As Vermonters celebrated Independence Day with fireworks, parades and picnics, Senator Bernie Sanders marched in Colchester's 39th Annual Fourth of July parade and attended a holiday celebration in Bristol. Earlier in the week, Sanders traveled to New Mexico for a congressional field hearing on solar energy. In Washington on Monday, legislation dramatically boosting benefits for veterans who go to college was signed into law. Sanders cosponsored the bill that he considers one of the most important accomplishments during this session of Congress. Amid the fireworks and celebrations, however, the June jobless report on Thursday was a sobering reminder that millions of ordinary Americans are struggling to get by in a sputtering economy.

The Economy Gas was up, oil was up and unemployment was up in another lousy week for workers hurt by economic forces beyond their control. The Labor Department reported on Thursday that 62,000 jobs vanished in June, the sixth consecutive month of losses. Meanwhile the jobless rate stalled and wage growth fell further behind the rate of inflation. The jobless figures came out two days after American car makers posted awful sales numbers. The manufacturers of pickup trucks and big SUVs are paying the consequences of gasoline prices hovering above $4 a gallon and the American auto industry's foot dragging on technology that could improve fuel efficiency. Once again last week, speculators drove oil to another record high. Worsening the gloom spreading across the economy were plummeting home prices. The foreclosure crisis, in turn, has decimated the ranks of bankers, real estate agents, construction workers and even furniture manufacturers. The New York Times reported that Goldman Sachs was predicting that the unemployment rate will peak at 6.4 percent late in 2009 before the picture improves.

Veterans Education Legislation signed on Monday was likened to the GI Bill that helped educate the generation of Americans who helped America rebound after World War II. "This is a major step forward for our veterans," Sanders said. "It means that any soldier who served since 9/11 will be able to get a college education regardless of his or her income. Tuition, room and board are paid for. It's similar to what happened after World War II. This is significant not only for our veterans but for our economy because we need the best-educated workforce possible," added Sanders, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The legislation provides $63 billion over 10 years for increased college aid for military service members and veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001. The benefit of up to $90,000 - more than twice the current level of assistance - will cover a full four-year college education in most cases. It will provide full in-state tuition and fees for enrollment in a public college along with a monthly housing stipend and $1,000 per year for books and supplies. The funding can also be used by those veterans attending private colleges and universities. To read more about the bill in the Brattleboro Reformer, click here.

Solar Energy At a U.S. Senate field hearing in New Mexico, Sanders extolled the extraordinary potential of solar energy and welcomed a Bureau of Land Management decision to rescind a moratorium on new solar projects. Sanders is the lead sponsor of legislation to encourage the installation of 10 million rooftop solar units on homes and businesses over the next ten years. The bipartisan bill would offer rebates that would cover about one-half of the $20,000 average cost of installing a solar unit. Rooftop solar panels can provide up to one-half of the electricity for a typical home. They can be quickly installed, are cost effective, and could play a major role in combating global warming. Sanders said his legislation would compliment a groundbreaking approach by Vermont's Green Mountain Power. Under the plan approved by the Vermont Public Service Board, the power company will pay customers for excess energy generated from solar panels on homes and businesses. For a copy of 10 Million Solar Roofs Act of 2008, click here.