Bernie Sanders
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is the junior United States Senator
from Vermont
. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district
in the United States House of Representatives
. Sanders also served as mayor of Burlington
, Vermont.
Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist
, and has praised European social democracy
(though he has also criticized its contemporary "Third Way" departure). He is the first person elected to the U.S. Senate to identify as a socialist. Sanders caucuses
with the Democratic Party
and is counted as a Democrat for the purposes of committee assignments, but because he does not belong to a formal political party, he appears as an independent
on the ballot. He was also the only independent member of the House during much of his service there.
immigrants to the United States
, was born in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from James Madison High School
in Brooklyn and later attended the University of Chicago
, graduating with a B.A. in political science
in 1964. After graduating from college, Sanders spent time on an Israeli kibbutz
, an experience which shaped his political views.
In 1964, Sanders moved to Vermont, where he worked as a carpenter, filmmaker, writer and researcher, among other jobs.
Liberty Union Party
in Vermont. In the special U.S. Senate election of January 1972, recently appointed incumbent Republican Robert Theodore Stafford defeated Democrat nominee Randolph Mayor and LU nominee Sanders 64%-33%-2%. In the November 1972 gubernatorial election, Democrat Thomas Salmon
defeated Republican Luther Fred Hackett and Sanders 55%-44%-1%. In the 1974 U.S. Senate election, Democrat Patrick Leahy
defeated Republican Richard Mallary
and Sanders 49%-46%-4%. In the 1976 gubernatorial election, Republican Richard Snelling defeated Democrat Stella Hackel
and Sanders 53%-40%-6%. In 1979, Sanders resigned from the Liberty Union party and worked as a writer and the director of the non-profit American People's Historical Society.
, Sanders ran for mayor of Burlington
and defeated six-term Democratic incumbent Gordon Paquette by 12 votes, in a four-way contest. (An independent candidate, Richard Bove, split the Democratic vote after losing the primary to Paquette).
Sanders won three more terms, defeating both Democratic and Republican
candidates. In his last run for mayor, in 1987, he defeated a candidate endorsed by both major parties.
During Sanders' first term, his supporters, including the first Citizens Party
City Councilor Terry Bouricius
, formed the Progressive Coalition, forerunner of the Vermont Progressive Party
. The Progressives never held more than six seats on the 13-member city council but held enough votes to keep the council from overriding Sanders' vetoes. Under Sanders, Burlington became the first city in the country to fund community-trust housing
. His administration also sued the local cable television provider and won considerably reduced rates and a substantial cash settlement.
Sanders ran for governor for the third time in 1986. He finished third with 14.5% of the vote – enough to deny incumbent Democrat Madeleine Kunin a majority; she was then elected by the state legislature, pursuant to Vermont law. In 1988, when seven-term incumbent Representative Jim Jeffords
made a successful run for the Senate, Sanders ran for Jeffords' vacated seat in the House and narrowly lost to Peter P. Smith
, the former lieutenant governor and the 1986 Republican candidate for governor.
Sanders taught at Harvard University
in 1989 and Hamilton College in 1991.
decided to retire from Vermont's At-large congressional district
to run for the U.S. Senate. Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Smith won the election with a plurality of 41%. Sanders, who ran as an independent, got 38%. Democrat nominee Paul Poirier
, a State Representative, got 19% in third place.
In 1990, Sanders ran for the seat again and defeated Smith 56% to 40%. He became the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 40 years (Frazier Reams
) and the first U.S. Congressman to describe himself as a socialist in 60 years (Victor Berger
.
In 1992, he won re-election with 58%. In 1994, in the midst of the Republican Revolution
that swept Republicans into control of the Congress, Sanders had his most difficult re-election campaign. He defeated Republican State Senator John Carroll
50% to 47%. Ironically, that was the only year Democrats didn't file a candidate. In 1996, he defeated Republican State Senator Susan Sweetser and Democrat Jack Long 55%-33%-9%. He didn't have another competitive re-election campaign after 1996. He won re-election in 1998 (63%), 2000 (69%), 2002 (64%) and 2004 (67%). In total, Sanders was re-elected seven times and was the longest-serving independent member of the House. Despite his independent status, he only won re-election with less than 55% once (1994).
