Senator Sanders

Wall Street President Obama pressured the nation's biggest banks on Monday to revive lending for small businesses and homeowners. The step was applauded by Sen. Bernie Sanders, but he told Tavis Smiley on PBS that overall Obama has been "much too soft" on Wall Street. VIDEO

Health Care - Obama President Obama, trying to revive flagging momentum for U.S. health-care legislation, summoned all Senate Democrats to a White House today. "There are a lot of concerns to work out," Sen. Sanders told Bloomberg. LINK,

Health Care - Medicare Senate Democrats on Monday were prepared to drop from the health reform bill a plan to expand Medicare coverage. Stripping out the provisions that have kept progressives on board would very likely cause problems on the left unless the White House steps in to persuade senators such as Feingold and Sanders, Politico reported. LINK

Health Care - Public Option A bill without a public option, Sanders told PBS, would be "a very sad state of affairs." Congressional Quarterly said Sanders stopped short of saying he would oppose the bill without a public option. "I believe it is absolutely imperative that we have a strong public option in there - absolutely," he said.  "But you're asking me to tell you how I would vote on the bill if that doesn't exist. I can't do that." LINK and VIDEO

Health Care - Who Pays? Sens. Sanders, Brown and Franken introduced an amendment that will make the unions happy. They proposed eliminating a tax on so-called "Cadillac health plans" and replacing it with a new tax on immensely rich Americans. The change would bring the Senate bill more in line with the House reform bill, according to a Time magazine blog.

Health Care - Rx Drugs Sen. Sanders supports letting U.S. firms import prescription drugs such as the cholesterol-lowering Lipitor.  "In Canada, it costs $33; France, $53; Germany, $48; Netherlands, $63; Spain, $32; the United Kingdom, $40; U.S.A., $125 - four times as much as it costs in Canada. Now, you explain that to me," Sanders said on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." LINK  

Health Care - Single Payer Sen. Sanders said Monday he plans to introduce an amendment to the Democrats' health reform legislation that would establish a Medicare-for-all insurance system, The Washington Independent reported. LINK

Too Big Two years after the start of the deepest recession since the 1930s, no U.S. or European authority has put in force a single measure that would transform the financial system, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. "It's insanity that the too-big-to-fail institutions are even bigger today than they were," said Sen. Sanders. "God forbid we have another financial crisis." LINK

The Fed Proposals in Congress to trim the Federal Reserve's powers and subject it to greater scrutiny mean Chairman Ben S. Bernanke may have to think twice about raising rates, according to Bloomberg.  The House has approved a proposal by Rep. Ron Paul to audit the Fed. A similar bill by Sen. Sanders has 30 cosponsors. LINK

Bernanke Sen. Sanders said he would hold up the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. "Ben Bernanke is part of the problem.  How can you reappoint somebody who was asleep at the switch?" Sanders asked Tavis Smiley on PBS. VIDEO

Credit Card Rates Credit-card interest rates would be capped at 16 percent under legislation introduced by Louise Slaughter  and John Tierney. When the Senate debated credit-card rules in May, it blocked a national 15 percent rate cap proposed by Sen. Sanders, Bloomberg reported and New England Cable News reported. LINK and VIDEO

Poverty Level Federal poverty level guidelines will drop in 2010 for possibly the first time ever, changing qualifications for a host of programs ranging from state-subsidized health insurance to food stamps. According to the offices of Sens. Leahy and Sanders, legislation freezing the poverty level at the 2009 amount is being discussed, the Vermont Press Bureau reported. LINK

Dairy Crisis The Vermont attorney general launched an inquiry into anti-competitive practices in the dairy industry. One processor, Dean Foods, is believed to control 70 percent of the New England milk market. Sen. Sanders has been particularly critical of Dean, noting its profits more than doubled in the first quarter of 2009, The Burlington Free Press reported. LINK

Sizing Up Sanders NPR Capitol Hill correspondent David Welna will discuss Sanders' role in the Senate with Vermont Public Radio's "Vermont Edition" at noon and 7 p.m. on today. LINK

International

China and U.S. Hit Strident Impasse at Climate Talks China and the United States were at an impasse on Monday at the United Nations climate change conference here over how compliance with any treaty could be monitored and verified, The New York Times reported. LINK

Poll: Action on Climate will Help Economy More Americans believe steps taken to reduce global warming pollution will help the U.S. economy than say such measures will hurt it, The Associated Press reported. LINK

Rebuffing U.S., Pakistan Balks at Crackdown - Demands by the United States for Pakistan to crack down on the strongest Taliban warrior in Afghanistan, Siraj Haqqani, whose fighters pose the biggest threat to American forces, have been rebuffed by the Pakistani military, The New York Times reported. LINK

National

Obama Touting Home Energy Efficiency Hoping to jump-start his plans for job growth, President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to pass incentives for homeowners who retrofit their homes to make them more energy-efficient, The Associated Press reported. LINK

Citi, Wells to Repay Bailouts Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. won agreements to begin extracting themselves from the U.S. government's grip by paying back a total of $45 billion in aid, marking a major milestone in the year-long effort to rescue the American financial system, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

U.S. Said to Pick Illinois Prison to House Detainees The Obama administration is expected to announce on Tuesday that it has selected a prison in northwestern Illinois to house terrorism suspects now being held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in a major step toward shutting down that military detention facility, The New York Times reported. LINK

Vermont

Dairy Workers Vermont dairy farmers are waiting to find out if they'll face fines or enforcement action after a federal immigration crackdown was launched last month. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy wants to change federal labor rules to allow farmers to employ migrant workers, Vermont Public Radio reported. LINK