that private prisons are “morally repugnant.”
In the political realm, Sanders focuses on the means of disenfranchisement that are still employed in this country. He cites things such as the requirement of photo ID, gerrymandering, restriction of early-voting and same-day registration, as well as purges of voter rolls that go too far. When addressing the wealth and income gap that especially presents itself in minorities, Sanders cites problems within the education system, economic immobility, and the illegal actions that occurred on Wall Street a few years ago as core causes of economic disparity in racial minorities. Lastly, Sanders discusses the environmental violence that communities of color face. Many of these communities do not have easy access to parks, and they are hit hard by pollution from factories and other facilities. He also mentions Hurricane Katrina to show that poor communities of color have a harder time recovering from natural disasters, and he points toward institutional racism to explain it all.
In early August 2015, Bernie Sanders dealt with a lot of hostility from Black Lives Matter when they spoke out against white progressives that they felt did not do enough to mend racial injustice. They called out Bernie Sanders for not adequately addressing their concerns about police brutality. They shut down one of Sanders’ speaking events in Seattle, and as a result of the backlash, Sanders rolled out his racial justice agenda mentioned above.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
In the political realm, Sanders focuses on the means of disenfranchisement that are still employed in this country. He cites things such as the requirement of photo ID, gerrymandering, restriction of early-voting and same-day registration, as well as purges of voter rolls that go too far. When addressing the wealth and income gap that especially presents itself in minorities, Sanders cites problems within the education system, economic immobility, and the illegal actions that occurred on Wall Street a few years ago as core causes of economic disparity in racial minorities. Lastly, Sanders discusses the environmental violence that communities of color face. Many of these communities do not have easy access to parks, and they are hit hard by pollution from factories and other facilities. He also mentions Hurricane Katrina to show that poor communities of color have a harder time recovering from natural disasters, and he points toward institutional racism to explain it all.
In early August 2015, Bernie Sanders dealt with a lot of hostility from Black Lives Matter when they spoke out against white progressives that they felt did not do enough to mend racial injustice. They called out Bernie Sanders for not adequately addressing their concerns about police brutality. They shut down one of Sanders’ speaking events in Seattle, and as a result of the backlash, Sanders rolled out his racial justice agenda mentioned above.
Policy Proposals
- Demilitarize the police force so that they do not have access to military style weapons such as grenade launchers and tracked armored vehicles.
- Invest in community policing, including:
- Building police forces that reflect the diversity of a community.
- Building a new model police training program on a federal level with input from activists.
- Federally funding body cameras to improve transparency and creating new federal rules about the allowable use of force.
- Re-enfranchise people charged with a felony who have paid their debts to society.
- Push Congress to restore the “pre-clearance” formula under the Voting Rights Act.
- Make Election Day a federal holiday so it is easier for voters to participate, make early voting an option for working and student voters, and ensure that absentee ballots are an option for everyone with or without an excuse.
- Eliminate mandatory minimums that create sentencing disparities between blacks and whites.
- Legalize marijuana, and invest in drug courts in order to provide better treatment for those who need it.
- “Ban the box” in order to prevent employers from discriminating against criminals.
- Expand the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, which offers grants to incarcerated individuals so that they can get a better education in order to get jobs.
- Make sure that working families get affordable childcare, and invest $5.5 billion in creating 1 million jobs for disadvantaged youth in America.
Relevant History
- Sanders was active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, having worked as an officer for the Congress of Racial Equality, participated in the March on Washington, and led protests against police brutality and segregation in schools and housing.
- Earned a 100% rating from the NAACP for his votes on civil rights issues.
- Voted in favor of strengthening anti-discrimination laws, the Voting Rights Act, and hate crime legislation.
- Voting against things like strict sentencing guidelines and the welfare reform law of 1996.
Representative Quotes
- “When we stand together, when black and white stand together, when gay and straight stand together, when women and men stand together, when we stand together, there is nothing, nothing, that we cannot accomplish.”
- “I wish that in the year 2015, I could tell you we have eliminated racism in this country, but you all know that is not true: Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and many, many others. If there’s anyone here who thinks this has not been going on decade after decade, they’d be very, very wrong.”
