Gavel in hand, Bernie Sanders lays out an unabashedly liberal economic agenda

By
Mike DeBonis

Feb. 18, 2021 at 7:14 p.m. EST

Excerpts:

As the new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders has already played a key role in advancing President Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, and he is now scheduling high-profile hearings on some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

For the first, set for Thursday, Sanders has summoned the chief executives of some of America’s best-known companies to testify about the wages they pay their employees — speaking alongside some of their own front-line workers. The hearing’s title — “Why Should Taxpayers Subsidize Poverty Wages at Large Profitable Corporations?” — reflects how Sanders intends to use his new gavel to promote an unabashedly liberal economic agenda, one that breaks with the Budget Committee’s traditional focus on the nation’s long-term fiscal outlook.

Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, said he sees his panel’s scope as touching on “every aspect of public policy — in fact, on every aspect of American life,” and he plans to focus on the plight of the working class amid growing inequality.

“They are living through an economic desperation the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Depression,” Sanders said in an interview. “So we are going to be a very active and aggressive Budget Committee, which is going to explore what’s going on with the working class and the middle class of this country and how we can successfully address the crises that they face.”

Other hearings are tentatively on the books: On March 17, Sanders is planning a hearing on income and wealth inequality, followed by a March 24 hearing on “making corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes” and an April 14 hearing on the costs of climate change.

It remains unclear whether the McDonald’s and Walmart executives Sanders has invited to next week’s hearing will appear. McDonald’s declined to comment, and representatives for Walmart did not respond to inquiries Thursday. One top executive who has agreed to testify, according to Sanders’s office, is W. Craig Jelinek of Costco, which is known for paying its workers higher-than-average wages and benefits. Costco also did not respond to a request for comment. Sanders said no matter who shows up, he is determined to highlight the ever-growing gap between the pay of top executives and their essential employees — and the effect those wages have on federal expenditures.

Biden indicates he’s open to negotiation on $15 minimum wage

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-budget-pay-ceo/2021/02/18/95dffb00-71fd-11eb-93be-c10813e358a2_story.html

Sanders yelled back: "You represent the president of the United States!"

02/12/21 05:35 PM EST

Michael Van Der Veen, an attorney for former President Trump, got into a verbal scuffle with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), after the progressive lawmaker asked the attorney if he believes Trump won the 2020 election.

Sanders submitted a question noting that the House team have claimed that Trump was carrying out a "big lie" with his claim that he actually won the election and asked "are the prosecutors right when they claim that Trump was telling a big lie, or in your judgment did Trump actually win the election?"

Van Der Veen appeared annoyed by the question — which he did not ultimately answer.


"My judgment? Who asked that?" he asked, turning toward the Democratic side of the chamber.

Sanders yelled back: "I did.'

"My judgment is irrelevant," Van Der Veen continued.


His response sparked jeers from senators, leading Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to interrupt and remind senators that they can't challenge the response offered by Trump's team or the House impeachment managers.

Sanders was overheard by reporters in the chamber yelling back to Van Der Veen, "You represent the president of the United States!"

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/538681-sanders-trump-lawyer-scuffle-during-qa

Bernie's Woodland Prints to benefit Wildlife Rescues! 🦡 🐿

Bernie's Woodland Creatures started with the amazing Bernie Mittens, made by Jen Ellis, and National Squirrel Appreciation Day. After the first painting a series was born.. that simple.. Bernie's Woodland Creatures is a new series by the artist, Sam Georgieff, from Poor Dog Farm. The goal of this series is to make you smile and spread some kindness with art... and mittens. All artwork is © S. Georgieff

A portion of the profits from the prints sold from this series will also be donated to the wildlife rescue charities:

The West Shore Wildlife Center in PA.
https://westshorewildlife.org
Green Mountain Animal Defenders in VT.
https://www.greenmountainanimaldefenders.org











https://www.bernieswoodland.com/about


https://twitter.com/vtawesomeness/status/1359590011021230083

Four Quarters Brewing is releasing cans and a draft of "Bernie's S'mitten Mittens," this Friday.

Having an opinion means you have the opinion. Being opinionated, the opinion has you instead.

Sanders Applauds White House Announcement to End U.S. Support for Yemen War

📣 Bernie Sanders' mittens, memes help raise $1.8M for charity

By LISA RATHKE
30 minutes ago

About those wooly mittens that U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders wore to the presidential inauguration, sparking endless quirky memes across social media? They’ve helped to raise $1.8 million in the last five days for charitable organizations in Sanders’ home state of Vermont, the independent senator announced Wednesday. The sum comes from the sale of merchandise with the Jan. 20 image of him sitting with his arms and legs crossed, clad in his brown parka and recycled wool mittens.

Sanders put the first of the so-called “Chairman Sanders” merchandise, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers, on his website Thursday night and the first run sold out in less than 30 minutes, he said. More merchandise was added over the weekend and sold out by Monday morning, he said.

“Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week, and we’re glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Sanders said in a written statement. “But even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we’ve faced since the Great Depression.”

The groups that will benefit from the proceeds of the “Chairman Sanders” items include area agencies on aging to fund Meals on Wheels throughout Vermont, Vermont community action agencies, Feeding Chittenden, Vermont Parent Child Network, The Chill Foundation, senior centers in Vermont and Bistate Primary Care for dental care improvements in the state, Sanders’ office said.

Sander’ attire has also sparked other charitable endeavors. A crocheted doll of Sanders in his garb was auctioned off online and Burton Snowboards donated 50 jackets to the Burlington Department for Children and Families in Sanders’ name, his office said. Getty Images confirmed that it will donate its proceeds as part of the licensing agreement to put the photo on the merchandise to Meals on Wheels of America.

https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-mittens-memes-charity-3f8afd8e8a5a0b8b9709dd6d4d30ec13

Bernie at Murder and Mayhem of Hay-on-Wye.

Masked Mona with Mittens - Leonardo da Vinci

Salvador Dali - The Persistence of Bernie