Press Releases

WASHINGTON, May 11 – Non-emergency visits to hospital emergency rooms cost taxpayers billions of dollars a year, money that could be saved by expanding community health centers and other primary health care services, according to testimony at a Senate hearing today. A new Government Accountability Office study conservatively estimated that 8 percent of emergency room visits are not urgent. In

Will Release GAO Report on Preventing Unnecessary Use of ERs WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 11 at 10:00AM, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging will convene a hearing to discuss ways to reduce the use of emergency departments for non-urgent health care services. HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Subcommittee Chairman Bernie

WASHINGTON, May 10 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that he introduced legislation to provide health care for every American through a Medicare-for-all type single-payer system.   Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) filed a companion bill in the House to provide better care for more patients at less cost by eliminating the middle-man role played by private insurance companies that

WASHINGTON, May 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce the introduction of single-payer health care bills in the Senate and House. They will be joined by leaders of the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations supporting the measure. Who: Sen. Bernie Sanders; Rep. Jim McDermott; Arlene Baker-Holt, executive

Vermont Service Center Employees Win in Labor Settlement   WASHINGTON, May 3 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed a U.S. Labor Department ruling that will result in an additional $2.9 million in back wages for federal contract workers in St. Albans and Essex Junction. The ruling affects more than 700 contract workers employed by Stanley Inc.  and subcontractors at

BURLINGTON, Vt., May 2, 2011 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today on the U.S. operation in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden:   “The death of Osama bin Laden is a historic moment in our fight against international terrorism and his Al Qaeda organization.   “I applaud the extraordinary bravery of those American military personnel