Fundraising Sources
Money Raised
As of October 16, 2015, Sanders raised $41,488,828 for his campaign, 96% of which comes from individual donations. Sanders relies largely on on small individual contributions (less than $200), which is $30,652,976 of his total finances. He is known for his refusing interest group money for his campaign in the form of super PACs. As opposed to Clinton’s technique of holding fundraisers to target both big and small group donations, Sanders utilized online, quick donations, resulting in 1 million different individuals donating to his campaign (a record number for number of individual contributions to a presidential candidate).
View on Campaign Finance & Super PACs
Sanders has stated that he “will not raise a nickel for a super PAC,” and has said that “It is unacceptable that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations to contribute as much as they want to super PACs to elect candidates who will represent their special interests.” However, Sanders has recently been criticized for not denying money from super PACs, such as the National Nurses United for Patient Protection super PAC, which donated $569,000 to his campaign. Sanders makes the distinction between groups wanting their opinions heard and a candidate having their own super PAC, such as Hillary Clinton, stating, “I will not have a super PAC. They are nurses and they are fighting for the health care of their people. They are doing what they think is appropriate. I do not have a super PAC." Also, the Progressive Voters of America have donated $16,249 to Sanders' campaign, but this is yet to be accepted by Sanders.
As of October 16, 2015, Sanders raised $41,488,828 for his campaign, 96% of which comes from individual donations. Sanders relies largely on on small individual contributions (less than $200), which is $30,652,976 of his total finances. He is known for his refusing interest group money for his campaign in the form of super PACs. As opposed to Clinton’s technique of holding fundraisers to target both big and small group donations, Sanders utilized online, quick donations, resulting in 1 million different individuals donating to his campaign (a record number for number of individual contributions to a presidential candidate).
View on Campaign Finance & Super PACs
Sanders has stated that he “will not raise a nickel for a super PAC,” and has said that “It is unacceptable that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations to contribute as much as they want to super PACs to elect candidates who will represent their special interests.” However, Sanders has recently been criticized for not denying money from super PACs, such as the National Nurses United for Patient Protection super PAC, which donated $569,000 to his campaign. Sanders makes the distinction between groups wanting their opinions heard and a candidate having their own super PAC, such as Hillary Clinton, stating, “I will not have a super PAC. They are nurses and they are fighting for the health care of their people. They are doing what they think is appropriate. I do not have a super PAC." Also, the Progressive Voters of America have donated $16,249 to Sanders' campaign, but this is yet to be accepted by Sanders.
Defense and Foreign Policy
As President, Sanders contends that he would move the nation away from military action, and instead encourage diplomacy and international cooperation. Sanders sees military action as the last option when it comes to dealing with international issues. He believes the United States' actions in the Middle East have only served to send the region into utter chaos. Thus, he supports a withdrawal of all U.S. soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sanders also supports the Iran Deal, which he views as the best method of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He is opposed to mass surveillance, as he believes it to be a violation of our constitutional rights. He believes the U.S. needs to work with its allies to defeat the ideology of Islamic extremism.
Hillary Clinton has come out in opposition to Sanders’ foreign policy views. She instead advocates a U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State. She has also rejected Sanders’ claim that the Iraq War is responsible for the instability of the Middle East. She contends that terrorism would be a problem today regardless, as it has been for years. Both Clinton and Rubio have also attacked Sanders' view that the U.S. should not focus on taking down dictators such as Assad in Syria.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Hillary Clinton has come out in opposition to Sanders’ foreign policy views. She instead advocates a U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State. She has also rejected Sanders’ claim that the Iraq War is responsible for the instability of the Middle East. She contends that terrorism would be a problem today regardless, as it has been for years. Both Clinton and Rubio have also attacked Sanders' view that the U.S. should not focus on taking down dictators such as Assad in Syria.
Policy Proposals
- Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Senator Sanders has proposed a two-state solution. He also believes that the U.S. must allow the Israelis and the Palestinians to work their issues out on their own.
- Sanders does not think the U.S. should deploy troops or accelerate its campaign against the Islamic State. He believes that ISIS must be defeated by the Muslim nations that surround it in the Middle East. He has called on nations such as Saudi Arabia, who has a large military, to take the lead on the fight against ISIS.
- He has stated that he would terminate the NSA’s program of mass-surveillance on Americans.
Relevant History
- Voted against the resolution that authorized the U.S. to invade Iraq.
- Following 9/11, voted to allow the U.S. military to strike against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.
- Voted against the Patriot Act, which allowed the NSA to conduct mass surveillance on Americans.
- Supported the Iran Nuclear Deal.
