Sen. Bernie Sanders announced that in the coming weeks he will try to pass legislation to address the crisis of high suicide rates among veterans. Sanders also announced that he intends to vote against the confirmation of President Obama’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, investment banker Antonio Weiss. He cited concerns that Weiss’ investment bank helped business dodge U.S. taxes by sheltering profits in other countries. A proposed tax deal negotiated by Senate and House leadership was under fire by President Obama this week for extending and expanding tax breaks for large corporations while allowing tax breaks for clean energy companies to expire. "This tax cut agreement does exactly the wrong things. I strongly support the president's decision to veto it,” said Sanders of the proposed deal.

What Do You Think?

Do you think the economic and political systems in the United States are stacked against people like you? The answer to that question is one that an otherwise politically-divided nation mostly agrees on. In a recent poll for NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, a majority of Democrats (58 percent) Republicans (51 percent) whites (55 percent) blacks (60 percent) and Hispanics (53 percent) answered yes. So did majorities blue-collar workers, white-collar workers and retirees. The same survey found that the stock market soaring to record highs doesn’t affect Americans’ views on the economy as much as the unemployment rate and stagnating or falling wages. What do you think? Take the poll. 

Veterans Suicides:

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Sanders said Monday he will work to pass bipartisan legislation in the remaining days of this session of Congress to address the crisis of high suicide rates among veterans. Sanders, Sen. John McCain and House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller were successful in passing major veterans’ legislation last summer. “The suicide rate, especially among young veterans, is tragically high and we have to do everything we can to lower it,” Sanders said of the 22 veterans a day, on average, who take their own lives. “Overall, I believe that the VA is doing a good job in providing mental health services for veterans, but we have to do better.”

Treasury Nominee:

Sanders intends to vote against confirmation of Antonio Weiss to be a top Treasury Department official. He urged President Barack Obama to withdraw the nomination of the Wall Street investment banker whose firm has helped clients avoid U.S. taxes by sheltering profits in other countries. “The Wall Street crash of 2008, caused by the greed and illegal behavior of major financial institutions, created the worst recession in modern history. We need an economic team at the White House which will hold Wall Street accountable and fight for the needs of working families, not more Wall Street executives,” Sanders said. 

Tax Deal:

"This tax cut agreement does exactly the wrong things,” said Sen. Sanders when responding to a proposed deal negotiated between House and Senate leadership to permanently extend and expand tax breaks that benefit large corporations. “At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, it extends huge tax cuts to the rich and large corporations while threatening programs that help low-income children.  At a time when we need to reverse climate change and aggressively move to sustainable energy, this agreement fails to eliminate tax benefits for the fossil fuel industry but phases out tax credits for wind and solar. This is pretty crazy stuff.  I strongly support the president's decision to veto it."