Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders was born in Brooklyn in 1941, his father was a Jewish immigrant from Poland who fled after World War II, his mother a New York City resident. He was raised in New York and later graduated from the University of Chicago. At the University of Chicago Bernie studied political science and was an active in many protests against segregation. His political career began in 1981 when he ran for Mayor of Burlington, the largest city in Vermont. He was elected to a total of four terms and received national awards for his work. In 1990 Sanders ran for the Vermont House of Representatives and won, becoming was the first independent in the House in 40 years. He served as representative for 16 years before becoming Senator in 2006. He is currently serving his second term as senator and is running for president.

Campaign Website

Tax Reform

Corporate Taxes

Prevent large corporations from shifting profits overseas to avoid paying US taxes. Creation of progressive estate tax on the top 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million. Increase taxes on capital gains and dividends. Close loopholes on corporate taxes. (BSWII)

Jobs and Business Policy

Increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2020. Favors the Employee Free Choice Act, a reform that would protect workers' rights to unionize and make it harder for management to threaten unionizing workers. Introduction of legislation to break up big banks that failed in the financial crisis. Clean Energy would create jobs, rebuild america act to create. Proposes harsher regulations on Wall Street

Health Policy

Guaranteeing healthcare as a right of citizenship by enacting a Medicare for all single-payer healthcare system. Also favors enacting universal childcare and prekindergarten policy. System in which the rich pay more in order to ensure that health care is a right not a privilege. Join the rest of the modern world with universal healthcare. America spends more per person on Healthcare than any other advanced nation in the world, but ends up with less. We must make a morally principled and financially responsible decision to provide universal health care. Creating a plan that would save an estimated $6 trillion over the next decade. Fight to lower prescription drug policies.

Drug Policy

Bernie believes that the war on drugs has failed and instead of pursuing a path of punishment America should try to treat drug addiction. He supports medical marijuana and decriminalization of recreational marijuana. He believes that states should have the right to vote on full legalization. For hard drugs Bernie supports increased education and rehabilitation.

Middle East

Supports Iran deal and wants less military involvement in the Middle East. If ISIS is to be defeated it should be done by other Middle Eastern nations or in a coalition with other Middle Eastern nations instead of unilateral action. Bernie wants to involve the Saudis and our allies in the Middle East in our decision making process in order to create change that is actually effective and lasting.

Trade

Reversing trade policies like NAFTA, CAFTA, and PNTR that have driven down wages and caused the loss of millions of jobs. Trade policy would focus on restoring jobs to Americans. Stop exports of oil abroad to focus on clean energy solutions at home. Against all Free-Trade agreements on the grounds that it hurts the American people and represents only the interests of corporate America.

Immigration

Dismantle deportation programs and detention centers. Create a way for swift and fair legislative roadmap to citizenship for eleven million undocumented immigrants. Have broad eligibility for citizenship to all non-criminials in the US. In the future establish a reasonable wait for citizenship of 5 years. Regulate the flow of immigrants by modernizing the visa system and rewriting trade agreements. Fight to end for profit prisons that lead to detention of immigrants. Demilitarize the border in order to reduce costs and border deaths. Expand support for refugees.

Environmental

Seeking to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels by promoting wind and solar energy, placing a tax on carbon pollution. Pursue a nuclear free clean energy policy that will decrease dependence on foreign oil. Ban fossil fuel lobbyists from working in the White House. Ban Arctic oil drilling and offshore oil drilling. Reduce carbon emissions in order to reduce the harmful effects of global warming on the environment.. Opposes the Keystone XL pipeline in favor of banning almost every form of oil or natural gas extraction in America. Believes in 100% clean energy future.

Sources

(FTBD) = [1] (BSW) = [2] (OTID) = [3] (OTIT) = [4]