Senate Republicans are poised to filibuster tax cuts for the middle class if the top 2 percent of taxpayers - those in families with incomes of more than $250,000 - are excluded.  In other words, tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans would be put in jeopardy unless lower rates are extended for millionaires and billionaires. To Sen. Bernie Sanders, that's absurd. At a time when the rich are getting richer and the top 1 percent earn more income than the bottom 50 percent, he believes it's time to end huge tax breaks for the very wealthy. His proposal: use half the $700 billion for deficit reduction and half to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and create good-paying jobs. "Senate Republicans should not be allowed to hold middle class tax cuts hostage in order to give more tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires - especially when the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider," he said. "At a time when the middle class is collapsing and we have a $13 trillion national debt, we need to create jobs and lower our deficit - not provide more tax breaks for the very wealthiest people in our society."  

To listen to Sanders discuss taxes, budget deficits and other issues during an interview on Vermont Public Radio's "Vermont Edition," click here.

To take the senator's latest online poll, click here.