Bernie Sanders

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Who is Bernie Sanders?

Vermont Senator and self-dubbed "Democratic Socialist", Bernie Sanders, announced his intent to run for the 2016 Presidential election on April 30th, 2015 through an email to his supporters.

Bernie Biography

Bernie Sanders was born on September 8th, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York. He originally attended Brooklyn College for a year before transferring to the University of Chicago.

While at university, Bernie became heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He was a member of the Congress of Racial Equality, and he also served as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Bernie graduated the University of Chicago with a degree in political science.

Bernie's political career officially began and took off in 1981 when he was elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Then in 1990, Bernie won a spot in the U.S House of Representatives despite being a major political underdog as an Independent Socialist. He switched to the Senate in 2006 with a defeat over Republican businessman Richard Tarrant.

Bernie drew major attention in 2010 with his more than 8-hour-long filibuster against the extension of Bush era tax cuts for the wealthy. Additionally, he served on several committees on issues important to him during his time in the Senate.

In 2015, Bernie publicly announced his intent to run for the Democratic Presidential nomination. As a long-time self-proclaimed Independent and socialist, Bernie's move to the Democratic party was strategic and necessary. He knew it would require a lot of time, energy, and money to get his name on the ballot in 50 states as an Independent. Bernie explained his decision in a USA Today interview: " It made a lot more sense for me to work within the Democratic primary system where it's much easier to get on the ballot and have a chance to debate the other candidates."

Although considered the Democratic underdog and unlikely to pull the Democratic nomination out from under Hillary, Bernie still poses a unique threat to the other candidates' campaigns. His campaign's trademark slogan is "political revolution", which is aimed at everyday citizens and calls them to become active in the political process. The foundation of Bernie's campaign challenges everyday citizens to be the change they want to see on any given issue.

Bernie & The Issues

Education: Bernie has famously proclaimed that he seeks to implement free tuition for public universities and colleges. In addition to making public university free, Bernie wants to make preschool free for all four-year-olds. However, his plan to fund these policies includes tax changes. His campaign estimates that it would cost about $70 billion a year to maintain free tuition for public universities and colleges.

Foreign Policy: Bernie supports the current nuclear deal with Iran, and has publicly pushed back against the idea of sharper sanctions. Additionally, as a longtime anti-war activist, Bernie voted against the Iraq war and has persistently advocated to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. In regards to the Islamic State, he has said that the U.S should not lead the fight. Overall, Bernie is more focused on domestic needs and social issues rather than foreign relations and international conflicts.

Climate Change: Bernie has been considered a "climate change hawk", and argues that shifting global temperatures are a significant threat. He has supported a bill that would charge companies for their carbon emissions. The money raised from this bill would ideally be used to fund renewable energy technology efforts.

Immigration and Refugees: Bernie voted for the senate immigration bill in 2013, which would have expanded border security and provided immigrant status to millions of undocumented residents if they met specific security metrics. Additionally, Bernie generally agrees with and supports President Obama's executive order to waive deportation for millions of illegal immigrants. He believes undocumented immigrants should be given a path to full legal status.

Obamacare: Bernie originally voted for the Affordable Care Act, but claims it does not go far enough. His solution is a "Medicare for all" plan, which involves a single-payer system in which the government at the federal and state level would provide healthcare to all Americans. It is estimated this plan would cost about $13.8 trillion over a ten year span. Bernie plans to fund this with a health surcharge to be paid for by employers and individuals, and by a new progressive income tax that would raise rates for those making over $250,000.

Taxes: Bernie has been a longtime advocator for a more progressive tax system, which would be necessary to fund most of his proposed and intended policies. This more progressive tax system would include raising the tax rates for people making over $250,000 to 37 percent and for those making over $10 million to 52 percent in income tax. He also proposes to increase Social Security tax for higher incomes, and to tax capital gains at the same percentage as income a taxpayer makes from working.

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