Senator Bernie Sanders, a number one progressive voice on Capitol Hill, introduced on Monday that he would search a fourth time period within the Senate this fall, calling November’s elections a combat for democracy and fairness.
Mr. Sanders, an 82-year-old Vermont unbiased and two-time presidential candidate, caucuses with Democrats within the Senate. He’s the longest-serving unbiased in Congress, having beforehand served within the Home for 16 years. If re-elected, he can be 89 years outdated on the finish of his time period.
“That is crucial nationwide election in our lifetimes,” Mr. Sanders mentioned in an announcement that additionally cited battles over different hot-button points together with financial fairness, reproductive rights and local weather change. “We should combat to guarantee that we stay a democracy, not an authoritarian society.”
“The stakes are monumental,” he added. “That is an election we should not lose.”
Mr. Sanders mentioned he was “proud” of his position in increasing veterans’ entry to well being care, easing scholar debt, reducing prescription drug costs, combating local weather change and voting to guard abortion rights. However, he mentioned in a video announcement, “a lot, way more must be finished if we’re to turn out to be the state, and the nation, that our individuals deserve.”
“The political revolution continues,” learn the topic line of a fund-raising electronic mail Mr. Sanders despatched out shortly after his announcement.
Mr. Sanders wields important energy as chairman of the Senate well being committee. He additionally serves on the Democratic management group and sits on a number of different committees, together with on the price range, atmosphere and public works and veterans’ affairs. He beforehand was the chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“I’ve been, and will probably be if re-elected, in a robust place to supply the type of assist that Vermonters want in these troublesome occasions,” he mentioned.
In his assertion, Mr. Sanders additionally addressed the struggle in Gaza, which has turn out to be a flashpoint amongst Democrats and prompted ire from liberal voters offended over how elected officers together with President Biden have approached Israel’s conduct within the battle.
Mr. Sanders confronted criticism from most of the identical progressive activists who powered his presidential runs for not calling for an “rapid” and “everlasting” cease-fire early within the struggle, which started after the brutal assault led by Hamas on Oct. 7. Nonetheless, Mr. Sanders, who’s Jewish and whose father’s household was killed within the Holocaust, has been a number one and vocal proponent for conditioning U.S. help to Israel — a place at odds with many different Democratic members of Congress.
“Israel had absolutely the proper to defend itself towards this terrorist assault, however it didn’t and doesn’t have the appropriate to go to struggle towards the complete Palestinian individuals, which is precisely what it’s doing,” Mr. Sanders mentioned, citing the staggering demise toll and dire starvation disaster in Gaza. “U.S. tax {dollars} shouldn’t be going to the extremist Netanyahu authorities to proceed its devastating struggle towards the Palestinian individuals.”
Mr. Sanders gained re-election to the Senate in 2018 with 67.4 % of the vote.