Representative Quotes
- "With the third largest military budget in the world and an army far larger than ISIS, the Saudi government must accept its full responsibility for stability in their own region of the world."
- “What we have learned is that we don’t repeat what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the United States virtually did it alone.”
- “…The bottom line is that Israel must have the right to exist in peace and security, just as the Palestinians must have the right to a homeland in which they and they alone control their political system and their economy.”
Business Regulation and Corporations
Bernie Sanders follows the Democratic ideals of increased regulations for business in an effort to stimulate and ensure a healthy economy. Sanders believes that big businesses and banks are a danger to the economy due to the disproportionate and vast amounts of wealth that they posses. Many of his policies center around limiting the power and influence of businesses and banks by either breaking them up or increasing taxes. In addition to his fight against corporations, he seeks to raise the national minimum wage to reduce poverty and improve participation in the economy.
Due to his very progressive reforms, Sanders has often been called a “socialist” by his opponents. The main criticisms aimed at him attack his stances on banks and minimum wage, with critics citing the cost of all his reforms as a concern. Brian Fallon, Clinton’s chief campaign spokesman, commented on Sanders’ proposed tax increases, “Bernie Sanders has called for a roughly 9% tax hike on middle-class families just to cover his health-care plan, and simple math dictates he'll need to tax workers even more to pay for the rest of his at least $18-20 trillion agenda. If you are truly concerned about raising incomes for middle-class families, the last thing you should do is cut their take-home pay right off the bat by raising their taxes.”
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Due to his very progressive reforms, Sanders has often been called a “socialist” by his opponents. The main criticisms aimed at him attack his stances on banks and minimum wage, with critics citing the cost of all his reforms as a concern. Brian Fallon, Clinton’s chief campaign spokesman, commented on Sanders’ proposed tax increases, “Bernie Sanders has called for a roughly 9% tax hike on middle-class families just to cover his health-care plan, and simple math dictates he'll need to tax workers even more to pay for the rest of his at least $18-20 trillion agenda. If you are truly concerned about raising incomes for middle-class families, the last thing you should do is cut their take-home pay right off the bat by raising their taxes.”
Policy Proposals
- Adopt a national $15 per hour minimum wage.
- Enact a financial transaction tax (effectively a Wall Street sales tax) which will reduce risky and unproductive high-speed trading and other forms of Wall Street speculation; proceeds would be used to provide debt-free public college education.
- Cap credit card interest rates at 15%.
- Limit the ability of bankers to get rich from taxpayer bailouts of their institutions through increased regulations.
Relevant History
- Advocated for increasing the minimum wage for federal workers to $10.10 an hour.
- Has tried to warn about the liability of the deregulation measures prior to the financial crisis.
- Introduced the “Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act”, which targets big banks and similar institutions by breaking them up and denying them access to the Federal Reserve’s discount facilities or using insured deposits for risky activities.
- Co-sponsored of the Elizabeth Warren/John McCain bill which seeks to reinstate Glass-Steagall Act. This act would force banks to split their investment and commercial practices, prohibiting banks from using their customers' money for risky investments.
Representative Quotes
- “If a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist.”
- “Wall Street is greedy, reckless and they operate illegally. That's fine. But what do you do?”
- “The current federal minimum wage is a starvation wage, it’s got to be raised to a living wage.
Education
Bernie Sanders believes that a highly educated workforce is essential for America to continue to be competitive in the global economy. Americans who cannot afford college along with graduates drowning in student debt are holding the nation back from great potential. The average class of 2015 graduate will have a little over $35,000 in debt, and the amount of debt is increasing every year. Sanders wants all students to be able to attend college regardless of their socioeconomic background. He runs on the platform of making undergraduate tuition at 4 year public colleges and universities free. Sanders also disagrees with the overemphasis in public schools on standardized testing. Sanders believes that instead of teaching to a test, schools should “broaden the curriculum and focus on critical thinking and teamwork skills that are essential in today’s economy.”
