The Week in Review
President Barack Obama took the oath of office for a second term during a ceremony on Monday. He delivered an inaugural address that won plaudits from Sen. Bernie Sanders and others for its emphasis on civil rights and global warming. Congress began to set the stage for its own new session with a disappointing deal on what was billed as filibuster reform. Sanders on Thursday voted against the resolutions that keep in place Senate rules used to avoid debate, let alone action, on critical issues ranging from global warming to jobs.
Global Warming
Sanders welcomed President Barack Obama’s support in his inaugural address for action to combat climate change. “The president is right to make action on global warming a central goal of his administration. The overwhelming scientific consensus is clear. Unless we take bold action soon the temperature of our planet could rise by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. That would be catastrophic. The Senate is set to vote Monday on more than $50 billion in aid for Hurricane Sandy. Sanders said disaster relief is part of the price Americans will continue to pay unless bold action is taken to stop the climate change that has spawned so-called superstorms and other extreme weather.
Sanders Votes No on Filibuster ‘Reform’
The Senate voted Thursday to make minor tweaks to its own rules that will make it a little bit harder for outnumbered senators to block bills and nominations by mounting filibusters. Sanders said the modest improvements will make the Senate a little more efficient but he voted no. “This country faces major crises in terms of the economy and unemployment, the deficit, global warming, health care, campaign finance reform, education and a crumbling infrastructure – to name a few. In my view, none of these problems will be effectively addressed so long as one senator can demand 60 votes to pass legislation. The rule changes adopted today are a step forward in making the operations of the Senate more efficient and expeditious. They are not enough.” The changes were approved by votes of 78-16 and 86-9.
Veterans Jobs
Legislation was introduced Tuesday that would help veterans find jobs. The measure was part of a package of top-priority bills filed on the first legislative business day of the new session of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013. As the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs chairman, Sanders co-sponsored the measure. “At a time when one-in-10 post-9/11-era veterans are unemployed, this bill honors the sacrifice of the men and women who served in our armed forces by providing them with training to find jobs or helping them get their own small businesses off the ground,” Sanders said. The senator met in his office the same day with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Mental Health Care
The Senate health committee held a hearing Thursday on access to mental health services in America. It’s an issue brought into sharper focus after mass killings at Newtown, Conn. “We must make sure that mental health services are available to all Americans regardless of income,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a member of the committee. “Today for low- and middle-income people living in rural areas it is especially difficult to find timely, affordable care.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders gestures during remarks Thursday at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., opposing an F.C.C. plan to allow more media consolidation by newspapers, TV and radio stations.
