Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is urging the incoming Democratic majorities in Congress to move quickly on an ambitious policy agenda, warning that failure to deliver concrete results for working families could cost the party dearly at the ballot box.
In an opinion piece published by Fox News, Sanders argued that recent Election Day results reflect more than opposition to President Trump. He pointed to a recent Associated Press poll finding that 80% of registered voters want either “complete and total upheaval” or “substantial change” in how the country is run, including 97% of Democrats, 90% of independents and 58% of Republicans.
Sanders noted that when the new Congress convenes, Democrats are set to hold more than 250 seats in the House and at least 55 in the Senate, giving the party enough votes to pass significant legislation. “No more empty rhetoric and poll-driven messaging,” Sanders wrote, saying Democrats “must deliver for a long-neglected working class” rather than continuing to campaign against Trump and Republicans.
Health Care and Economic Inequality
Sanders called for passage of Medicare for All, which he said is now supported by 66% of Americans. As an initial step, he proposed lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 55, adding dental, vision and hearing coverage, and guaranteeing health care for children from birth through age 19. He cited figures showing more than 90 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured and that over 60,000 people die each year because they cannot afford care.
On inequality, Sanders said the top 1% of Americans now owns more wealth than the bottom 93%, and that Elon Musk alone holds more wealth than the bottom 53% of U.S. households. He called for a 5% wealth tax on billionaires — an idea he said 61% of Americans support — with proceeds funding a $12,000 payment to working-class families of four, 7 million new affordable housing units, tuition-free public colleges, child care for 13 million children, and improvements to public education.
Wages, Social Security and Other Priorities
Sanders called for raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $20 an hour and passing the PRO Act to make union organizing easier, saying 60% of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck.
On Social Security, Sanders said billionaires currently pay the same amount into the program as someone earning $184,600, and proposed applying the payroll tax to all income above $250,000, including capital gains and dividends. He said this would raise benefits by $2,400 a year and extend the program’s solvency without raising taxes on the bottom 91% of earners.
Sanders also called for a national moratorium on AI data centers, which he said 63% of Americans support, along with a pause on advanced AI development and a ban on superintelligent systems, citing risks to jobs, privacy, electricity rates and water supplies.
On other fronts, Sanders urged Democrats to shift federal spending away from fossil fuels toward energy efficiency and sustainable energy, to cut military spending and end what he called an
