Politics

BURLINGTON, Vt., April 16 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed a Vermont Senate vote to require labels on food containing genetically-modified ingredients.

“I am very proud that Vermont is taking the lead in a growing national movement to allow the people of our country to know what is in the food they eat. GMO labeling exists in dozens of countries around the world and should exist in the United States,” Sanders said.

“I will continue my efforts in Washington – against Monsanto and other multi-national food industry corporations – to pass national legislation on this issue. In the meantime, it is extremely important that Vermont and other states lead the way,” Sanders said.

Voting on the town-wide referendum is Thursday 4/17 at the Municipal Center from 9 am to 7 pm in the Selectboard Meeting room on the second floor.

Ample parking in the back of the Municipal Center, in the area that is normally permit parking only, will be available for voters and there are handicapped parking spaces next to the entrance.

There is an elevator located just inside the back entrance.

WASHINGTON, April 9 – A Senate panel heard today from the founder of an organization that stages medical clinics for patients who wait day and night in long lines for basic health care in parts of the world with severe doctor shortages – not in a Third World country in Africa or Latin America but right here in the United States.

“Health care in America is a privilege of the well-to-do and the well-insured that leaves about 50 million people flat out of luck,” said Stan Brock, president of Remote Area Medical. People travel hundreds of miles and wait for days to see a doctor or dentist or to get their eyes checked at clinics Brock’s organization has held in communities like Los Angeles and Knoxville, Tenn.

Early/absentee ballots for the special Town wide vote to be held on April 17, are now available in the Brattleboro town clerk’s office. Anyone wishing to vote prior to April 17, may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16. Early/absentee ballots may be voted in person in the clerk’s office, mailed to the voter by the clerk’s office, picked up by the voter or delivered to the voter’s residence by two justices of the peace.

WASHINGTON, April 7 – More than two dozen senators have called for a significant funding increase for Older Americans Act programs like Meals on Wheels in order to keep up with the increasing needs of a growing population of elderly Americans.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees seniors’ programs, was joined by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and 25 of other colleagues in urging the chairman and ranking member of a Senate appropriations panel to provide at least a 12 percent increase in funding for the coming year.

WASHINGTON, April 2 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today blasted a Supreme Court ruling that voided legal limits on contributions by individual donors to political campaigns.

“Freedom of speech, in my view, does not mean the freedom to buy the United States government,” Sanders said.

The ruling gives wealthy donors like the billionaires Charles and David Koch more power to influence elections. An earlier ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC resulted in a record $7 billion being spent in the 2012 election cycle, including at least $400 million by the Koch brothers alone.

WASHINGTON, April 1– Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed significant progress by the Department of Veterans Affairs in reducing a disability claims backlog.

The VA announced today that its current backlog of claims pending more than 125 days is at its lowest point in three years. The backlog was reduced from 611,000 one year ago to 344,000 claims pending today, a 44 percent reduction. The VA also said the accuracy of the decisions on disability claims has improved.

(cross-posted from Green Mountain Daily, ; originally posted to Vermont Watch, here)

Although one is left to wonder about whether or not it is merely fool’s gold or the real thing, there have been recent rumors about how, on condition of anonymity, a top administration official is reported to have disclosed that Governor Peter Shumlin‘s plan to fund his single payer health care initiative could potentially include instituting taxes on what currently is non-taxable food and clothing purchases.

If you’re not a Town Representative, you might not know that there is an initiative happening right now to gather enough signatures to put the 2014-15 Town budget up for a referendum.

I support this initiative because the Town Representatives (elected representatives to Town Meeting) are not the be-all and end-all of Town politics … the people of Brattleboro ourselves are. The possibility of a referendum exists for this precise purpose; for a process to be invoked where the Town’s voters can over-rule the Town Representatives.

WASHINGTON, March 31 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said today that the latest report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is another jolting wake-up call for nations around the world.

The report by the U.N. panel said the effects of global warming already are occurring on every continent and across the world’s oceans. The scientists warned that the problem was likely to grow much worse unless greenhouse gas emissions are brought under control.

