Opinion

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 – Vermont today won a $37 million federal grant for a statewide, pre-kindergarten program at public schools.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate education committee, worked closely with federal officials and Gov. Peter Shumlin’s administration to secure the grant for early childhood education.

Sanders said, “Psychologists tell us that, in terms of human development, the most important years are birth through four years of age. Yet, in terms of early childhood education, our nation does a very inadequate job in making quality pre-kindergarten education available to working families. This major federal grant will significantly improve early childhood education in our state and better prepare our kids for school and the challenges and opportunities of life. I am very appreciative that the Department of Education provided Vermont with this major grant.”

Rutland, VT. (December 18th, 2013)- Rep. Peter Welch issued the following statement after it was reported that Rutland’s Gift of Life Marathon blood drive collected 2,337 pints of blood, beating the national record for a single community in one day.

“In the end, it wasn’t even close. Yesterday, Rutland showed Vermont and the nation that it has heart — big time heart. And it demonstrated what a community can accomplish when its residents work together on a shared goal,” said Welch.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after a federal judge declared that the bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records by the National Security Agency is likely to violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and probably is not effective in fighting terrorism:

“I applaud the D.C. District Court’s ruling today on the NSA surveillance program. In my view, the NSA is out of control and operating in an unconstitutional manner. Today’s ruling is an important first step toward reining in this agency but we must go further. I will be working as hard as I can to pass the strongest legislation possible to end the abuses by the NSA and other intelligence agencies.”

Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 – The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs today advanced legislation to expand access to health care and dental care at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The panel also approved a package of other bills, including measures to help veterans find jobs and shield veterans from benefit disruptions in the event of another government shutdown.

“I am proud that we are making good progress in improving and expanding health care and other benefits for the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the committee chairman.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed news that the U.S. Postal Service reported an operating profit of $600 million for the 2013 fiscal year.

“During the last 12 months, the Postal Service made a profit of $600 million picking up and delivering mail and packages to every household and business in America. The amazing thing is that they did this without receiving one dime from the taxpayers of this country. This is great news for the American people and I commend the workers at the Postal Service for making this happen,” Sanders said.

Washington, D.C. (November 14th, 2013)— At a Congressional oversight hearing today, Rep. Peter Welch questioned agency officials in charge of border crossings about the NEXUS program that allows for expedited processing for Vermonters and Canadian visitors. Vermonters have contacted Rep. Welch to tell him that it can still take up to 30-45 minutes to get across the border even after they have paid out-of-pocket and gone through the trouble to get a NEXUS card. Rep. Welch emphasized that long wait times at the Canadian border do real economic harm to our state’s economy. :

BURLINGTON, Vt., – Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement in advance of Monday’s observance of Veterans Day:

“As we honor our nation’s veterans, we must realize the important debt we owe them, a debt we can never truly repay. We must not forget that the true cost of war goes far beyond dollars and cents. Since World War II, more than 500,000 Americans have lost their lives in war. Millions more have received disability ratings by the VA. As a nation, we have a moral obligation to provide for the wounded and ensure that all veterans receive every benefit they have earned and deserve.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) welcomed today’s 64-32 Senate vote in favor of a bill to prohibit workplace discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

“I am very pleased that the Senate has taken this important step toward making America the democratic and inclusive society it should be,” Sanders said. “Today’s vote was a long-overdue victory in the struggle to end workplace discrimination against gay and transgender Americans.”

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced that the federal government designated three new community health centers in Vermont to increase from eight to 11 the number of health centers that will provide primary care for some 163,000 patients throughout the state.

“This is a huge step forward for health care in Vermont in providing high-quality, affordable primary care, dental care, low-cost prescription drugs and mental health counseling to people throughout Vermont,” said Sanders, chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees primary health care.