Town Hall with Bernie Sanders | Part 2

We're back with our

town

hall

, Senator Bernie Sanders, let's answer a few more questions from our audience. We'll go to Rodney Rodney. Are you hello Rodney? What is your question for Senator Sanders? Thank you. My question for a Sanders sender. bring back jobs in industries like Bethlehem Steel that have been lost due in

part

to trade deals that do not favor the American working class. Hey Rodney, that's a great question. You're looking at a former congressman and senator who voted not only against NAFTA. I walked the picket lines with union workers to see that I voted against NAFTA I voted against normal, permanent trade relations with China I strongly opposed the trans-Pacific

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nership and why I opposed all of these disastrous trade deals.

It was very clear to me that these agreements about the Democratic and Republican leadership were written by multinational corporations to further enrich these corporations at the expense of the American worker, so let me suggest an idea that is not radical. American workers should not have to compete against desperate people around the world earning $1 or more. $2 an hour now I think we have a moral responsibility to help the poor around the world along with the rest of the rich countries, but you can do it without engaging in a race to the bottom. I know what I've heard.

I heard from you, you know, I got 100% votes for the union for life, what kind of very close units and I talked to union workers and they told me that our boss said if you don't take a pay cut, you don't take it. a cut in health care we will move to Mexico we will move to China where people are willing to work for next to nothing so we need trade it's a good thing but we need a trade policy that works for working families and not just for the big corporations, okay, so you're in the greasiest pewter package, there are people who say they think the economy is doing pretty well here, so in Pennsylvania unemployment has gone down in the last two years, salaries have increased by 6.6%, so how can you convince those people in this area, who I know you would like to beat you to this time, that they should know to change horses and go with you when things are going well?

That's a fair question and let's see what happens. It is happening not only in the United States around the world. I know Donald Trump will tell you that he is responsible for the relatively low unemployment we currently experience; Guess what in 2010, at the heart of the Wall Street crash, unemployment in the United States was 10%. Remember when Obama left office it was four point five percent, so it's gone down and in the last two and a half years under Trump it's gone back down to where we're now at three and a half percent, that's fine, but it's there has been a constant increase. decline you know what unemployment is in Germany now 3.1 percent in Japan it's 2.8 percent in the UK it's a hair higher than us in other words the entire global economy thank God is recovering from the terrible Wall Street disaster that cost so many jobs and caused so much suffering in this country, okay, today's youth, that has nothing to do with Trump, it is certainly not what I am suggesting to you, the facts are very clear, it is that in Japan, in Germany, the UK, all over the world, thank God, is a good country.

The thing is that the global economy is coming back and unemployment is relatively low now. I know Trump will put a slightly different spin on it, but in the midst of all this, in the current economy today, while unemployment is low and we're all happy about it, what? What we have is that most of the new gains in wealth continue to go to the very, very rich. We now have a situation where 7 million more people lack health insurance than before and we still have a situation where in states across the country. It's hard for me to believe this, but it's true that there are still people working for 750 $8 an hour because Trump and the Republicans refused to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, so to answer your question, the current economy is good thank God, but you have Tens of millions of workers still struggling to put food on the table and we have to address their needs as part of the program: let me quickly ask you if you increase taxes on corporations, which I know you were not happy with the tax cuts for corporations.

Aren't you afraid that this will cool down employment? For those companies to say, "You know, we have 100 employees, we could do it with 50 or you can do it with 60, we're not going to pay these higher taxes." You're not going to know if you want to defend, you know, I think we look at the world a little differently, but if you want to defend a tax system in which Amazon, owned by the richest person in this country, pays zero in federal taxes, no. I do. I don't think anyone thinks that's good enough, but what I'm saying is that if they raise taxes on small businesses across the country, well, we're worried that they'll employ fewer people.

Fiscal policy is complicated and it has to be done well. You did not do it. Listen to me say we're going to raise taxes on small businesses again, what we're talking about is raising taxes on large profitable corporations and the wealthiest people in this country, and I think the lead sponsoring senator, if you look at the list , is in favor of the new green. The agreement and the different policies in it, but you are in favor of it, in general, we talk about Medicare for all, can we talk about that, but will college tuition be free?