Many candidates view Sanders’ plan as highly improbable and question how he will be able to pay for his bold proposals. Sanders has been criticized for having unrealistically high expectations for the revenue produced by his tax proposals. While Warren Gunnels, Sander’s policy director, projects the federal government will receive $300 billion in earnings from new taxes, Steve Rosenthal, a Tax Policy Center reporter, stated that his “Robin Hood Tax” would only raise about $51 billion. Republican candidate Chris Christie said, “The socialist says they’re going to pay for everything and give you everything for free, except they don't say they're going to raise it through taxes to 90 percent to do it." Candidates argue that in Sanders's Act, it is the workers on Wall Street who are forced to carry the burden of paying for everyone to receive higher education. In a speech about education at Iowa State, Rand Paul criticized the idea of free education. He said, "Sounds good, at first, until you really think about it. How could it be free? Won't somebody still bear the cost of paying professors, paying for electricity, paying janitorial services?” Hillary Clinton has also criticized Sanders' plans, saying, “I disagree with free college for everybody. I don't think taxpayers should be paying to send Donald Trump's kids to college. I think it ought to be a compact -- families contribute, kids contribute-- and together we make it possible for a new generation of young people to refinance their debt and not come out with debt in the future.” Clinton is accompanied by Republicans in arguing that forcing citizens to pay taxes for people who can already afford college is a waste of taxpayer money.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Many candidates view Sanders’ plan as highly improbable and question how he will be able to pay for his bold proposals. Sanders has been criticized for having unrealistically high expectations for the revenue produced by his tax proposals. While Warren Gunnels, Sander’s policy director, projects the federal government will receive $300 billion in earnings from new taxes, Steve Rosenthal, a Tax Policy Center reporter, stated that his “Robin Hood Tax” would only raise about $51 billion. Republican candidate Chris Christie said, “The socialist says they’re going to pay for everything and give you everything for free, except they don't say they're going to raise it through taxes to 90 percent to do it." Candidates argue that in Sanders's Act, it is the workers on Wall Street who are forced to carry the burden of paying for everyone to receive higher education. In a speech about education at Iowa State, Rand Paul criticized the idea of free education. He said, "Sounds good, at first, until you really think about it. How could it be free? Won't somebody still bear the cost of paying professors, paying for electricity, paying janitorial services?” Hillary Clinton has also criticized Sanders' plans, saying, “I disagree with free college for everybody. I don't think taxpayers should be paying to send Donald Trump's kids to college. I think it ought to be a compact -- families contribute, kids contribute-- and together we make it possible for a new generation of young people to refinance their debt and not come out with debt in the future.” Clinton is accompanied by Republicans in arguing that forcing citizens to pay taxes for people who can already afford college is a waste of taxpayer money.
Policy Proposals
- Make tuition at public universities and colleges free throughout the country, by providing $47 billion dollars per year to states, which would cover two-thirds of the cost, while leaving the remaining one-third up to the states. Funding could not be used to pay administrator salaries, non-academic buildings, or merit based financial aid.
- Prevent the federal government from making money off of student loans. He wants to invest the money the federal government currently takes as profit into lowering interest rates on student loans. Sanders says this will cut student loan interest rates by 2% (4.32% to 2.32%), while guaranteeing that the rates will never rise above 8.25%.
- Allow student borrowers to refinance their loans with the same interest rates as current students.
- Impose a fraction of a percent tax on Wall Street speculators. This includes a 0.5% tax on stock trades, 0.1% tax on bonds, and .005% tax on derivatives. According to Warren Gunnels, Sanders' policy director, this tax could raise up to $300 billion a year (to cover the cost of these education plans).
- Expand educational opportunities to the youth along with reforming the No Child Left Behind Act.
- Ensure higher wages for teachers.
- Hold charter schools (schools that are privately managed but funded by taxes) to the same standards as public schools.
- Enact the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors), which would allow immigrant students that have grown up in the United States to apply for temporary legal status, eventually becoming eligible for citizenship if they go to college.
Relevant History
- Voted for the Charter School Expansion Act of 1998.
- Initially voted yes for the No Child Left Behind Act, but then changed his mind and opposed it. Sanders has opposed the No Child Left Behind Act ever since.
- Worked with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to push the educational system away from solely focusing on standardized testing. Sanders believes it is the skills students learn through task-based assignments which teach them to be future contributors to the economy.
- Voted against an anti-Common Core amendment which intended to stop the federal government from forcing states into adopting national Common Core educational standards.
- Voted for $10.2 billion in federal funds to be allocated for public education in 2007.
- Has consistently opposed school vouchers, which he believes redirect money from public to private schools. In 1997, he voted against allowing vouchers in D.C. schools. In 1998, he voted no on vouchers in private and parochial schools.
