Bernie Sanders // Current TV

Grover Norquist And Bernie Sanders In Fiery Battle Over Exactly Why Obama’s Budget Is Awful

What CNN billed as a segment featuring two political opposites, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, agreeing about their opposition to President Barack Obama’s budget proposal quickly descended into a heated argument on Thursday. The pair agreed that the president’s budget was potentially disastrous, but they sharply differed over why that was the case. Sanders opened the interview by noting that corporations and America’s wealthy continue to fail the American people by paying too little to the government in taxes. He criticized Obama’s budget for advocating cuts to a variety of government programs in order to achieve deficit reduction.

Norquist countered that the government is receiving little in revenues because too many people are unemployed or not making enough in taxable income. He said that reforms in the 1990s, which included cutting capital gains tax and balancing the budget, allowed the government to recoup more tax revenues.

Sanders fired back that the debt and deficit has increased because corporate excesses demanded the government provide the offenders with bailouts. “I’m talking to the senator who opposed the effort to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which gave us the recession that we had,” Norquist replied. “That was government policy – it was big government policy. It sure wasn’t deregulation.”

“Our good friends on Wall Street just are so honest — o conservative in their fiscal investments,” Sanders said sarcastically. “They had nothing to do with the deficit, and it’s the big, bad government that forced them into derivatives, that forced them to merge, that forced them to become too big to fail. It’s always the government.”

“Are you unable to say Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Are you incapable of saying those two words,” Norquist challenged.

“Are you unable to talk about the illegal behavior on Wall Street,” Sanders countered.

Both turned to entitlements, and battled over the projected solvency of programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Norquist said that those programs must be reformed in order to preserve them.

“I’ll tell you what the American people want,” Sanders replied. “In poll after poll, what the American people are saying is that we should not cut Social Security, but we should lift the cap on taxable incomes.”What CNN billed as a segment featuring two political opposites, Sen. Bernie Sanders... more

FreeSpiritMuse
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1 month ago
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BERNIE ROCKS ! Senator Sanders Leads Senate Vote To Block Social Security Changes.!

Bernie is the only true Democratically thinking Progressive in Congress.,the only one... more

WagonMaster
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1 month ago
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7 comments

Sen Bernie Sanders to introduce climate legislation

January 9, 2013

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 9 – Coming off the hottest year on record in the United States, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today that he will introduce legislation to move aggressively to reverse global warming.

“The scientific data is clear that global warming is real and significantly caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels,” Sanders said.

“After the hottest year on record and extreme weather disturbances such as Hurricane Sandy, we must take strong action to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” Sanders added. “I intend to introduce legislation in the Senate to do just that.”

Sanders’ legislation will include a transparent fee on greenhouse gas emissions from the biggest polluters. It will call for an historic investment in efficiency, sustainable energy, advanced transportation infrastructure, and clean energy research and development. The measure also would end fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks.

The annual U.S. temperature last year was 55.32 degrees Fahrenheit, a full degree warmer than the old record set in 1998, the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., announced on Tuesday. Scientists say the temperature increases are happening faster than they expected and that the warming trend is a result of climate change caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

The problem is global. Record temperatures in Australia, for example, produced what the government called “catastrophic” fire conditions in the most populace part of the continent. The average temperature across Australia on Tuesday was the highest since statistics began being kept in 1911.

The United States in recent years has doubled electricity generation from wind and solar power sources and enacted fuel economy standards that will help our cars and trucks get to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. “But we are not doing nearly enough,” Sanders said. “That is why I will be introducing legislation that would deal realistically with the crisis in a way that is aggressive but achievable.”
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Thank you, Senator Sanders for doing what is said to not be politically feasible. It is encouraging to see at least some in this Congress who understand what is morally feasible and necessary. I don't know how far this will go (but I think telling him thank you and that you support this would help as well as writing your own Senators and asking them to support it) but the point is to have the courage and principles to do it. And reality now tells us it must be done. We of course need to take this on in our own lives, but we will not now be able to address the pace of the changes we see without laws and accountability. Just talking isn't going to cut it.January 9, 2013 BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 9 – Coming off the hottest year on... more

JanforGore
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4 months ago
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Bernie Sanders Slays The GOP

Bernie Sanders has it correct 100% of the time.

