Today’s news from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Filibuster Reform Doesn’t Go Far Enough, Sanders Says: Senators on Thursday voted to make it harder for the minority to block confirmation of the presidents nominees for judges and other top posts. Sen. Bernie Sanders voted for the measure to change Senate rules so 51 votes, not an extraordinary 60 votes, are needed to end a filibuster, WCAX-TV and the Burlington Free Press reported. “We have got to move forward. This country is in trouble. The American people deserve action,” Sanders said on MSNBC. On Crossfire on CNN, Sanders was asked if the Senate may change its rules to allow majority rule on legislation, not just nominees. “Let me be very frank with you. Thats exactly what I believe,” Sanders said. Single Payer: The botched implementation of Obamacare has created a bittersweet moment for advocates of a universal, single-payer health care system: They saw this coming, but they cant gloat about it. Sen. Sanders, a vocal single-payer supporter, told The Huffington Post that “whats happening now just reinforces to me that what we need is a simple system focused on providing health care.” he said. Under the complex system created by the Affordable Care Act, Sanders added, “its main function is to enable insurance companies, drug companies, medical equipment suppliers to be making huge amounts of money off of the system. The more complex it is, the easier it is for them to do that.” Poor Die Younger: Americans in some poor neighborhoods have lower life expectancy than those in countries like Ethiopia and Sudan, according to research presented at a Wednesday hearing held by Sen. Sanders, WCAX-TV, Times Argus, The Caledonian-Record and The Raw Story reported. “Stress and poverty, wondering how I’m going to feed my family tomorrow, pay my bills, get the income I need to survive, takes a toll on human life,” said Sanders. Obama Signs Sanders Veterans COLA Bill: President Obama on Thursday signed into law a measure providing a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment to disabled veterans and their survivors. The increase takes effect Dec. 1 and will first appear in the January checks of more than 5 million beneficiaries. Sen. Sanders, who chairs the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and sponsored the 2013 COLA bill, attached a provision to the bill that has long raised complaints from veterans: The COLA is no longer rounded down to the next lower dollar as a money-saving gimmick. “These seemingly small amounts of money add up over time and will contribute to the financial stability of millions of veterans and their survivors,” Sanders said, according to Military Times. Continue reading here: sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/newswatch/112213
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:34:29 +0000
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