- Voted for the issuance of $84 million in grants to black and Hispanic Colleges.
- Voted to allocate $18 billion to fund two years of free tuition at state colleges.
Representative Quotes
- "Something is very wrong when, last year, the top 25 hedge fund managers earned more than the combined income of 425,000 public school teachers. We have to get our priorities right.”
- In a speech to the American Federation of Teachers, Sanders said, “By placing so much emphasis on standardized testing, No Child Left Behind ignores many of the skills and qualities that are vitally important in our 21st century economy, like problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, in favor of test preparation that provides no benefit to students after they leave school.”
- At the Democratic Debate on October 13, 2015, Sanders stated, "I want Wall Street now to help kids in this country go to college, public colleges and universities, free with a Wall Street speculation tax.”
- "In a global economy, when our young people are competing with workers from around the world, we have got to have the best educated workforce possible. And, that means that we have got to make college affordable."
Taxes and Economic Policy
Most of Sanders' campaign revolves around the idea that the income inequality gap of our modern day society has gone on for too long. He believes that too much money is held in the hands of too few Americans. He wants to close the tax loopholes that so many large and wealthy corporations benefit from. Sanders is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, and he criticizes the American people often for being skeptical of the word “socialist” by noting that many countries today have quasi-socialist systems of government that are incredibly prosperous.
Sanders has received opposition from not only Republicans, but also Democrats and centrists as well. They claim his plans for tax reform and economic policy in general are unrealistic because even the ideas he has proposed such as “free college” and “free health care” would have to significantly raise the tax on the middle class. This is exactly the opposite of the ideology of his campaign considering he wants to create a much stronger middle class, but the only way to generate enough money for his “socialist endeavors” would be to put a heavier tax on this class. HIllary Clinton has repeatedly attacked Sanders’s tax plan by pointing out his 9% tax hike on middle class families “just to cover his health-care plan.” She goes on to say that if Sanders was truly dedicated to building a stronger middle class, the last thing that Sanders should do is “cut their take home pay right off the bat.” She emphasizes in debates that Sanders is not practicing what he is preaching. The biggest criticism of Sanders’s plan is that while his rhetoric claims that the wealthy will pay for everything, the enormous tax hikes he proposes could significantly affect lower and middle class Americans as well.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Sanders has received opposition from not only Republicans, but also Democrats and centrists as well. They claim his plans for tax reform and economic policy in general are unrealistic because even the ideas he has proposed such as “free college” and “free health care” would have to significantly raise the tax on the middle class. This is exactly the opposite of the ideology of his campaign considering he wants to create a much stronger middle class, but the only way to generate enough money for his “socialist endeavors” would be to put a heavier tax on this class. HIllary Clinton has repeatedly attacked Sanders’s tax plan by pointing out his 9% tax hike on middle class families “just to cover his health-care plan.” She goes on to say that if Sanders was truly dedicated to building a stronger middle class, the last thing that Sanders should do is “cut their take home pay right off the bat.” She emphasizes in debates that Sanders is not practicing what he is preaching. The biggest criticism of Sanders’s plan is that while his rhetoric claims that the wealthy will pay for everything, the enormous tax hikes he proposes could significantly affect lower and middle class Americans as well.
Policy Proposals
- Create a 6.2% employer tax and 2.2% income tax to finance health care.
- Raise income taxes on those making $250,000 or more from the current 39.6% rate to 52% rate.
- To finance free college tuition, impose a 0.5% tax on stock trade, a 0.1% tax on bonds, and a 0.005% tax on derivatives.
- Prevent U.S. corporations from avoiding paying taxes through the use of a variety of "loopholes."
- Expand the estate tax -- a tax paid after the death of an estate’s owner, before it is handed down to the heirs -- by changing the threshold from a property valued at $5.4 million down to $3.5 million, and increasing the tax rate from the current 40% to 65%.
- Apply the Social Security payroll tax to incomes over $250,000, forcing them to pay, as well as raising monthly benefits by another $65 for most Americans.
- Create a new payroll tax of 0.2%, to fund paid family leave.
Relevant History
- Voted no to the Bush proposed tax cuts that were widely seen by Democrats as benefiting the wealthy.
- In 2008, repeatedly voted yes to the stimulus packages and recovery plans during the fiscal crisis, citing his belief that recovery spending is an important and helpful way to end economic downturns.