Although relations between Sanders and House Democratic leadership were not always smooth, the Democrats never actively campaigned against Sanders after his first run for Congress
as an independent. While Democratic candidates ran against him in every election except 1994 (when Sanders managed to win the Democrats' endorsement), they received little financial support.
is 100%. , he has a grade of "C-" from the National Rifle Association
(NRA). Sanders voted against the Brady Bill and in favor of an NRA-supported bill to restrict lawsuits against gun manufacturers in 2005.
Sanders voted to abolish the so-called "marriage penalty
" for income taxes and also voted for a bill that sought to ban human cloning
. Sanders has endorsed every Democratic nominee for president of the United States since 1992. Sanders is a co-founder of the House Progressive Caucus
and chaired the grouping of mostly liberal Democrats for its first eight years.
Sanders voted against the resolutions
authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002 and opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. But he later joined almost all of his colleagues in voting for a non-binding resolution
expressing support for U.S. troops at the outset of the invasion, although he gave a floor speech criticizing the partisan nature of the resolution and the Bush administration's actions in the run-up to the war. On April 7, 2006, in regard to the investigation of the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame
's identity, Sanders said, "The revelation that the president authorized the release of classified information in order to discredit an Iraq war critic should tell every member of Congress that the time is now for a serious investigation of how we got into the war in Iraq
and why Congress can no longer act as a rubber stamp for the president."
Sanders supports universal health care
and opposes what he terms "unfettered" free trade
, which he argues deprives American workers of their jobs while exploiting foreign workers in sweatshop
factories.
In June 2005, Sanders proposed an amendment to limit provisions that allow the government to obtain individuals' library and book-buying records. The amendment passed the House by a bipartisan majority but was removed on November 4 that year by House-Senate negotiators and never became law. Sanders followed this vote on November 5, 2005, by voting against the Online Freedom of Speech Act, which would have exempted the Internet from the restrictions of the McCain-Feingold Bill
.
In March 2006, after a series of resolutions calling for him to bring articles of impeachment
against the president passed in various towns in Vermont
, Sanders stated it would be impractical to impeach
George W. Bush
, given the "reality that the Republicans control the House and the Senate." Still, Sanders made no secret of his opposition to the Bush Administration
, which he regularly attacked for cuts in social programs he supports.
Sanders is a critic of Alan Greenspan
. In June 2003, during a question-and-answer discussion with the then-Federal Reserve chairman, Sanders told Greenspan that he was concerned that Greenspan was "way out of touch" and "that you see your major function in your position as the need to represent the wealthy and large corporations." Senator Sanders said in 1998 that investment banks and commercial banks should remain as separate entities.
Republicans have attacked Sanders as "an ineffective extremist
" for successfully sponsoring only one law and fifteen amendments in his eight terms in the House. Sanders responded by saying that he had gotten "the most floor amendments of any member of the House since 1996 [passed]." Former Democratic National Committee
chair Howard Dean
has stated that "Bernie Sanders votes with the Democrats 98 percent of the time."
, endorsed Sanders; Schumer's backing was critical, as it meant that any Democrat running against Sanders could not expect to receive any significant financial help on a national level.
Sanders was also endorsed by Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reid
of Nevada
and Democratic National Committee
chairman and former Vermont governor Howard Dean
. Dean said in May 2005 that he considered Sanders an ally who votes with House Democrats. Then-Senator Barack Obama
also campaigned for Sanders in Vermont. Sanders entered into an agreement with the Democratic Party to be listed in their primary but to decline the nomination should he win, which he did easily.
Speculation abounded that the state's popular Republican governor, Jim Douglas
, would enter the race as well. Many pundits believed Douglas was the only Republican who could possibly defeat Sanders. However, on April 30, Douglas announced he would seek a third term as governor. In the view of many pundits, this effectively handed the open seat to Sanders.
Sanders consistently led his Republican challenger, businessman Richard Tarrant
, by wide margins in polling. In the most expensive political campaign in Vermont's history, Sanders defeated Tarrant by an approximately 2-to-1 margin in the 2006 midterm election
. Many national media outlets (including CNN
) projected Sanders the winner before any returns came in.
Sanders is only the third Senator from Vermont to caucus with the Democrats — following Jeffords and Patrick Leahy
. He made a deal with the Democratic leadership similar to the one Jeffords made after Jeffords became an independent. In exchange for receiving the committee seats that would be available to him as a Democrat, Sanders votes with the Democrats on all procedural matters unless he asks permission of Majority Whip Richard Durbin. However, such a request is almost never made and is almost never granted. He is free to vote as he pleases on policy matters but almost always votes with the Democrats.
