Senate Republicans on Tuesday voted to kill a jobs bill. Then on Wednesday Congress passed trade agreements modeled on previous pacts that decimated American manufacturing. Jobs, America's widening income gap and Wall Street greed were the focus of a fourth week of protests by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Watch Sen. Bernie Sanders discuss those and other issues with Mark Johnson on Vermont Public Television's "Report from Washington."

Jobs 

With 16 percent of the American workforce unemployed or underemployed, Senate Republicans voted Tuesday night to kill a jobs package.  The measure was designed to put Americans to work rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges and other infrastructure projects. Sanders voted for the measure but would have preferred a bolder plan. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Friday joined the senator during his weekly radio and Internet appearance on The Thom Hartmann Program.

Irene Recovery 

The total cost of repairing damage throughout Vermont caused by devastating floods last Aug. 28 neared $1 billion. State transportation officials expect the cost of repairing roads and bridges washed out by Tropical Storm Irene to hit $620 million. Under current law, federal aid is capped at $100 million. Language by Sens. Sanders and Patrick Leahy in a Senate transportation bill would give the U.S. Department of Transportation authority to lift the cap.

Bank of America 

Sanders opposes Bank of America's audacious plan to slap a $5 monthly fee on customers who use their debit cards. "They are so powerful they think they can get away with murder," he said. "Enough is enough." Sanders said Bank of America and other huge banks should be broken up. While Bank of America and other banking giants are starting to charge fees for debit card use, a Florida community bank is offering customers $5 per month to open a checking account. Read more.

Trade Deals Hurt American Workers 

U.S. trade policy has been a disaster for American workers, shutting down factories and eliminating millions of jobs. Three new trade agreements that Congress approved on Wednesday will clear the way for multi-national corporations to ship more jobs to cheap-labor countries. During the Senate debate, Sanders detailed how one of the new agreements helps the North Korean dictatorship. Another benefits Colombia where labor leaders have been assassinated. Sanders also spoke about the GE boss who shipped jobs overseas and now advises President Obama on jobs. Sanders also recalled a shopping trip to a Smithsonian gift shop that stocked busts of George Washington that are, you guessed it, made in China. Watch the videos:  A Good Deal for Kim Jong Il, The Assassins, The President's Great Advisor and You Guessed It

Occupy Wall Street 

Protesters marched on Wall Street on Friday after averting eviction from the park in Lower Manhattan that they have occupied for nearly a month. A new survey for Time Magazine found that 54 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the protests, while just 23 percent have a negative impression. Take the poll.

Energy Efficiency 

Sanders will introduce legislation to let utilities help customers finance energy-efficiency projects. He made the announcement Thursday at a Senate green jobs subcommittee that he chairs. He said the program reduces costs, creates jobs and helps the environment. Read more. 

Home Heating 

"Because of proposed cuts in Washington, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is in serious jeopardy at a time when the need is greater than ever before," Sanders said. "We cannot balance the federal budget on the backs of the most vulnerable Americans by slashing the program." Read a column.

Fresh Food 

Sanders on Thursday announced two grants totaling $165,555 for the Green Mountain Farm Direct and the Northeast Organic Farming Association from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The farm-to-plate program already has a strong following in Vermont, where the local foods movement has strong appeal. Read more.