- Voted no to a bill that would cut government programs for agencies that have been rated ineffective.
Representative Quotes
- “We have to tax Wall Street speculation. When you see the rich's effective tax rates is lower than the effective tax rates of truck drivers, then the wealthy have got to pay more. We'll end the loophole that allows large corporations to stash their money in the Cayman Islands and avoid paying federal income taxes. We'll raise the estate tax so that billionaires end up paying more in taxes.”
- “We are going to ask large corporations, profitable corporations that, in some cases, pay zero in federal income taxes to start paying their fair share of taxes.”
Immigration
Bernie Sanders is extremely focused on the humanitarian side of immigration. Sanders names his website tab “A Fair and Humane Immigration Policy.” He wants to extend benefits such as health care to immigrants and wishes to slow down the incarceration of them. Sanders thinks that the current state of deporting people is inhumane, and wants to end this. Sanders’ other main point is to make it easier for those immigrants who deserve to be citizens under the guidelines set up to become a citizen and integrate into our nation. He wants to modernize the visa system and rewrite what he thinks are bad trade agreements to address the flow of immigrants. More Mexicans are living under poverty more than ever now due to the NAFTA, according to Sanders, and he wants to fix the effects of this. He wants to make it easier for those who are lawful permanent residents to become citizens, and he wants to extend the deferred action plans of Obama to more people so that more can stay in America. He also wants to integrate these immigrants into our nation through education and in the workplace. Lastly, Sanders thinks that unrestrained immigration and allowing companies to “import” low wage workers is bad for our economy and takes jobs away from the American youth. He is against allowing large corporations to use guest worker visas to obtain workers that work for a lower wage.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Policy Proposals
- Enact the components of the 2013 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill that fit with his policy of letting more immigrants become citizens. This bill would have increased border patrol and security and allow the undocumented people currently in America to gain citizenship after passing significant security restraints.
- Extend President Obama’s DACA and DAPA executive orders (deferred action for children and parents of people living in the U.S.) to ease deportation on additional groups of people.
- Get rid of the “inhumane” deportation services, detention centers, unjust deportations, and reunite broken up families.
- Provide visas for whistleblowers who expose corruption.
- Allow immigrants to purchase health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Relevant History
- Opposed the 2007 Immigration Reform bill, due to his belief that guest worker provisions treated immigrants like slaves.
- Supported the 2013 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, which would have increased border patrol and security and allowed the undocumented immigrants currently in America to gain citizenship after passing significant security restraints. It also would have made the penalties harsher for crimes committed by immigrants and would have restricted the ability for immigrants convicted of crimes to be included in the new streamlined visa process.
- However, Mr. Sanders did not fully support the bill. He does not agree with the increased punishments and hopes to make it even easier for immigrants to naturalize.
- Voted against stopping funding for sanctuary cities and instead opted to allow America to continue funding cities that openly defy federal laws and operate as havens for illegal immigrants.
- Voted against forcing the government to only use English, against using guest worker visas, against building a fence, against forcing hospitals to report illegals, and against increasing the amount of skilled worker visas.
Representative Quotes
- “America has always been a haven for the oppressed. We cannot and must not shirk in the historic role of the United States as a protector of vulnerable people fleeing prosecution.”
- “Today we have 11 million people in this nation who are undocumented, 99% of whom came to the country to improve their lives, to escape oppression, to flee desperate poverty and violence.”
Health Care and Social Security
Sanders has often been referred to as a socialist, and his position on health care is all about making health care more accessible to all Americans. He believes that health care needs to be made more affordable as he views it as a basic human right. Thus Sanders wishes to introduce a single-payer system that would provide health care coverage to all. He also aims to expand Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, he plans to increase opportunity and assistance to individuals with disabilities, lower prescription drug prices, and improve access to mental health treatment.
In addition to many Republicans' opposition to Sanders's approach to health care, Sanders has received some opposition to his health-care proposals from fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton. During a Democratic debate Clinton stated that Sanders's proposals for health care were impractical and believes that the Affordable Care Act is “one of the greatest accomplishments of President Obama,” thus disagreeing with Sanders's plans to replace it with a single-payer system.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
In addition to many Republicans' opposition to Sanders's approach to health care, Sanders has received some opposition to his health-care proposals from fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton. During a Democratic debate Clinton stated that Sanders's proposals for health care were impractical and believes that the Affordable Care Act is “one of the greatest accomplishments of President Obama,” thus disagreeing with Sanders's plans to replace it with a single-payer system.