(D-CA) introduced the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007
on January 15, 2007. The measure would have provided funding for research and development on geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide
, set emissions standards for new vehicles and a renewable fuels requirement for gasoline beginning in 2016, established energy efficiency and renewable portfolio standards beginning in 2008 and low-carbon electric generation standards beginning in 2016 for electric utilities and would have required periodic evaluations by the National Academy of Sciences
to determine whether emissions targets are adequate.
On September 24, 2008, Senator Sanders posted on his website a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
against the initial bailout proposal, drawing more than 8,000 citizen co-signers in the first 24 hours. On January 26, 2009, Sanders and Democrats Robert Byrd
, Russ Feingold
and Tom Harkin
were the sole majority members to vote against confirmation of Timothy Geithner to be United States Secretary of the Treasury
.
On December 10, 2010, Senator Sanders delivered an 8½ hour speech against the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
, the proposed extension of the Bush-era tax rates that eventually became law, saying "Enough is enough! [...] How many homes can you own?" (A long speech such as this is in the tradition of a filibuster
, though because it did not block Senate action it didn't technically qualify as a filibuster under US Senate rules.)
In response to his 'filibuster,' "activists across the country started talking up the notion of a 'Sanders for President' run in 2012, either as a dissident Democrat in the primaries or as a left-leaning Independent." Hundreds of people signed online petitions urging Sanders to run and pollsters began measuring his support in key primary states. Progressive activists such as Rabbi Michael Lerner
and economist David Korten
publicly voiced their support for a prospective Sanders run against president Barack Obama
. Sanders has disavowed any interest in a presidential run, saying he was "very proud to be Vermont's senator," and maintained that "I am very content to be where I am, but I am flattered by that kind of response."
On January 19, 2011, Sanders announced that his 8 1/2 hour speech given on December 10, 2010 would be published in February 2011 by Nation Books. The book is entitled The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class, and authorial proceeds go to Vermont nonprofit charitable organizations.
system.
(NAFTA) and is a strong opponent of the current United States trade policy towards Latin America and China.
and Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, two documentaries on the subject.
as a member of the House of Representatives.
, Sanders called for a moratorium on the licensing of new nuclear plants and relicensing of existing ones, in an effort to slow down what's been touted as a nuclear renaissance
in the United States. Sanders wrote to President Barack Obama asking for him to appoint a special commission to review the safety of U.S. nuclear plants. Sanders also wants to repeal a federal law that he says leaves the taxpayers to pick up most of the costs of a major nuclear accident. He says, "in a free-enterprise system, the nuclear industry should be required to insure itself against accidents."
and has one son, Levi Sanders, from a previous marriage. His brother, Larry Sanders, is a Green Party
District Councillor for Oxford East in Oxfordshire
, England. His nephew Jacob is a former Oxford
city councillor for the Green Party.
Sanders is one of two sitting U.S. Senators who went to James Madison High School
in Brooklyn (the other being Chuck Schumer). Before Sanders became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, his roommate was Richard I. Sugarman, a professor at the University of Vermont
. Coincidentally, the only other Independent currently serving in the U.S. Senate, Joe Lieberman
(I-CT) shared a suite with Professor Sugarman when the two attended Yale University
in the 1960s.
For the Friday segment "Brunch with Bernie" of the Thom Hartmann
radio program, Hartmann interviews Sanders and the senator answers listeners' calls.
Sanders also starred in his own weekly five-minute show, "Senator Sanders Unfiltered," hosted at Sandersunfiltered.com. The site has not been updated since early 2010.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district
Vermont's at-large congressional district
Vermont has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when the state lost its second seat. There were once six districts in Vermont. Bernie Sanders held the seat from 1991 until 2007, when he became a U.S....
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Sanders also served as mayor of Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Vermont.
Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
, and has praised European social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
(though he has also criticized its contemporary "Third Way" departure). He is the first person elected to the U.S. Senate to identify as a socialist. Sanders caucuses
Congressional caucus
A congressional caucus is a group of members of the United States Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives. Formally, caucuses are formed as congressional member organizations through the United States House of Representatives and governed under the rules of that chamber...
with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and is counted as a Democrat for the purposes of committee assignments, but because he does not belong to a formal political party, he appears as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
on the ballot. He was also the only independent member of the House during much of his service there.
