The president spoke to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, but what stuck out in the State of the Union address were things he didn't mention, like the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. He did speak about Social Security but with a lack of clarity.  That was partly why on Thursday Sen. Bernie Sanders convened the first-ever meeting of the Senate Social Security Caucus. On health care, Sanders filed legislation that could help Vermont lead the nation toward a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system that would improve care and cut costs.

Social Security Sanders and other backers of the retirement system on Thursday held the first meeting of a new Senate Social Security Caucus. Sanders organized the meeting and reminded colleagues that Social Security for 75 years has paid every benefit owed to every retiree, widow, orphan and disabled American who was eligible without contributing a nickel to the federal deficit.  With no changes, Social Security will be able to continue that successful track record for the next 27 years. To strengthen the program for the future, Sanders said he agreed with President Obama's proposal to lift a cap and apply the payroll tax to income of $250,000 and more.  Now millionaires pay only as much as workers making up to $106,800. "That the retirement age should be raised, that benefits should be cut, is totally unacceptable," he told a press conference with his Senate colleagues. To watch excerpts of the press conference after the caucus meeting, click here.

State of the Union After President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, what struck Sanders was what was missing in the State of the Union address. "There are a lot of things that should have been said that the president didn't say at all. For example, I don't think the word unemployment was mentioned. I don't think the word poverty was mentioned. I don't think the word trade deficit and outsourcing was mentioned," Sanders said. "The reality is, the middle class is collapsing, poverty is increasing and the gap between the very rich and everybody else is growing wider. We need to understand that in order to come up with appropriate public policy." To watch Bernie discuss the state of the union with Cenk Unger on MSNBC, click here.

State of Education As the president prepared his address to the nation, more than 200 Vermont high school students worked on essays about their view of the state of our union.  Participating in a contest sponsored by Sen. Sanders, these students wrote brilliantly, touching on a wide array of issues facing the country.  One issue they raised was the state of our education system.  "It would be beneficial to make the opportunity of education more accessible, education provides opportunities," wrote Ingrid Klinkenberg of Burlington.  "In particular, we must stress the importance of math and science to remain at the forefront of innovation and technology," wrote Molly Burke of Champlain Valley Union High School.  The winning essay, from Keenan Villani-Holland of Richmond, warned that "we are losing out in education to China."  To read the essays of the twelve finalists, click here.

State of the Recession Following the president's speech, Sen. Bernie Sanders said the nation should focus on, among other things, "the need for our nation to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and create millions of new jobs."  Sanders recently asked Vermonters to share their personal stories with him explaining how the recession, which started more than three years ago, has impacted their lives. Hundreds have responded. Some explain how they can't find work or are now at jobs paying far less than they used to earn. Older workers write about their depleted savings and worries about what happens to them when they retire. People of all ages, all walks of life and from every area of the state have written the senator and he plans to read some of their stories on the Senate floor.  To read some of the stories, click here.

State of the Deficit As the new Republican leadership in the House pursued policies which would expand the deficit by extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and repealing the new health care law, they continued to lecture the nation on fiscal discipline.  The party that refused to pay for two wars and a prescription drug program showed its true stripes by choosing Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House budget committee, to give the party's response to the president's address.  Ryan is the architect of a plan to end Social Security and Medicare as we know it.  "The Republican leadership has been vague about what federal programs they want to cut, but Paul Ryan has been very clear," Sen. Sanders said. "Congressman Ryan introduced a budget plan that would privatize Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Plan; raise the retirement age to 70; and increase taxes on 90 percent of American taxpayers."

Health Care Sanders on Tuesday introduced a bill to let Vermont implement a single-payer health care system that could become a model for the nation. The bill would let Vermont and other states qualify for federal waivers to provide better health care at less cost beginning in 2014. "It is my strong hope that Vermont will lead the nation in a new direction through a Medicare-for-all single-payer approach. At a time when 50 million Americans lack health insurance and when the cost of health care continues to soar, we must do all we can to lower the costs and improve the quality of care," Sanders said. The Vermont single-payer initiative came up during a Senate health committee hearing on Thursday with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the witness chair. To read more, click here. To watch the discussion between Sanders and Secretary Sebelius, click here.

Contractor Fraud A government database detailing contractors' criminal convictions, lawsuit damages, suspension and debarment proceedings will be made public under an interim rule published in Monday's Federal Register. Language by Sen. Bernie Sanders requires that the information be made public.  "We cannot let these corporations continue to rip off American taxpayers,” Sanders recently told the Boston Globe.  “The American people have every reason to expect that their tax dollars are well-spent."  To read more, click here.