Press Releases

Mr. President: the federal budget is more than just a long list of numbers, which in this case add up to about 2.9 trillion dollars. The federal budget, like any family budget or any company budget, is a statement of values and priorities. In fact, the federal budget in many ways, is a statement of what our country is all about.We would all, I think, find it irresponsible and strange if

VERMONT It’s not every day that Vermonters get a say in rewriting the Federal Communications Commission rules governing who can own newspapers, radio stations, network affiliates and cable TV systems in their own communities. But starting this year, “Everything is up for grabs.” At least, that’s the word from FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a leading advocate for the reform of U.S. medi

Mr. Chairman: Let me begin by thanking you for holding this hearing. In my view, there is no group of Americans who have done so much for this country and yet are continually mistreated by this Administration, as our veterans.

Today is the first Budget Committee hearing since yesterday’s release of the President’s federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2008. The hearing correctly focuses on a very important issue facing the U.S. Senate and our nation: the Iraq War and its costs. This war has great human costs, as we see and hear each day from reports overseas. This is a war that has co

Washington, D.C. – Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a member of the Budget Committee, said today that he would strongly oppose the President’s budget proposal to slash health care, education, and nutritional benefits while giving even more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations. Instead, Sanders will be working to rescind the President’s tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent, eliminate corporate welfare and tax breaks for corporate expatriates, cut back on

Senator Bernie Sanders applauded U.S. Senate-passage of an increase in the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over the next two years. This is the first increase in the federal minimum in almost a decade. The U.S. House has already passed its version of the minimum wage increase and a House/Senate Conference Committee will have to work out differences between the two bills before the wage