Early life, education and early career
Sanders, the son of Jewish PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
immigrants to the United States
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
, was born in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from James Madison High School
James Madison High School (New York)
James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education...
in Brooklyn and later attended the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, graduating with a B.A. in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1964. After graduating from college, Sanders spent time on an Israeli kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
, an experience which shaped his political views.
In 1964, Sanders moved to Vermont, where he worked as a carpenter, filmmaker, writer and researcher, among other jobs.
Statewide runs in the 1970s
Sanders' political career began in 1971, when he joined the anti-Vietnam WarOpposition to the Vietnam War
The movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
Liberty Union Party
Liberty Union Party
The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others, originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.-History:...
in Vermont. In the special U.S. Senate election of January 1972, recently appointed incumbent Republican Robert Theodore Stafford defeated Democrat nominee Randolph Mayor and LU nominee Sanders 64%-33%-2%. In the November 1972 gubernatorial election, Democrat Thomas Salmon
Thomas P. Salmon
Thomas Paul Salmon , U.S. Democratic Party politician, served as the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Vermont from 1973 to 1977....
defeated Republican Luther Fred Hackett and Sanders 55%-44%-1%. In the 1974 U.S. Senate election, Democrat Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
defeated Republican Richard Mallary
Richard W. Mallary
Richard Walker Mallary was a U.S. Representative from Vermont.Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mallary was educated at Bradford Academy, Bradford, Vermont, and attended Dartmouth College, receiving an A.B...
and Sanders 49%-46%-4%. In the 1976 gubernatorial election, Republican Richard Snelling defeated Democrat Stella Hackel
Stella Hackel Sims
-Biography:Stella Hackel Sims was born in 1926 in Burlington, Vermont. She was educated at the University of Vermont, graduating in 1945, and at the Boston University School of Law, receiving her J.D. in 1948....
and Sanders 53%-40%-6%. In 1979, Sanders resigned from the Liberty Union party and worked as a writer and the director of the non-profit American People's Historical Society.
Mayor of Burlington
In 1981, at the suggestion of his friend Richard Sugarman, a religion professor at the University of VermontUniversity of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
, Sanders ran for mayor of Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
and defeated six-term Democratic incumbent Gordon Paquette by 12 votes, in a four-way contest. (An independent candidate, Richard Bove, split the Democratic vote after losing the primary to Paquette).
Sanders won three more terms, defeating both Democratic and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidates. In his last run for mayor, in 1987, he defeated a candidate endorsed by both major parties.
During Sanders' first term, his supporters, including the first Citizens Party
Citizens Party (United States)
The Citizens Party was a political party in the United States. It was founded in Washington, D.C. by Barry Commoner, who wanted to gather under one umbrella political organization all the environmentalist and liberal groups which were unsatisfied with President Carter's administration. The Citizens...
City Councilor Terry Bouricius
Terry Bouricius
Terrill "Terry" Bouricius is an American political scientist and a former member of the Vermont House of Representatives . He is particularly known for his advocacy for instant runoff voting, and now is the senior policy analyst for FairVote, a nonprofit organization that works to reform voting...
, formed the Progressive Coalition, forerunner of the Vermont Progressive Party
Vermont Progressive Party
The Vermont Progressive Party is an American political party. It was founded in 1999 and is active only in the U.S. state of Vermont. In terms of the dominant two parties in the United States, it enjoys support from "traditional liberal" Democrats and working class Republicans. The party is...
. The Progressives never held more than six seats on the 13-member city council but held enough votes to keep the council from overriding Sanders' vetoes. Under Sanders, Burlington became the first city in the country to fund community-trust housing
Community land trust
A community land trust is a nonprofit corporation which acquires and manages land on behalf of the residents of a place-based community, while preserving affordability and preventing foreclosures for any housing located upon its land.-Key features:...
. His administration also sued the local cable television provider and won considerably reduced rates and a substantial cash settlement.