You have an infrastructure plan, we have an idea of ​​the current clock of the national debt, which is more than twenty. two trillion tonight and as we speak here it's accelerating, you've talked about ways to pay for your plans, but there's a lot of doubt that your plans can actually speed up that clock dramatically, so when you look at that, I don't care about that anymore, I think. that you're asking the wrong person, maybe it's the president's threat, with all due respect, I'm sure Trump gave a trillion and a half dollar tax relief for the top 1% and the big profitable corporations, and it seems to me so ironic that my Republican colleagues in the Senate walk around the debt all the time, they don't have a word to say about it, we have done many stories but not one criticism, not one criticism, but what I am saying is that I am asking you , yes, in fact, I worry about the day when that is a legitimate concern, all Americans should worry about that, it's not something we should believe in our children and grandchildren, but we pay for what we propose in terms of Medicare, for everything we are paying for that.

By eliminating, as I said before, deductibles and premiums, we are going to save the average family money, when we pay twice as much as in other countries, we are going to save money on medical care. I talked about a tax on Wall Street speculation that will help us keep public universities free, we have a tax plan to raise the trillion dollars we need over a 10-year period to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, so I think you're talking to the only person we're paying for what we're proposing, unlike the president of the United States, Amy is a therapist from South White

hall

Township Amy, what's your question?

I work as a therapist specifically with people struggling with opioid addiction. Pennsylvania currently ranks fourth in the country for opioid overdose deaths, numbering 15 people. one day in Pennsylvania as president, what specific policies would you implement to address this crisis? Thank you, thank you for the work that you are doing and let me tell you that it is not just Pennsylvania, it is Vermont, it is New Hampshire, it is a terrible, terrible crisis for the The first thing I would do is make sure that we never allow Trump to implement his plan that would take out 32 million people from the health insurance they have.

Some of you remember and think about what that would mean for dealing with opioids. You may remember that during the campaign, correct me if I'm wrong, you follow these things that President Donald Trump did on the campaign trail and said that I'm a different kind of Republican. Remember he said, I'm not going to cut Medicaid? was going to cut Medicare well the last budget he presented called for a $1 and a half trillion cut in Medicaid over a 10 year period eight hundred and forty five billion dollars in Medicare what effect would a $1 and a half trillion cut have on Medicaid? our ability to combat opioid addiction, so what we actually need is a set of ideas to deal with this very, very serious addiction, you know what the medical problem is that we're facing in a nation right now where our life expectancy is actually decreasing and one of the reasons is drug addiction, alcoholism, suicide, what doctors refer to as diseases of despair, when people give up on life, that's what happens, so what we need to do is make sure that we have the treatment capabilities that most claim.

Actually, Vermont isn't doing very well, that means if everyone wants to get out of that addiction, there's a place they can go, it's hard, it's kind of hard, but we have to deal with addiction in a serious and serious way. invest in treatment for those who are addicted for all these plans for all these plans you say there are enough taxes to be raised to pay for all the plans yes, there are independent bipartisan groups that have looked at those plans and they say it just doesn't add up, does it add up? what does it tell them?

We disagree and sometimes these plans are made by think tanks. Check who funds think tanks. Look, Brett, this is the problem we have to deal with. Let me take it to a human level. the richest country in the history of the world, that's where we are now do you think we should have the highest rate of child poverty of almost any major nation in the world? We have some moms here who spend fifteen twenty thousand dollars a year trying it. To find quality child care for your children, we probably have a child care system that is more dysfunctional than almost any other country in the world, but we all know that from zero to four of the most important years, hundreds of thousands of bright young people in America Today In the richest country in the world you can't afford to go to college and you have 40 million people struggling with student debt.

