Bernie Sanders: News
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Senator Sanders
Trans-Pacific Partnership On Thursday the Senate voted by a narrow margin to break a filibuster on legislation, giving President Obama fast-track authority to forge a multi-national trade deal, The New York Times and International Business Times reported. "If we are serious about rebuilding the middle class and creating the millions of good paying jobs we desperately need, we must fundamentally rewrite our trade policies. NO to fast track and NO to the TPP." Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in an op-ed for The Huffington Post and The Gazette.
Patriot Act In his AMA on Reddit, Sen. Sanders reiterated his opposition to the Patriot Act. "I believe strongly that we can protect our people without undermining our constitutional rights," Sanders said, according to Fast Company, and he is more closely aligned with Sen. Rand Paul on the issue than any other presidential candidate, reported International Business Times. Sanders has, however, indicated support for the bi-partisan Freedom Act, reported NBC News.
Free College Tuition Sen. Sanders introduced legislation into the Senate earlier this week that would eliminate tuition to all public colleges and universities, WJW in Cleveland, WDDE in Philadelphia, and Education Dive reported. Tom Ashbrook discussed the idea and how it could alleviate the burden of student debt with his gusts on On Point. Robert Reich backed Sen. Sanders’ proposal in The Huffington Post writing, “Senator Bernie Sanders is making waves with a big idea to reinvent education: Making public colleges and universities tuition-free. I couldn't agree more.”
Income Inequality Sen. Sanders has offered the most aggressive plan of all the presidential candidates to combat income inequality. His plan includes making public colleges and universities tuition-free, breaking up the big banks, increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, among other proposals, CNN reported.
Speaking Fees Sen. Sanders netted $1,867.42 for two paid speeches and a television appearance last year, which he gave to a charity to help low-income families in Vermont, according to financial disclosure reports, The Hill reported.
Filibusters Sen. Sanders and two other Senators have spent over two days combined filibustering, The Washington Post reported.
World
Wealth Inequality Growing World-Wide In a report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, they say that the gap between the rich and the poor is growing in its 34 member-states, the BBC reported. The OECD warns that this widening gap is a threat to economic growth and stability.
Saudi Airstrike Saudi shells hit an international aid office in Yemen on Thursday killing five Ethiopian refugees and wounded ten, Al Jazeera reported.
National
Oil Spill Up to 105,000 gallons of oil have leaked from a broken pipeline in California, The Associated Press reported. Of that, an estimated 21,000 gallons reached the sea, where clean-up crews are now working 24 hours a day to clean up the spill.
Amtrak Senate Democrats on Thursday pushed Republicans to provide more funding for Amtrak so the railroad can tackle a $21 billion maintenance backlog, AP reported.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/052115pm
= new reply since forum marked as read