Policy Proposals
- Lift the cap on the Social Security payroll tax so that individuals earning over $250,000 will pay higher taxes. This would allow Social Security to pay in full the money owed to every eligible American for the next 50 years, expand benefits by an average of $65 a month, increase the minimum benefits, and increase cost of living expenses.
- Enact a Medicare-for-all single-payer health care plan for every American.
- Require Medicare to bargain with the prescription drug companies for better prices and import prescriptions from Canada.
- Create the American Health Security Trust Fund, a tax that would pay for universal healthcare.
Relevant History
- Voted to override a veto that would hinder the expansion of Medicare.
- Voted to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program.
- Voted no on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium, a policy that would make it more difficult for individuals to be applicable for payments from Medicare.
- Voted against the Ryan Budget that would have cut funding to Medicare.
- Voted against denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay.
- Voted against a policy that would have limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.
- Proposed a provision in the Affordable Care Act that dedicated $11 billion to improving healthcare centers which would provide affordable mental health care services as well as other general health services.
Representative Quotes
- Q: "If you get the nomination, the argument that you're promising healthcare for all and free college will be used against you; that you're just offering a bunch of free stuff. It's unrealistic. What is your reaction?"
- Sanders: "I happen to believe that in a democratic, civilized society, all people should be entitled to health care as a right. Is this a radical idea? No, it's not. Every other major industrialized country on Earth does the same."
- "Also I believe, and I've fought for, to understand that there are thousands of people in this country today who are suicidal, who are homicidal, but can't get the healthcare that they need, the mental health care, because they don't have insurance or they're too poor. I believe that everybody in this country who has a mental crisis has got to get mental health counseling immediately."
- "I want to end the international embarrassment of the United States of America being the only major country on earth that doesn't guarantee health care to all people as a right, not a privilege."
Poverty and Social Welfare Programs
Bernie Sanders describes income inequality as “the great moral issue of our time,” citing a variety of metrics such as income gains and international child poverty levels to justify a remarkably large battery of policy proposals ranging from free college tuition to a higher minimum wage. This wide array of governmental programs, though in some measure designed to alleviate income inequality by diminishing what Sanders styles as the “greed” of the wealthiest Americans, also intend to reduce income inequality by providing for the nation’s working class.
Sanders’s position stands out from his opponents' positions, as no candidate has advocated for such a monumental increase in government involvement in the economy. While very few other candidates deny the importance of addressing income inequality and poverty in this country, and most pick some elements of Sanders’s policies to support, no one else has such a large set of policies to combat it. Republican candidates especially do not favor the federal government’s adoption of many of these roles out of principle, and Democrats, though they tend not to oppose Sanders’s policies directly, have avoided proposing such large and widespread measures.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Sanders’s position stands out from his opponents' positions, as no candidate has advocated for such a monumental increase in government involvement in the economy. While very few other candidates deny the importance of addressing income inequality and poverty in this country, and most pick some elements of Sanders’s policies to support, no one else has such a large set of policies to combat it. Republican candidates especially do not favor the federal government’s adoption of many of these roles out of principle, and Democrats, though they tend not to oppose Sanders’s policies directly, have avoided proposing such large and widespread measures.
Policy Proposals
- Double the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.
- Make college tuition free to all public schools.
- Provide for a single-payer universal health care system where all Americans have a right to treatment.
- Reduce the size of large financial institutions.
- Spend more than $1 trillion on government-funded infrastructure projects, thus creating jobs.
- Increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans, including Social Security taxes, to fund a variety of government programs.
- Reverse NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement).
- Guarantee employees 12 weeks paid medical leave and 2 weeks paid vacation.
- Take steps to prevent American businesses from moving overseas to avoid corporate income taxes.
Relevant History
- Sponsored a variety of bills aimed at improving the welfare system and expanding benefits.
- Proposed bills raising the minimum wage, extending the availability of emergency unemployment compensation, and supporting aid for low-income individuals.
- Sanders's voting history in the Senate almost perfectly parallels the proposals he currently bases his campaign on, having either created or motivated bills that would have implemented the ideas his platform presently supports.
Representative Quotes
- “By the way, almost everything [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] proposed was called ‘socialist.’”
- “The concentration of wealth at the very top is … immoral and unsustainable.”