Congress on Friday voted to extend a payroll tax holiday for the rest of the year. Sen. Bernie Sanders backs tax cuts for middle-class workers, but voiced renewed concern about siphoning funds from Social Security. Also on Capitol Hill, on Monday President Obama delivered his budget proposal to Congress. On Tuesday, Sanders led a group of senators working to modernize the Postal Service. And on Wednesday he organized a special Senate session on global warming. On Friday, senators set the stage for continued debate on a transportation and jobs bill. Also on Friday, Sanders spoke out on a growing controversy over women's health care. In Vermont on Saturday, Sanders supported the state's legal fight to close the problem-plagued Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

Payroll Tax 

The bill to extend a reduction in the Social Security payroll tax from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent through 2012. "I very strongly believe the middle class needs a tax break and clearly we must extend unemployment benefits.  However, as I have stated over and over again, I am very concerned about once again diverting substantial sums of money from the Social Security Trust Fund, which is of such enormous importance to the American people." On Thursday, Sanders questioned Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner about the payroll tax and Social Security during a Senate Budget Committee hearing. Watch: Keep Social Security Secure 

Birth Control 

Sanders on Friday answered critics of a plan to require insurance coverage of contraceptives for women.  "In Vermont and around the country, there is growing anger that members of Congress, mostly men I should add, are trying to roll back the clock on women's rights, in this case the right of women to receive contraceptive services through their insurance plans," Sanders said. "This attack is grossly unfair, and I hope that men will join women in the fight to protect this very basic right."?Senate and the House Republicans hope to force a vote soon on legislation to block Obama's policy.

Vermont Yankee

"I support the decision by Vermont to appeal the flawed ruling by Judge Murtha in the Vermont Yankee litigation. I believe the law is clear that states have the right to reject nuclear power based on economic and other reasons that have nothing to do with safety," Sanders said after Attorney General William H. Sorrell filed the  appeal . "The Vermont Senate in a bipartisan 26-4 vote decided against renewing Vermont Yankee's license. If Vermont wants to move to energy efficiency and sustainable energy, no corporation should have the right to force our state to stay tethered to an aging, problem-ridden nuclear plant," Sanders said.

Climate Change 

In Vermont on Friday, the opening day of the Lake Champlain Pond Hockey Classic at Malletts Bay was cancelled because of warmer than usual winter weather.  In Washington on Wednesday, Sanders led a special Senate session on climate change. "Global warming is real and to a very significant degree global warming is man made," he said at the outset of the one-hour Senate floor session. He was joined by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, Tom Udall and Al Franken in the effort to draw greater public awareness to climate change, Examiner.com and Think Progress blogged. Watch excerpts from the floor speeches

Transportation and Jobs Bill 

Sanders told a press conference in Vermont on Monday that a two-year, $109 billion Senate bill for road and bridge construction would provide $408 million for the state.  As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sanders helped draft the bill now before the full Senate.  "It is estimated that this bill will save more than 1.8 million jobs nationwide in each of the next two years, and it will create a million new jobs through an expanded infrastructure-financing program.  At a time when the construction industry is extremely depressed, this bill can put a lot of people back to work here in Vermont and across the nation," Sanders said.

Obama Budget 

President Obama called on Congress Monday to enact new taxes on the wealthy as part of a $3.8 trillion budget he presented to Congress. "Most Americans would agree we've got to end the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country. He's absolutely right on that," Sanders said. Who caused deficits?  At a Senate Budget Committee hearing, Sanders called out the "deficit hawk hypocrites" who showered the wealthy with tax breaks, let pharmaceutical companies rip off taxpayers, and launched wars without paying for them. Watch Sanders at the hearing

Postal Service 

Most Senate Democrats said they want "significant improvements" to a bill to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service. A letter sent Tuesday from a coalition led by Sanders spelled out improvements that should be made in the bill that would permit the end of Saturday mail deliveries and the closure of thousands of post offices and processing centers. An entrepreneurial business model is what Sanders proposed, but Republicans in Congress, according to Congressional Quarterly, are protecting private companies from competition.  Read more