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

Bernie's Tax Reform (section page)

Prevent large corporations from shifting profits overseas to avoid paying US taxes. Increase taxes on capital gains and dividends. Close loopholes on corporate taxes. (BSWII)

6.2 percent income-based health care premium paid by employers
2.2 percent income-based premium paid by households.
Progressive income tax rates.

Under this plan the marginal income tax rate would be:

37 percent on income between $250,000 and $500,000. 43 percent on income between $500,000 and $2 million. 48 percent on income between $2 million and $10 million. (0.08% of population) 52 percent on income above $10 million. (.01% of the population)

Taxing capital gains and dividends the same as income from work
Limit tax deductions for rich
The Responsible Estate Tax

Creation of progressive estate tax on the top 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million.

(BSWHC)

"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." (DD1)

"I am proud that, along with Senator Barbara Boxer, a few years ago, we introduced the first piece of climate change legislation which called for a tax on carbon." (DD1)

Jobs and Business Policy

Business

Increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2020. (BSWII)
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.
Clean Energy workforce would create 10 million jobs. (BSWCC)
Claims that the separation of health insurance and employment allows entrepreneurs and businesses to move forward without health insurance being an issue and at lower costs. (BSWHC)

Wall Street

Too big to fail, Too big to Exist Act which would break up big banks and prohibit organizations that are too large from accessing using uninsured deposits for risky activities. (BSWWS)
Supports reinstating legislation similar to the Glass-Steagall Act. (BI)
Tax on Wall Street Speculation that would fund tuition-free college. (BI)

Health Policy

"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 and not a privilege." - Bernie Sanders (HP)

Bernie believes in guaranteeing healthcare as a right of citizenship by enacting a medicare for all single-payer healthcare system. He also favors enacting universal childcare and prekindergarten policy. (BSWII) In Bernie's system the rich pay more in order to ensure that health care is a right not a privilege. He claims we must join the rest of the modern world with universal healthcare. Statistically America spends more per person on Healthcare than any other advanced nation in the world, but ends up with less. He argues that providing universal health care is a morally principled and financially responsible decision. He will also fight to lower prescription drug policies. (BSWHC) Sanders is also in favor of expanding the VA so that every veteran can receive the care they need, both mental and physical. (BSWV)

Drug Policy

"It means that we have to rethink the so-called war on drugs which has destroyed the lives of millions of people, which is why I have taken marijuana out of the Controlled Substance Act. So that it will not be a federal crime." - Bernie Sanders (DD3) "I find it very strange that a major financial institution that pays $5 billion in fines for breaking the law, not one of their executives is prosecuted, while kids who smoke marijuana get a jail sentence." - Bernie Sanders (DD4) "There is a responsibility on the part of the pharmaceutical industry and the drug companies who are producing all of these drugs and not looking at the consequence of it." -Bernie Sanders (DD4)

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. (OID) He also wants drug companies to take responsibility for the outcomes and uses of the drugs they bring to market, specifically opioids. (DD4)

Middle East

"I'm the former chairman of the Senate Veterans Committee, and in that capacity I learned a very powerful lesson about the cost of war, and I will do everything that I can to make sure that the United States does not get involved in another quagmire like we did in Iraq, the worst foreign policy blunder in the history of this country. We should be putting together a coalition of Arab countries who should be leading the effort. We should be supportive, but I do not support American ground troops in Syria." (DD1) "I support air strikes in Syria and what the president is trying to do." (DD1) "I believe that the United States has the moral responsibility with Europe, with Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia to make sure that when people leave countries like Afghanistan and Syria with nothing more than the clothing on their back that, of course, we reach out." (DD2) "I'm running for president because I want a new foreign policy; one that takes on Isis, one that destroys ISIS, but one that does not get us involved in perpetual warfare in the quagmire of the Middle East but rather works around a major coalition of wealthy and powerful nations supporting Muslim troops on the ground. That's the kind of coalition we need and that's the kind of coalition I will put together" (DD3)

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. (BSWII) Trade policy would focus on restoring jobs for 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

Bernie Sanders Immigration Goals:

Dismantle deportation programs and detention centers
Create a way for a swift and fair legislative roadmap to citizenship for eleven million undocumented immigrants
Broad eligibility for citizenship to all non-criminals in the US
Establish a reasonable wait for citizenship of 5 years
Regulate the flow of immigrants by modernizing the visa system and rewriting trade agreements
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.

(BSWI)

Environmental

Bernie seeks to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels by promoting wind and solar energy and placing a tax on carbon pollution. Bernie believes in a 100% clean energy future. He wants to pursue a nuclear free clean energy policy that will decrease dependence on foreign oil, including the following:

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.
Ban fracking, mountaintop coal mining, and all oil or natural gas extraction from American public land.
Increase fuel economy standards to 65 mpg by 2025.
Clean-Energy Workforce of 10 million jobs and 100% clean energy system for electricity, heating, and transportation.

(BSWCC)

"Right now, we have an energy policy that is rigged to boost the profits of big oil companies like Exxon, BP, and Shell at the expense of average Americans. CEO’s are raking in record profits while climate change ravages our planet and our people — all because the wealthiest industry in the history of our planet has bribed politicians into complacency in the face of climate change. 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." - Senator Bernie Sanders