You really think we can't do better as a nation and then you have a handful of people who own more wealth than the bottom half of American society now I understand we're taking on corporate America we're taking on Republicans I'm taking on the Democratic establishment, taking on the pharmaceutical companies, taking on the insurance companies, taking it on in the military industrial complex, you know what, ladies, I know, but I think what the American people know, the American people, I think is ready to deal with justice in America, that is what we are fighting for and that is economic justice, social justice, environmental justice, racial justice, immigration. and let's talk a little bit about the border, the president, as you know, has said that the capacity for asylum seekers that was full at the border in terms of housing and is overflowing, is a bad and unsustainable situation right now, he suggested , has been very controversial. in recent days sending some of those people to sanctuary cities that have said in the past that they have opened doors for immigrants, but they have opened doors for immigrants, so where is the excess coming from that we don't have capacity for?

Where do you think they should? Let's go, first, our first thought. I mean, this president is not running in this race. I speak time for them, but what is the problem we have at the moment. It was a serious problem and what is the problem. The problem at this moment. Correct me if I think I'm wrong is that now we are seeing desperate people fleeing violence and misery and Honduras El Salvador Guatemala with small children walking a thousand miles they are not trying to sneak in correct me if I'm wrong they are coming up and saying we want to be silent because we don't I want my little girl to grow up and be treated horribly by gangs.

Well, you're right, there are a lot of people, so what do we have to do? We need sensible immigration reform that includes, among other things, getting hundreds of new judges because the system is now overwhelmed. Who can deal with these problems? Are you arriving in the country? Are you really fleeing violence? or there is another reason that is fine. So you need to have many more judges to speed up the process. process and new asylum laws, forgive me, new asylum, that's what we look at, but you know historically from an international and national perspective and I speak as the son of an immigrant who is not in this type of position, but who came to this country at age. of seventeen years from Poland without a penny in his pocket internationally, what the world has said is that if you arefleeing violence, if your life is in danger, other countries should welcome you, but we need true comprehensive immigration reform, we do not need and let me say it very clearly: we do not need Gemini immigrants.

We have overflowing facilities. They need to go somewhere because they are in that asylum. How about we build where you would put them? How about we build proper facilities for them right now? We are right. in the water right on the border, at the same time, people who live on the border should have more facilities in their states, but sanctuary cities that have said they are open to accepting people should not do so now, this is a political act , it is not a real act. press, it's a political decision, so what you want to do, let's talk about immigration, which is a real problem.

Well, first of all, instead of demonizing immigrants, maybe you say you are, but we have a president who certainly does every day what we need is comprehensive immigration reform. that's what the American people want and if we had a president who believed in that, we really can do what you want to do too. Today you have a point: you know that Trump ended the daca program that Obama established what that means that means that every day there are more and more young people who were raised in the United States from the age of two or three are in the military they are teachers They are working all over this country now they are scared to death that someone is going to pick them up and throw them out of the country and that's what Trump did, we need to give legal status to those people and we need humane attention, but Martha, I'm not saying this, it's an easy topic, but let's not politicize. is what we need, as I said, we need the proper legal processes in the water so that these issues can be judged to determine whether people should have the right to asylum or not and you didn't talk about a wall or security there, but you have We talked about That's before we need water security, of course we do, who argues with that?

The doctors will say no. I have to believe. Turns out, I think there are more cost-effective ways to do it than just building. Well, back to the hearing Tony is a real estate agent who is going to complement Sylvania you have our next question Tony Senator Sanders good luck in your campaign thank you as a Syrian-American I want to be sure that our country has not fallen apart taking any issue outside that does not directly affect our national security. I think we should stay out of Syria, Venezuela and other countries that have their own personal problems.

Do you completely agree with this sentiment or will you become another cog in the war machine? Well, Tony, thank you. That's an excellent question. you know as a nation we don't argue as much as we should uh Tony you're looking at a guy once again not only did he vote against the war in Iraq but I helped lead the opposition to the war in Iraq and if you go back, go back to YouTube and what I said then is that wars have unintended consequences, whether it's the tragedy of Vietnam, with so many people of my generation still suffering as a result of those people sleeping on the streets and By the way, we have to make sure that no veteran in this country sleeps on the streets, but let me tell you that, in a sense, it is good news and I know you know it.

