On this Memorial Day weekend, Sen. Bernie Sanders is honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Sanders was scheduled to discuss veterans issues in an interview at 9 a.m. ET Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” One possible topic was Sanders' Friday announcement that he’ll introduce legislation to increase accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs and revive a bill to improve veterans’ benefits. That measure was blocked last winter by Senate Republicans. Earlier in the week, the issue of net neutrality was the focus of a Senate floor speech by Sanders. He read from some of the more than 22,000 comments that consumers sent through his Senate website to the FCC demanding a free and open Internet.

Memorial Day

“On this Memorial Day weekend, I want to thank all veterans who have put their lives on the line to defend our country and especially the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. On this solemn weekend, Congress must reaffirm its commitment to make sure that every veteran in this country and their families get the health care and other benefits that they have earned and deserve. During the past several years, we have made significant progress. We have expanded education and employment opportunities, reduced homelessness, improved the processing of claims for disability benefits and given new support for the caregivers of disabled veterans. In the coming year, I look forward to working with veterans all across the country and their representatives here in Washington as we redouble our commitment to the men and women who have given so much for our nation.”

VA Accountability Bill

Sanders said Friday that he will introduce legislation to increase accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs and reintroduce comprehensive legislation – which Senate Republicans blocked last winter – to improve VA health care, education, job-training and other benefits. Sanders is working with the White House on a VA accountability bill that will be filed as soon as Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess. The chairman also announced that a hearing will be held on June 5 to address that bill and other legislation. “In recent years, as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 1.5 million more veterans have entered the VA health care system,” Sanders said. “Congress must do everything possible to make certain that the VA has the financial resources and administrative accountability to provide the high-quality health care and timely access to care that our veterans earned and deserve.” Read more here. Watch the video

Gold Star Wives: At a ceremony on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Sanders was presented the Award of Excellence from the Gold Star Wives of America. “I am humbled and honored to accept this award,” said Sanders. “The men and women who have given their lives in service to this country have left behind loved ones who deserve a grateful nation’s support. I look forward to continue working with the Gold Star Wives to better serve military survivors.” The Gold Star Wives of America is comprised of widows and widowers whose spouses died while serving in the U.S. armed forces or as a result of service-connected disabilities. The group is one of the country’s strongest advocates for military survivors and their families. Read more here.

Save Net Neutrality

Sanders took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to read some of the more than 22,000 comments that consumers have sent through his Senate website to the Federal Communications Commission demanding a free and open Internet. Sanders also urged President Barack Obama to reassert his support for net neutrality, a stand Obama took when he first ran for the White House in 2008. After the FCC signaled it would consider new rules governing the Internet, Sanders invited visitors to use a form on his Senate website to weigh in on what he called a “terribly misguided” proposal. The FCC is considering a policy that would let companies like Comcast and Verizon divide the Internet into fast and slow lanes and give major corporations a significant advantage over small Internet startups and grassroots political organizations. Read more here.

Roads and Jobs

The Senate public works committee has advanced a six-year, $265 billion transportation funding bill that includes almost $1.3 billion for Vermont to maintain its roads and bridges. “It is no secret that our infrastructure needs a lot of work,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, who helped draft the bill as a member of the transportation subcommittee. He cited studies showing that 32 percent of major roads in the United States are in poor or mediocre condition and 11 percent of all bridges are structurally deficient. The bill includes a Sanders amendment that would make Vermont eligible to apply for additional funding through a new program to support projects of regional or national significance. Another Sanders provision would start the process of creating a national network of recharging stations for electric vehicles. Read more here.