Sen. Bernie Sanders prepared for a major speech on Monday about shared sacrifice and budget priorities. The address will come on the heels of congressional Republican leaders pulling out of debt-reduction talks over their refusal to discuss taxes. Sanders urged the president not to yield to the Republican demands to take taxes off the table.  The senator on Thursday praised the president for taking a step to bring down oil prices. On Wednesday, Sanders chaired a subcommittee hearing about the 1 million seniors who go hungry every year in America. He also called on Wednesday for the Government Accountability Office to dig deeper into Associated Press findings of lax oversight at U.S. nuclear power plants.  

Budget "The American people have got to chime in very loudly and say, ‘Hey, Mr. President, stand with us ... We`ll be at your back," Sanders said.  An overwhelming majority of Americans support higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations as part of any plan to bring down deficits. "I hope the president stands up and rallies the American people," Sanders said.

A Major Speech The senator will discuss budget priorities during a major speech. The Senate by unanimous consent set aside up to 90 minutes for Sanders to speak beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday. The White House announced that Obama and Vice President Biden will have separate meetings Monday with Senate leaders Reid and McConnell.

Social Security Proposals were floated by the White House and some on Capitol Hill to give employers a break on their Social Security payroll taxes and possibly extend a break for workers.  Sanders told The Associated Press that tinkering with the payroll tax threatens the independence of the retirement program.

Oil Speculation Sanders praised the Obama administration's decision on Thursday to release 30 million barrels of oil from the country's emergency reserve, but he said curbing speculators would have a greater impact on lowering fuel pricesen.  Consumers "should be angry right now at Wall Street," he said, because up to 40 percent of the price of a barrel of oil today has nothing to do with supply and demand and everything to do with the speculation in the oil futures market.

Nuclear Safety Alarmed by the findings of an Associated Press investigation into problems at the nation's nuclear power plants, Sens. Sanders, Boxer and Whitehouse co-signed a letter requesting a congressional investigation of nuclear safety standards and federal oversight.

Senior Hunger More than 5 million American seniors face the threat of hunger and 1 million a year go hungry, according to a report released on Tuesday at a hearing of a Senate panel that Sanders chairs. He made the case that investing in nutrition programs saves money on Medicare and Medicaid spend on more expensive hospital and nursing home care. Sen. Rand Paul, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, had a different view. A spirited discussion ensued. Watch the video.