For anyone who attended or wanted to attend the outstanding event today at The Root Social Justice Center, where part of the documentary “Dark Girls” was shown, .

Congressman Peter Welch, United States House of Representatives Official Appearance Schedule

Monday, March 31st , 2014, 9:30 a.m., Energy Efficiency Roundtable: Brattleboro

Rep. Welch will convene a meeting on energy efficiency with community members, contractors, and energy efficiency leaders.

Climate change is having a real impact on Vermont.  For example, Rep. Welch regularly hears from Vermont’s maple producers about how changes in temperature and shifting seasons are affecting their businesses.  He  last week with Dave Marvin, owner of Butternut Mountain Farm, and Tim Perkins, Director of Proctor Maple Research Institute at the University of Vermont, about the impact of climate change on Vermont’s maple industry.  Rep. Welch will be bringing the voices of Vermonters like Dave and Tim’s to Washington to demonstrate why urgent action on climate change is needed.

Editorial from the Concord Monitor:

As it turns out, Scott Brown isn’t the only politician from next-door New Hampshire voters should be watching.

In an interview with The Nation magazine this month, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says he’s thinking about launching a campaign for president in 2016.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/03/25-1

WASHINGTON, March 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today on reports that President Barack Obama intends to seek another 90-day extension of the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records before asking Congress to make private phone companies store the records:

“As someone who voted against the Patriot Act and opposed its reauthorization, I have long been concerned about out-of-control intelligence agencies.

BURLINGTON, Vt., March 24 – At a time of growing income and wealth inequality in the United States, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday will host free screenings of the Robert Reich documentary “Inequality for All.”

Sanders has held hundreds of town meetings across Vermont. This Sunday’s events will mark the first time he has held four town meetings simultaneously.

The documentary, featuring former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, will be shown in Middlebury, Brattleboro, St. Johnsbury and Bennington. Afterward, the audiences will come together via video conference for a discussion led by Sanders from Middlebury Union High School.

Joan Bowman is excited to announce that she will be running for a seat in the Vermont State Senate, representing Windham County, as a Democrat.

“I am pleased to announce my candidacy and look forward to a spirited campaign that focuses on the issues that matter to residents of Windham County. Over the last six months I have had the pleasure of serving as a navigator for the Vermont Health Connect program. In this capacity I assisted hundreds of Vermonters in their efforts to finally get the affordable health care they deserve. As a Vermont State Senator I will work toward sensible solutions that pilot our region and state towards economic prosperity and social equity.”

I commend Chairman Feinstein for speaking so forcefully in defense of the indispensable role that Congress plays under our Constitution in overseeing the executive branch, and in particular the intelligence community. Chairman Feinstein described a troubling pattern of interference and intimidation by the CIA that raises serious questions about possible violations of the Constitution and our criminal laws. This only compounds the grave concerns I have had for years about the underlying conduct that the Senate Intelligence Committee has been investigating: the torture of detainees during the previous administration. I fully support Chairman Feinstein’s efforts to seek declassification of her committee’s report on the CIA detention and interrogation program.

WASHINGTON, March 11 – A Senate panel chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) heard today that other major countries offer better health care at less cost than the United States.

“What this hearing is really about is two fundamental issues. First, the U.S., the wealthiest country on the planet, is the only major industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee health care as a right to its citizens. Should we consider joining the rest of the world? I’d argue we should,” Sanders said. “Second, the U.S. spends twice as much as other countries that have much better health outcomes. What can we learn from these countries?” asked Sanders, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging.

WASHINGTON, March 10 – As part of an all-night Senate discussion on climate change, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement from remarks prepared for delivery later tonight:

“The scientific community has been extremely clear. Climate change is real. Climate change is man-made. And climate change is already causing severe damage in terms of draught, floods, forest fires, rising sea levels and extreme weather disturbances.

“Given that reality, I find it extremely disturbing that virtually all of my Republican colleagues continue to ignore the scientific evidence and refuse to support legislation which will address this planetary crisis.