Bernake on Hold…

Bernake placed on hold, for re-nomination. CBS MarketWatch is reporting Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is placing a hold on the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Senator Sanders was quoted saying, “the American people did not bargain for ... another four years for one of the key architects of the Bush economy.” Senator Sanders was also critical of not providing enough credit to small and medium-sized businesses.

SOURCE:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sen-sanders-to-place-hold-on-bernanke-nomination-2009-12-02-2153530?siteid=bnbh

Bernie Sanders makes some news on Sunday talk shows…

Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders makes some news on Sunday talk shows.

Senator Sanders said he would not vote for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to be reappointment to his position. Sanders said on ABC’s ‘This Week’ program, “I absolutely will not vote for Mr. Bernanke. He is part of the problem. He's the smartest guy in the world, why didn't he do anything to prevent us from sinking into this disaster that Wall Street caused and which he was a part of?"

The Progressive Senator also said he would not force a public option in the health care reform bill. Senator Sanders said he would like get a public option, but does not believe is worth destroying the rest of the bill over the public option issue.

SOURCE:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/29/sanders-says-second-term-federal-reserve-chief/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2009/11/sanders-no-line-in-sand-on-health-care.html

Give seniors $250…

Give seniors $250 is the stand from Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders is proposing Congress give a one-time $250 payment for Social Security recipients and disabled veterans. He made the proposal after the Social Security Administration announced there would no cost of living increase next year in Social Security payments.

Senator Sanders said in a news release posted on his Senate website, “In my view, the current formulation for determining Social Security cost-of-living adjustments does not reflect the reality of senior citizens’ lives.”

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/index.cfm?id=29E376B2-D492-4A08-A149-13851B4BBB6B

“health care bill is extremely weak…”

The “health care bill is extremely weak”, is the word from Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. In a statement on the Senator’s Senate website he said the health care bill, “does not include a public option, which the American people overwhelmingly want. It does not make health care as affordable as it must be.”

Senator Sanders argues that senators must do more work to make the bill cover more aspects of health care.

SOURCE:

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/index.cfm?id=629bf417-300a-4588-9e5f-df827de8130b

Americans should be extremely proud of the president’s peace prize…

Americans should be extremely proud of the president’s Nobel Peace Prize is the take from Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

In a news release placed on Senator Sanders Senate website, the Senator said, “Americans should be extremely proud that we now have a president who is restoring respect and admiration for our country around the globe… the United States must play a leadership role in bringing the international community together against our common enemies of war, terrorism, poverty, AIDS and global warming. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama is a show of support for his efforts in that direction.”

SOURCE:

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/index.cfm?id=13748453-618b-41bc-ac93-1203aacbe6a1

Senator: Sign the Petition for…

Senator: Sign the Petition for… single-payer health care.

Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders is asking people to sign a petition for single-payer (nationalized) health care that is posted on his Senate website.

A page on his website asking people to sign the petition reads, “Our current private health insurance system is the most costly, wasteful, complicated and bureaucratic in the world. Today, 46 million people have no health insurance. Even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments… The time is now to take on the powerful special interests in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries and pass a single-payer national health care program."

Senator Sanders also sent out an e-mail news letter from his Senate e-mail account asking people to sign the petition.

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=314528

http://sanders.senate.gov/petitions/index.cfm?uid=7fd59f2e-88e1-477a-8eaf-762a5b050809

Gas prices not making sense, so…

Gas prices not making sense, so… Senator Bernie Sanders wants new legislation.

A news release from the Senator’s Office says, “U.S. oil consumption is expected to go down by one million barrels a day compared to last year. Meanwhile, the supply of oil in the U.S. is higher today than it was 37 years ago. The fundamentals of supply and demand do not explain why gas prices have gone up 44 days in a row and why oil prices have more than doubled in the past four months.”

In the release the Independent Senator from Vermont blames speculators, “for gaming world energy markets.” Senator Sanders introduced a bill allowing federal regulators invoke emergency powers to stop speculation.

The release states, “Sanders’ legislation would direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to stop sudden or unreasonable fluctuations or unwarranted changes in prices.”

Another release from the Senator’s office quotes the Senator Sanders saying, “The last thing people need now is to be ripped off at the gas pump because speculators on Wall Street -- some of the same people who received the largest taxpayer bailout in U.S. history -- are allowed to jack up oil prices through price manipulation and outright fraud.”

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=314264

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=314261

Secrets are not nice...

Secrets are not nice... that’s the word from Senator Bernie Sanders.

He says in a news release from Wednesday June 10th the report by the Federal Reserve on aid to banks, investment firms and other financial institutions was “completely insufficient”.

The independent Senator from Vermont said, “Today's report is completely insufficient. It is time for the Fed to name names. The American people have a right to know who received more than $2 trillion in loans from the Fed… This money does not belong to the Fed. It belongs to the American people,”

The Senator called into question what big banks, Obama administration and the Fed are doing with the money. Senator Sanders said in the release, “Are these banks paying back TARP funds to the Treasury Department today, while receiving secret loans from the Fed tomorrow? As long as the Fed keeps this information secret, we will never know.”

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=314217

Nationalized health care from states...

Nationalized health care from states... that’s the first step that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants in the path towards nationalized health care.

In his May 29th newsletter Senator Sanders mentions his legislation for states to create universal health care pilot programs. The Senator said, “The quickest route toward a national health care program will be when individual states go forward and demonstrate that universal and non-profit health care works."

The newsletter says the Senator’s legislation allows five states to be picked for the five-year-long pilot program. The states would receive grants to pay for the program.

SOURCE:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:13:./temp/~bdcioi:@@@L&summ2=m&|/bss/|

Fixing gender and ethnic imbalances...

Fixing gender and ethnic imbalances... that is what Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders calls Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

In statement posted on his Congressional website Sanders said, “I very much appreciate that President Obama is attempting to address the gender and ethnic imbalance that currently exists in the highest court in our land.”

Senator Sanders continued to say he is very interested to hear Sotomayor’s take on, “privacy rights and how, in these times of international tension, we can preserve our civil liberties and constitutional rights while we defend our nation against those who would do us harm.”

Sanders also wants to hear her views on worker’s rights.

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=313570