In the last month, I led the effort along with Senator Mike Lee, he was a conservative from Utah. Mike and I led the effort in the Senate and some really great people in a bipartisan way let it into the chamber and what we said is that we think that the United States should exit the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and for the first time since the War Powers Act was passed 45 years ago, we were successful on the Senate floor. Let me say this in a very serious way. I'm criticizing the president all night. but let me tell you that the president has said that he does not want to see this country involved in endless wars and i agree with that and mr. president, tonight you have the opportunity to do something extraordinary, signal that the resolution Saudi Arabia should not determine the military or foreign policy of this country, let's get out of Saudi Arabia, let's develop a bipartisan approach so that we are no longer involved in you, you know ?

Wars like Afghanistan, which is what eighteen plus nineteen years ago, from a foreign policy perspective, which country is the biggest threat to the United States. I don't know what I'm seeing, I don't like to use the word threat because I'm like, my God, we have to spend millions more in the middle. I give you an example clearly. You know we are worried about China and we are worried. about Russia, but here is the irony, there are people who say that we need to spend even more than 700 billion dollars a year more than the next ten nations combined on the military, you know why, because as China it is a real potential enemy , these are the same people. who are investing billions of dollars in building the Chinese economy.

I find it somewhat ironic, so I don't like to use the word enemy. We clearly need a strong defense, we need to unite the United States and the rest of the world to get everything done. us and rid this world of nuclear weapons and I will tell you what else, in my opinion, is a matter of national security and that is that we have God as a nation to reject Trump's idea that climate change is a hope and you you know I'm sure you're familiar with the scientific reports that tell us that we have 12 years to significantly reduce carbon emissions or else they will cause irreparable harm to the United States and countries around the world, so we have a moral responsibility in My vision is to transform our energy system and leave this planet healthy and habitable for our children and our grandchildren and, by the way, when we do that we create millions of good things, let me ask you why you brought a percentage of emissions and only one for Fremont Emissions, but you think we should eliminate nuclear power, which I know they did in Vermont, but it actually ended up raising their emissions by 16% in Vermont because nuclear power has no emissions.

Honestly, I don't think that's right. We are moving. I can tell you that my city is clear in my city in Burlington Vermont, which is the largest city in the state of Vermont. I think all of our energy now is renewable, that's something I started when I was mayor. and all the cities are doing the same thing, but Marty, this is the point, this is the point, yes, I think so, I think we should phase it out, not phase it out tomorrow, we should phase out nuclear power plants, but this is the main point, the main one.

The point is that if we don't combat climate change, I very much fear the kind of world we are leaving for our children in terms of more droughts, more floods, more extreme climate shocks, more rising ocean levels and when those things happen By the way, it becomes a national security issue because people migrate, if I can't, you know, if I live somewhere in the Middle East and I can't grow food on my land, I'll pick up and leave, and that causes conflict, You know, you said Senator, you wanted a strong defense, but your plan requires significant defense cuts.

Would that send a message to the rest of the world that we are weaker? No, no, no, no, now we are spending bread, we are spending, you know? More than the next ten nations combined, including many of our allies, we are now spending more than $700 billion a year on defense, so we need a strong defense, but I will also tell you this: we have a Pentagon and there are some Republicans , Mike finishes. Mike, the ranking member of the Budget Committee, is the chairman of the Budget Committee and I think Mike, and I agree that he is a conservative Republican, something is wrong when the Pentagon is the only major agency in a government that has not undertaken or completed a major audit and there are very few people who doubt that there is an enormous amount of waste and about us, you remember John McCain, the late John McCain, we talked about the incredible cost overruns that exist in the Pentagon, so we need a strong defense. and I support a strong defense, but I don't support, you know, waste and speculation within the military-industrial sector, so let's do a quick lightning round, if you look around, I would try to last about 15 seconds, so the first is. a very serious question that you said yesterday I saw your demonstration in Pittsburgh that no one should tell a woman what she does with her own body regarding abortion do you believe that a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy up to the moment of birth?

Look, I think that happens very, very rarely and I think this is becoming a political issue, so I think it's rare that it's becoming a political issue, but at the end of the day I think the decision about abortion belongs to a Woman and doctor, not the federal government, not the state. You are seeking to become the first Jewish president. You are also a strong supporter of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. I have spoken to Al Han about twice in my life, but I do respectfully need support. but now this is what I support. I support a Muslim member of Congress not being attacked every day with outrageous racist comments.