Sanders ran for governor for the third time in 1986. He finished third with 14.5% of the vote – enough to deny incumbent Democrat Madeleine Kunin a majority; she was then elected by the state legislature, pursuant to Vermont law. In 1988, when seven-term incumbent Representative Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
made a successful run for the Senate, Sanders ran for Jeffords' vacated seat in the House and narrowly lost to Peter P. Smith
Peter Plympton Smith
Peter Plympton Smith is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from the U.S. state of Vermont, the 74th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, and an education administrator...
, the former lieutenant governor and the 1986 Republican candidate for governor.
Sanders taught at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1989 and Hamilton College in 1991.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
In 1988, incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Jim JeffordsJim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
decided to retire from Vermont's At-large congressional district
Vermont's at-large congressional district
Vermont has been represented in the United States House of Representatives by a single at-large congressional district since the 1930 census, when the state lost its second seat. There were once six districts in Vermont. Bernie Sanders held the seat from 1991 until 2007, when he became a U.S....
to run for the U.S. Senate. Republican Lieutenant Governor Peter Smith won the election with a plurality of 41%. Sanders, who ran as an independent, got 38%. Democrat nominee Paul Poirier
Paul Poirier
Paul Poirier is a Canadian ice dancer. He skated with Vanessa Crone from 2001 to 2011. They are the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final bronze medalists, 2011 Four Continents bronze medalists, 2011 Canadian champions, 2009 & 2010 Canadian silver medalists and 2008 World Junior silver medalists...
, a State Representative, got 19% in third place.
In 1990, Sanders ran for the seat again and defeated Smith 56% to 40%. He became the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 40 years (Frazier Reams
Frazier Reams
Henry Frazier Reams Sr., generally known as Frazier Reams, was an American politician of the United States Democratic Party from Toledo, Ohio. Reams served as a U.S. Congressman from Ohio from 1951 to 1955....
) and the first U.S. Congressman to describe himself as a socialist in 60 years (Victor Berger
Victor L. Berger
Victor Luitpold Berger was a founding member of the Socialist Party of America and an important and influential Socialist journalist who helped establish the so-called Sewer Socialist movement. The first Socialist elected to the U.S...
.
In 1992, he won re-election with 58%. In 1994, in the midst of the Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
that swept Republicans into control of the Congress, Sanders had his most difficult re-election campaign. He defeated Republican State Senator John Carroll
John Carroll
-People:*John Carroll , American actor*John Carroll , Australian neoconservative writer*Sir John Carroll , British scientist*John Carroll -People:*John Carroll (actor) (1906–1979), American actor*John Carroll (author) (born 1944), Australian neoconservative writer*Sir John Carroll (astronomer)...
50% to 47%. Ironically, that was the only year Democrats didn't file a candidate. In 1996, he defeated Republican State Senator Susan Sweetser and Democrat Jack Long 55%-33%-9%. He didn't have another competitive re-election campaign after 1996. He won re-election in 1998 (63%), 2000 (69%), 2002 (64%) and 2004 (67%). In total, Sanders was re-elected seven times and was the longest-serving independent member of the House. Despite his independent status, he only won re-election with less than 55% once (1994).
Although relations between Sanders and House Democratic leadership were not always smooth, the Democrats never actively campaigned against Sanders after his first run for Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
as an independent. While Democratic candidates ran against him in every election except 1994 (when Sanders managed to win the Democrats' endorsement), they received little financial support.
Tenure
Sanders' lifetime legislative score from the AFL-CIOAFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
is 100%. , he has a grade of "C-" from the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
(NRA). Sanders voted against the Brady Bill and in favor of an NRA-supported bill to restrict lawsuits against gun manufacturers in 2005.
Sanders voted to abolish the so-called "marriage penalty
Marriage penalty
The marriage penalty in the United States refers to the higher taxes required from some married couples, where spouses are making approximately the same taxable income, filing one tax return than for the same two people filing two separate tax returns if they were unmarried...
" for income taxes and also voted for a bill that sought to ban human cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
. Sanders has endorsed every Democratic nominee for president of the United States since 1992. Sanders is a co-founder of the House Progressive Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
and chaired the grouping of mostly liberal Democrats for its first eight years.
