As the 13-month-old recession dragged on, the House on Wednesday passed an economic recovery bill (without the support of a single Republican). The Senate set the stage for a floor debate starting Monday on a package that could end up totaling around $900 billion in job-creating investments and tax breaks designed to stimulate the economy. Underscoring the urgency, there was a new government report Friday that the U.S. economy shrank at its fastest pace in more than a quarter century from October through December. With consumer spending and business investment collapsing, President Barack Obama spoke of a "continuing disaster" for working families and urged Congress to act decisively. In Vermont, a new report on Tuesday showed the unemployment rate in December hit 6.4 percent, up 2.5 points from the same month one year ago. The national unemployment rate was 7.2 percent for December, not counting people so discouraged that they have given up hunting for work. "In my state, we are hemorrhaging jobs," Senator Bernie Sanders told C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" in a discussion on Thursday about the need to pass a bold recovery bill. The economy and ways to break out of the recession were sure to be Topic A at town meetings Sanders is hosting this weekend in Vermont.

Economic Recovery Environmentalist and author Bill McKibbon joins Bernie in Woodstock and Brattleboro Sunday for two town meetings. The senator called the Middlebury College professor "one of the most brilliant minds in the world looking at both the issues of global warming and the economic implications associated with global warming." Sanders told the Brattleboro Reformer that "we can create millions of good paying jobs as we protect our environment." He also also talked about the economy and recovery on C-SPAN on Thursday. "I think what you'll see in this economic recovery program is an understanding, not only do we have to create millions of jobs, but we have to take care of those people that have been hurt by this recession, people who have lost their jobs, lost their health care, lost their housing. You cannot leave them on the side of the street." and reverse global warming through energy efficiency and the use of sustainable energies," he said. To read more in the Brattleboro Reformer, click here. To watch Sanders on "Washington Journal," click here.

What Went Wrong Sanders called for a major investigation into what caused the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Sanders proposed expanding a congressional review of how up to $700 billion in Wall Street bailout funds are being spent to also investigate how the financial crisis started in the first place. "We have an enormous responsibility to explain to the American people what led to this financial crisis, how did we get here, who is responsible, and what we can do to make sure that this never happens again," Sanders wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Sanders proposed expanding the scope of the Congressional Oversight Panel overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief to also investigate the causes of the economic collapse. "In order to accomplish this very important goal," Sanders wrote, "We need to examine what responsibility should be borne by individuals, corporations, and institutions for the poor decisions and foolish investments that have in large measure created this monumental crisis. Sanders and Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad talked about holding Wall Street tycoons responsible. To watch part of the budget committee hearing, click here. To read the letter, click here.

Banker Bonuses As the economy tanked and Wall Street took taxpayer funds to stay afloat, employees of the financial services industry in New York pocketed some $18.4 billion in bonuses last year, according to a report released Wednesday by the New York State comptroller. Some bankers took home millions of dollars even as their companies lost billions. To read about the bonuses, click here.

Tax Breaks During frenzied events last fall as Congress rushed to pass the $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson rewrote a piece of the tax code to expedite mergers. The quiet alteration amounts to an estimated $140 billion windfall for big banks. Some critics say Paulson's move was downright illegal. "Every tax lawyer who has commented on it, virtually everyone who doesn't work for the [Bush] administration, thinks it's illegal," Sanders told the American News Project. To watch the video, click here.

Treasury The Senate on Monday voted 60 to 34 to confirm the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be the Treasury secretary. Sanders voted no. He said the former Federal Reserve and Treasury Department official in the past promoted policies that resulted in today's economic problems. "Massive deregulation of the financial services industry has led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. We need a treasury secretary who will support strong and robust regulation of the financial services sector," Sanders said.

Health Care The Senate late Thursday passed a bill to provide health insurance to more than 4 million uninsured children. The vote was 66 to 32 for the legislation similar to bills that President George W. Bush twice vetoed. President Obama is eager to sign the bill as a step toward providing insurance for all children and eventually all Americans. To watch Bernie's Senate floor speech on children's health insurance, click here.

Fair Pay In another example of how elections matter, a bill was signed into law by Obama on Thursday that reverses a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision against Lilly Ledbetter in a workplace discrimination case. Ledbetter found out near the end of her nearly 20-year career that she made less than male supervisors at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Alabama. The court had thrown out her lawsuit because she didn't complain within six months of the employer's first act of discrimination. Under the new law, which Sanders cosponsored, the six-month clock starts ticking again each time an employee is given a discriminatory paycheck. "This is a struggle that has gone on for decades. We are making some progress, but we have a long way to go," Senator Bernie Sanders said in a Senate floor speech. To read the senator's statement for the Congressional Record, click here.