Surely my question is that even some fellow Democrats had some problems. You have been accused of using associated language. with antisemitism, can you understand why some American Jews would have a problem? But with some of that I can understand, I think that's not quite right and I think Alana has to do maybe a better job of talking to the Jewish community. but if you ask me like do I think she's anti-Semitic no, I don't know, that's not her what I'm saying and the threat is, but here's the point: I'm also Jewish, our boss, my father's family was. devastated by Hitler, so this is an issue of some sensitivity for me, so I will do everything in my power and I hope that all members of Congress will fight not only against anti-Semitism but also against racism and anti-Muslim activity to that we can create a non-discriminatory society. society, but it is not anti-Semitic to criticize a right-wing government in Israel to prevent murderers, rapists, thieves or child abusers from having the right to vote from prison.

Good question, okay this is in my state, I learned it recently. In researching this, it turns out that in our constitution in the state of Vermont for hundreds of years everyone has the right to vote, so I think believe VistaVision if someone does something terrible, they're a rapist or a murderer, we fire them, sometimes we fire them . of life, but I also think it's an integral part of who we are as Americans, no matter what kind of terrible things you've done, you're paying the price, maybe you're in jail for the rest of your life, but you have the right to vote . and I'll tell you one of the things that bothers me a lot is that we have cowardly Republican governors who are working overtime to suppress the vote and make it harder for people of color, for the poor, for the young. vote, so once you start it's like you committed a crime, you can't vote or you did this, you can't vote, you did that, you can't vote.

I don't like that every American over the age of 18 who is a citizen of this country has the right to vote, it would be better for you, come on, you have done a scientific study, but everyone wants you to know, encourage voters. One of the big problems we face right now is one of the political problems we face right now. the effort to deny people the right to vote and watch, I have run for office many times, sometimes I have lost, sometimes like that, but I don't stay up at night trying to figure out how I can get the PP to avoid let people vote because they could vote a guide to faster things we have been told that the redacted Muller report the redacted version of the engine report will be out on Thursday not much is said about the special counsel investigation in the election campaign why good because everything The world is talking about it more, look, it is what it is, it is coming to light.

I think to the extent that you can go public as much as you can, yogi should go public. I think the American people have a right to know what's in the reporting period. Do you think Joe Biden looks progressive? Joe is someone I've known for many years, Joe, as a friend of mine and, by the way, I very much hope that in the Democratic primaries we have a lot of good people, a lot of those personal friends of mine have a debate about the issues and not about personality , so Joe is a friend. See, you're trying to do that.

Joe as a friend will give you his point of view. I give mine, he lets the people decide. Of the 20 potential Democratic candidates, do you have one that you think will be the toughest challenger for you? I have no idea today there was a poll that had us in the lead tomorrow we will be in 18th place, who knows what happens, it's the best we can say is that what makes me proud is that in our campaign the media paid attention to the money that we collect. Well, the most important thing for me is that we have more than 1 million people who have signed up asvolunteer janitors.

I give you the floor here for a final statement. Oh, thank you, we'll give you the floor for a final statement. Very good, thank you very much and I hope I have not been too harsh on you. Sorry, we can accept it. Okay, look, thank you all so much for being here and thank you all for seeing just a couple of points. I think sometimes the divisions in this country get too intense. Well, at the end of the day, we're all Americans who love this country and I also think the media game is not a good role in this and again, it's not just Fox that we have a lot more in common than we think. most people think.

Okay, we raise the bowl, we should raise the minimum wage to a living wage. Yes, should we rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. make sure our veterans get the health care they've earned, should we make sure we don't cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, should we give huge tax breaks to billionaires, you know, that's how most of us feel the people, so I hope, I hope. Look, I'm looking forward to a good campaign and the last point I want to make is that I thank you for the opportunity to be here and that is that I want to see our country have the highest voter turnout in the industrialized world.

It's not one of the lowest, so no matter what you abuse, get involved in the political process, stand up and fight to make this a better country. Thank you very much to all.