Sanders voted against the resolutions
Iraq Resolution
The Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing military action against Iraq.-Contents:The resolution cited many factors to justify the use of military force against...
authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1991 and 2002 and opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. But he later joined almost all of his colleagues in voting for a non-binding resolution
Non-binding resolution
A non-binding resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body that cannot progress into a law. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion....
expressing support for U.S. troops at the outset of the invasion, although he gave a floor speech criticizing the partisan nature of the resolution and the Bush administration's actions in the run-up to the war. On April 7, 2006, in regard to the investigation of the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame
Valerie Plame
Valerie Elise Plame Wilson , known as Valerie Plame, Valerie E. Wilson, and Valerie Plame Wilson, is a former United States CIA Operations Officer and the author of a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to her resignation from the CIA.-Early life :Valerie Elise Plame was born on...
's identity, Sanders said, "The revelation that the president authorized the release of classified information in order to discredit an Iraq war critic should tell every member of Congress that the time is now for a serious investigation of how we got into the war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and why Congress can no longer act as a rubber stamp for the president."
Sanders supports universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
and opposes what he terms "unfettered" free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, which he argues deprives American workers of their jobs while exploiting foreign workers in sweatshop
Sweatshop
Sweatshop is a negatively connoted term for any working environment considered to be unacceptably difficult or dangerous. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated. Sweatshops may have...
factories.
In June 2005, Sanders proposed an amendment to limit provisions that allow the government to obtain individuals' library and book-buying records. The amendment passed the House by a bipartisan majority but was removed on November 4 that year by House-Senate negotiators and never became law. Sanders followed this vote on November 5, 2005, by voting against the Online Freedom of Speech Act, which would have exempted the Internet from the restrictions of the McCain-Feingold Bill
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...
.
In March 2006, after a series of resolutions calling for him to bring articles of impeachment
Articles of impeachment
The articles of impeachment are the set of charges drafted against a public official to initiate the impeachment process. The articles of impeachment do not result in the removal of the official, but instead require the enacting body to take further action, such as bringing the articles to a vote...
against the president passed in various towns in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, Sanders stated it would be impractical to impeach
Impeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, given the "reality that the Republicans control the House and the Senate." Still, Sanders made no secret of his opposition to the Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
, which he regularly attacked for cuts in social programs he supports.
Sanders is a critic of Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan
Alan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
. In June 2003, during a question-and-answer discussion with the then-Federal Reserve chairman, Sanders told Greenspan that he was concerned that Greenspan was "way out of touch" and "that you see your major function in your position as the need to represent the wealthy and large corporations." Senator Sanders said in 1998 that investment banks and commercial banks should remain as separate entities.
Republicans have attacked Sanders as "an ineffective extremist
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
" for successfully sponsoring only one law and fifteen amendments in his eight terms in the House. Sanders responded by saying that he had gotten "the most floor amendments of any member of the House since 1996 [passed]." Former Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chair Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
has stated that "Bernie Sanders votes with the Democrats 98 percent of the time."
Elections
Sanders had mentioned on several occasions that he would run for the Senate if Jeffords (with whom he has a longstanding friendship) were ever to retire and he entered the race on April 21, 2005, following Jeffords' announcement that he would not seek a fourth term. New York Senator Chuck Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign CommitteeDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
, endorsed Sanders; Schumer's backing was critical, as it meant that any Democrat running against Sanders could not expect to receive any significant financial help on a national level.
Sanders was also endorsed by Senate Minority Leader
Party leaders of the United States Senate
The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive...
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chairman and former Vermont governor Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
. Dean said in May 2005 that he considered Sanders an ally who votes with House Democrats. Then-Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
also campaigned for Sanders in Vermont. Sanders entered into an agreement with the Democratic Party to be listed in their primary but to decline the nomination should he win, which he did easily.
Speculation abounded that the state's popular Republican governor, Jim Douglas
Jim Douglas
James H. Douglas is an American politician from the U.S. state of Vermont. A Republican, he was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont in 2002 and was reelected three times with a majority of the vote...
, would enter the race as well. Many pundits believed Douglas was the only Republican who could possibly defeat Sanders. However, on April 30, Douglas announced he would seek a third term as governor. In the view of many pundits, this effectively handed the open seat to Sanders.
Sanders consistently led his Republican challenger, businessman Richard Tarrant
Richard Tarrant
Richard Edward Tarrant, is an American businessman, and politician. Most recently, he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from the state of Vermont in 2006, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders...
, by wide margins in polling. In the most expensive political campaign in Vermont's history, Sanders defeated Tarrant by an approximately 2-to-1 margin in the 2006 midterm election
United States general elections, 2006
The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state governorships, many state legislatures, four territorial...