Angel_Rodrigues
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7 months ago
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Senator Bernie Sanders on Obama's debate remarks on social security: "very, very distressing"

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday strongly criticized President Obama for not... more

JanforGore
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8 months ago
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55 comments

Moyers and Company: Bernie Sanders and Dr. Jill Stein /Cheri Honkala: Challenging power/changing politics

It's going to take more than fist pumping and balloons to make the changes we... more

JanforGore
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8 months ago
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Audit of NY Fed Reveals Technocrat’s Creation and Cover-Up of Global Financial Crash

Senator Ron Paul has introduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 ( HR459)... more

Dagum
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9 months ago
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Senate Republicans block vote on “Bring Jobs Home Act”, which would have ended huge tax breaks for corporations shipping jobs overseas!

It's a pretty sad day in our country when yesterday the United States Senate,... more

progressivecpa
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10 months ago
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31 comments

Bernie Sanders: Obama Should Create A Program To Put Millions Back To Work and Challenge GOP To Support It

Bernie ought to be President.

lazloman
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10 months ago
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2 comments

Senate votes down Sanders-Boxer Amendment for labelling of GMOS

This really is no surprise. You can see how the votes went at the link. However, some... more

JanforGore
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11 months ago
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35 comments

Letter to the Editor: Are You Serious? Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse.

Sen. Sanders and Boxer and Democracy for America Joe -Can you believe that, only four... more

joeeddy
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11 months ago
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Senator Bernie Sanders proposes amendment to Farm Bill to label genetically engineered foods

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today proposed an amendment to the farm bill that would let states require that any food or beverage containing genetically-engineered ingredients be clearly labeled.

The Vermont Legislature earlier this year considered a bill that would have required labels on foods that contain genetically-engineered ingredients. The House Agriculture Committee heard testimony from 111 citizens and hundreds more crowded the Statehouse to show their support. Despite passing by a lopsided 9-1 vote in committee, the bill languished after Monsanto threatened to sue the state.

Similar strong-arm tactics by one of the world's leading producers of genetically-engineered foods and herbicides have been employed elsewhere by Monsanto, the multi-national company that posted $1.6 billion in profits last year. "It's no mystery why Monsanto would fight people's right to know," Sanders said "Business is booming for the chemical company. Clearly, they have a lot to protect."

The Sanders Amendment, cosponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), acknowledges that states have the authority to require the labeling of foods produced through genetic engineering or derived from organisms that have been genetically engineered.

The measure also would require the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to report to Congress within two years on the percentage of food and beverages in the United States that contain genetically-engineered ingredients.

"All over this country, people are becoming more conscious about the foods they are eating and the foods they are serving to their kids, and this is certainly true for genetically-engineered foods," Sanders said. "I believe that when a mother goes to the store and purchases food for her child, she has the right to know what she is feeding her child."

In the United States, Sanders said, food labels already must list more than 3,000 ingredients ranging from gluten, aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, but not genetically-altered ingredients. Around the world, by contrast, 49 countries require labels on foods that contain genetically-engineered ingredients.

In the 1990s, there was consensus among scientists and doctors at the FDA that genetically-altered foods could have new and different risks such as hidden allergens, increased plant-toxin levels and the potential to hasten the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. Those concerns are mounting. In just three days, the American Medical Association will consider resolutions calling for new studies on the impact of genetically-altered foods. The American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association already passed similar resolutions.

Sanders stressed that labeling genetically-altered foods will not increase costs to shoppers. He also disputed claims that genetically-engineered crops are better for the environment. Instead, he said, the use of Monsanto Roundup-ready soybeans engineered to withstand exposure to the herbicide Roundup has caused the spread of Roundup-resistant weeds, which now infest 10 million acres in 22 states with predictions of 40 million acres or more by mid-decade. Resistant weeds increase the use of herbicides and the use of older and more toxic herbicides.

The Sanders Amendment is about allowing states to honor the wishes of their residents and allowing consumers' to know what they're eating. "Monsanto and other major corporations should not get to decide this, the people and their elected representatives should," Sanders said.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today proposed an amendment to the farm bill that would... more