Bernie Sanders: Statement on Deficit Proposals

[cal04]

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=01948057-9747-4397-804f-0d22c2bbb550

“The issue with regard to deficit reduction is pretty clear. Either we make devastating cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education and the needs of working families or we ask the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations, most of whom are doing extremely well, to give up some of their tax breaks and help us move toward a balanced budget. In my view, it is immoral and bad economics to balance the budget on the backs of the weak and vulnerable. The Republicans must compromise."

[Township75]

1. Great speech. Let's see what he actually votes for.

.

[hootinholler]

2. Not trusting Bernie?

:popcorn:

You do know he's one of the few on our side, right?

-Hoot

[gateley]

4. What a position to be in -- knowing what's "right" and knowing

the potential disaster if an agreement isn't reached. How do you weigh that?

But I think Bernie feels so adamantly about these issues, he'd not vote for anything that touches the Big Three.

I was just thinking, if we DO default, doesn't that harm these programs (and more) anyway? THEN what do we do? It's lose/lose!

What a nightmare. :cry:

[hootinholler]

5. From my point of view the elderly and the poor have already sacraficed enough

Many years of living on the edge, of being blamed for the problems created on Wall street. Not just our current problems, but they've shouldered the blame, and the suffering, for many years now. They've faced changes in COLA calculations, cuts, paid for the give away to PHARMA members, etc, etc, and et cetera.

There are two in the Senate that I trust: Bernie Sanders and Al Franken. My belief is they are in it because they care. I don't even believe that about my Senators, Carden and Mikulski, and thus don't trust them.

-Hoot

[gateley]

6. I agree wholeheartedly about the elderly and poor - we've

really fallen short of caring for them as we should.

And I totally agree about Bernie and Franken -- BUT, I recall that Franken voted a certain way on an issue which many of us here didn't like at all. I was trying to recall the other day what it was, but couldn't come up with it. Anyway, that "unnamed" :7 example of a good guy voting "bad" kind of shows us how it is in real life 'back there'. You may have to vote a certain way that will affect/hurt some people to achieve a larger good.

There are a few whose votes I always check which gives me an indication of how it "should" be. Bernie, Franken, Boxer, USUALLY Kerry. The House has more individuals who are fighting the good fight.

My Senators, Cantwell and Murray, although generally considered pretty good, are, in my book, actually kind of iffy. Especially Cantwell.

MOST of them, once ensconced in the loving bosom of DC, seem to forget we're even out here. The other day I posted that it's like they're under the Cone of Silence and we're outside screaming and banging on the cone, but they're not even aware of us. :grr:

[MissDeeds]

9. +1000

Agree completely

[gateley]

3. That's how we need to re-label it -- "give up some tax breaks"

rather than "tax hikes". We've been trying the "revenue" route, but as usual, the Republicans are drowning us out.

[karynnj]

7. I wish EVERY Democrat had this as their position

Sanders is great.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, cal.

[MissDeeds]

10. K&R

:kick:

[swilton]

11. K&R