. Many national media outlets (including CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
) projected Sanders the winner before any returns came in.
Sanders is only the third Senator from Vermont to caucus with the Democrats — following Jeffords and Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
. He made a deal with the Democratic leadership similar to the one Jeffords made after Jeffords became an independent. In exchange for receiving the committee seats that would be available to him as a Democrat, Sanders votes with the Democrats on all procedural matters unless he asks permission of Majority Whip Richard Durbin. However, such a request is almost never made and is almost never granted. He is free to vote as he pleases on policy matters but almost always votes with the Democrats.
Tenure
Sanders and Senator Barbara BoxerBarbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
(D-CA) introduced the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007
Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007
The Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007 was proposed in the 110th United States Congress by Senators Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer on January 15, 2007.It was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works....
on January 15, 2007. The measure would have provided funding for research and development on geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide
CO2 sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the capture of carbon dioxide and may refer specifically to:* "The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir." When carried out deliberately, this may also be referred to as carbon dioxide removal, which is a form of geoengineering.*...
, set emissions standards for new vehicles and a renewable fuels requirement for gasoline beginning in 2016, established energy efficiency and renewable portfolio standards beginning in 2008 and low-carbon electric generation standards beginning in 2016 for electric utilities and would have required periodic evaluations by the National Academy of Sciences
Emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants....
to determine whether emissions targets are adequate.
On September 24, 2008, Senator Sanders posted on his website a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
Henry Paulson
Henry Merritt "Hank" Paulson, Jr. is an American banker who served as the 74th United States Secretary of the Treasury. He previously served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs.-Early life and family:...
against the initial bailout proposal, drawing more than 8,000 citizen co-signers in the first 24 hours. On January 26, 2009, Sanders and Democrats Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
, Russ Feingold
Russ Feingold
Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic party member of the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. From 1983 to 1993, Feingold was a Wisconsin State Senator representing the 27th District.He is a recipient of the John F...
and Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
were the sole majority members to vote against confirmation of Timothy Geithner to be United States Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
.
On December 10, 2010, Senator Sanders delivered an 8½ hour speech against the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 , was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010 and signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 17, 2010....
, the proposed extension of the Bush-era tax rates that eventually became law, saying "Enough is enough! [...] How many homes can you own?" (A long speech such as this is in the tradition of a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
, though because it did not block Senate action it didn't technically qualify as a filibuster under US Senate rules.)
In response to his 'filibuster,' "activists across the country started talking up the notion of a 'Sanders for President' run in 2012, either as a dissident Democrat in the primaries or as a left-leaning Independent." Hundreds of people signed online petitions urging Sanders to run and pollsters began measuring his support in key primary states. Progressive activists such as Rabbi Michael Lerner
Michael Lerner (rabbi)
Michael Lerner is a political activist, the editor of Tikkun, a progressive Jewish interfaith magazine based in Berkeley, California, and the rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue of San Francisco.-Family and Education:...
and economist David Korten
David Korten
David C. Korten is an American economist, author, and former Professor of the Harvard Business School, political activist and prominent critic of corporate globalization, "by training and inclination a student of psychology and behavioral systems". His best-known publication is When Corporations...
publicly voiced their support for a prospective Sanders run against president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Sanders has disavowed any interest in a presidential run, saying he was "very proud to be Vermont's senator," and maintained that "I am very content to be where I am, but I am flattered by that kind of response."
On January 19, 2011, Sanders announced that his 8 1/2 hour speech given on December 10, 2010 would be published in February 2011 by Nation Books. The book is entitled The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class, and authorial proceeds go to Vermont nonprofit charitable organizations.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Environment and Public WorksUnited States Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear SafetyUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear SafetyThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works...
- Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New EconomyUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New EconomyThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Green Job and the New Economy is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:...
(Chairman) - Subcommittee on Transportation and InfrastructureUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The subcommittee's jurisdiction includes:*Transportation...
- Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety
- Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
- Subcommittee on EnergyUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on EnergySenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on National ParksUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on National ParksSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Water and PowerUnited States Senate Energy Subcommittee on Water and PowerSenate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power is one of four subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsUnited States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsThe United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
- Subcommittee on Children and FamiliesUnited States Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and FamiliesThe Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and Families is one of the three subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Health-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee's jurisdiction includes Head Start, the Family Medical Leave Act, child care and child support, and other issues involving children, youth,...
- Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging
- Subcommittee on Children and Families
- Committee on Veterans' AffairsUnited States Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States Senate Committee on the BudgetThe United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
Political positions
Senator Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist.Health care
He is a staunch supporter of a single-payer universal health careSingle-payer health care
Single-payer health care is medical care funded from a single insurance pool, run by the state. Under a single-payer system, universal health care for an entire population can be financed from a pool to which many parties employees, employers, and the state have contributed...
system.
Renegotiaton of NAFTA
He is a strong advocate for renegotiation of the North American Free Trade AgreementNorth American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) and is a strong opponent of the current United States trade policy towards Latin America and China.
Iraq War
Sanders opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq from its start and voted against it in the House of Representatives. He has called for a speedy withdrawal and increased veterans' benefits.Media freedom
Sanders has also been a leader in calling for media reform and opposes increased concentration of ownership of media outlets. He appeared in Orwell Rolls in His GraveOrwell Rolls in His Grave
Orwell Rolls in His Grave is a 2003 documentary film written and directed by Robert Kane Pappas. Covered topics include the Telecommunications Act of 1996, concentration of media ownership, political corruption, Federal Communications Commission , the controversy over the US presidential election...
and Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, two documentaries on the subject.
U.S. Federal Reserve audit
Sanders introduced a Senate companion bill to H.R. 1207, which would conduct an audit of the Federal Reserve.Civil rights and women's rights
He is a vocal supporter of gay rights, supporting same sex marriage and of pro-choice legislation. He voted against the Defense of Marriage ActDefense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
as a member of the House of Representatives.
Nuclear power
Following the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents2011 Japanese nuclear accidents
This is a list of articles describing aspects of the nuclear shut-downs, failures, and nuclear meltdowns triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.-Fukushima nuclear power plants:* Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant...
, Sanders called for a moratorium on the licensing of new nuclear plants and relicensing of existing ones, in an effort to slow down what's been touted as a nuclear renaissance
Nuclear renaissance
Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival, driven by rising fossil fuel prices and new concerns about meeting greenhouse gas emission limits. At the same time, various barriers to a nuclear renaissance have been identified...
in the United States. Sanders wrote to President Barack Obama asking for him to appoint a special commission to review the safety of U.S. nuclear plants. Sanders also wants to repeal a federal law that he says leaves the taxpayers to pick up most of the costs of a major nuclear accident. He says, "in a free-enterprise system, the nuclear industry should be required to insure itself against accidents."
Personal life
Sanders is married to Jane O'Meara, former president of Burlington CollegeBurlington College
Burlington College is a private liberal arts college located in Burlington, Vermont that offers Associate, Bachelor's, and Masters degrees, as well as several professional certificate programs...
and has one son, Levi Sanders, from a previous marriage. His brother, Larry Sanders, is a Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
District Councillor for Oxford East in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England. His nephew Jacob is a former Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
city councillor for the Green Party.
Sanders is one of two sitting U.S. Senators who went to James Madison High School
James Madison High School (New York)
James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education...
in Brooklyn (the other being Chuck Schumer). Before Sanders became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, his roommate was Richard I. Sugarman, a professor at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
. Coincidentally, the only other Independent currently serving in the U.S. Senate, Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(I-CT) shared a suite with Professor Sugarman when the two attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in the 1960s.
For the Friday segment "Brunch with Bernie" of the Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
radio program, Hartmann interviews Sanders and the senator answers listeners' calls.
Sanders also starred in his own weekly five-minute show, "Senator Sanders Unfiltered," hosted at Sandersunfiltered.com. The site has not been updated since early 2010.
Electoral history
Most recent election shown below. For a complete list see: Electoral History of Bernie SandersElectoral history of Bernie Sanders
Electoral history of Bernie Sanders, United States Senator from Vermont , Representative of Vermont's At-large District , and former mayor of Burlington.- 1970s :United States Senator from Vermont, 1972 special election:...
External links
- United States Senator Bernie Sanders official U.S. Senate site
- Friends of Bernie Sanders official campaign site'
- Bernie Sanders at The Internet Movie Database
- "War of the wealthy against working families" – video of speech from C-SPAN2
- Bernie Sanders Denounces Tax Cut in 8.5 Hour Senate Speech – video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...