SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., conduct a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
After House Passage, Sanders Vows to Strengthen Build Back Better 'In a Number of Ways'
"The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the Build Back Better Act."
Nov 19, 2021
Sen. Bernie Sanders praised House Democrats on Friday for passing their version of the Build Back Better Act but made clear he intends to push for significant improvements to the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate package before it reaches President Joe Biden's desk.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes."
"Now the legislation comes to the Senate, where I hope to see it strengthened in a number of ways," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the powerful Senate Budget Committee, said in a statement. "The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the Build Back Better Act."
In recent days, the Vermont senator has voiced outrage over a provision of the Build Back Better Act that would deliver a sizeable tax break to largely rich households--and virtually nothing to middle- and low-income families. The proposal, which would raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $80,000 through 2026, is currently the second most expensive component of Democrats' reconciliation package.
Sanders told reporters earlier this week that he's working on a compromise to limit the provision and ensure the bill does not leave "millionaires better off tax-wise than they were under [former President Donald] Trump."
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised to "fight" to keep the SALT proposal intact, Sanders told CNN's Manu Raju on Thursday that the plan is both "bad politics" and "bad policy."
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes," the Vermont senator said in his statement Friday. "That's what we must do."
As grassroots groups push the upper chamber to take up and approve the Build Back Better Act without delay, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) said earlier this week that he hopes to pass the reconciliation bill before Christmas.
\u201cLet me say it again. You can\u2019t be a political party that talks about demanding the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, and then end up with a bill that gives large tax breaks to millionaires. You can\u2019t do that. The hypocrisy is too strong. It\u2019s bad policy, it\u2019s bad politics.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1637259251
Sanders also vowed to continue pushing for more substantial climate action, bolder drug price reforms, and Medicare expansion. Last month, amid opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and other corporate Democrats, the Biden White House dropped its push to add dental and vision benefits to Medicare.
In its current form, the Build Back Better Act would just add hearing services to Medicare starting in 2023. The bill also includes drug price reforms that are substantially weaker than Democrats' earlier proposals, which drew pushback from party members bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower the cost of prescription drugs. That's what we must do," Sanders said Friday. "The American people overwhelmingly demand that we expand Medicare to cover dental, eyeglasses, and hearing aids. That's what we must do."
"The American people understand that we must act now to combat the existential threat of climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels," he continued. "That's what we must do."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sen. Bernie Sanders praised House Democrats on Friday for passing their version of the Build Back Better Act but made clear he intends to push for significant improvements to the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate package before it reaches President Joe Biden's desk.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes."
"Now the legislation comes to the Senate, where I hope to see it strengthened in a number of ways," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the powerful Senate Budget Committee, said in a statement. "The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the Build Back Better Act."
In recent days, the Vermont senator has voiced outrage over a provision of the Build Back Better Act that would deliver a sizeable tax break to largely rich households--and virtually nothing to middle- and low-income families. The proposal, which would raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $80,000 through 2026, is currently the second most expensive component of Democrats' reconciliation package.
Sanders told reporters earlier this week that he's working on a compromise to limit the provision and ensure the bill does not leave "millionaires better off tax-wise than they were under [former President Donald] Trump."
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised to "fight" to keep the SALT proposal intact, Sanders told CNN's Manu Raju on Thursday that the plan is both "bad politics" and "bad policy."
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes," the Vermont senator said in his statement Friday. "That's what we must do."
As grassroots groups push the upper chamber to take up and approve the Build Back Better Act without delay, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) said earlier this week that he hopes to pass the reconciliation bill before Christmas.
\u201cLet me say it again. You can\u2019t be a political party that talks about demanding the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, and then end up with a bill that gives large tax breaks to millionaires. You can\u2019t do that. The hypocrisy is too strong. It\u2019s bad policy, it\u2019s bad politics.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1637259251
Sanders also vowed to continue pushing for more substantial climate action, bolder drug price reforms, and Medicare expansion. Last month, amid opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and other corporate Democrats, the Biden White House dropped its push to add dental and vision benefits to Medicare.
In its current form, the Build Back Better Act would just add hearing services to Medicare starting in 2023. The bill also includes drug price reforms that are substantially weaker than Democrats' earlier proposals, which drew pushback from party members bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower the cost of prescription drugs. That's what we must do," Sanders said Friday. "The American people overwhelmingly demand that we expand Medicare to cover dental, eyeglasses, and hearing aids. That's what we must do."
"The American people understand that we must act now to combat the existential threat of climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels," he continued. "That's what we must do."
Sen. Bernie Sanders praised House Democrats on Friday for passing their version of the Build Back Better Act but made clear he intends to push for significant improvements to the $1.75 trillion social spending and climate package before it reaches President Joe Biden's desk.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes."
"Now the legislation comes to the Senate, where I hope to see it strengthened in a number of ways," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the powerful Senate Budget Committee, said in a statement. "The Senate has an opportunity to make this a truly historic piece of legislation. We will listen to the demands of the American people and strengthen the Build Back Better Act."
In recent days, the Vermont senator has voiced outrage over a provision of the Build Back Better Act that would deliver a sizeable tax break to largely rich households--and virtually nothing to middle- and low-income families. The proposal, which would raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $80,000 through 2026, is currently the second most expensive component of Democrats' reconciliation package.
Sanders told reporters earlier this week that he's working on a compromise to limit the provision and ensure the bill does not leave "millionaires better off tax-wise than they were under [former President Donald] Trump."
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised to "fight" to keep the SALT proposal intact, Sanders told CNN's Manu Raju on Thursday that the plan is both "bad politics" and "bad policy."
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we ask the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes," the Vermont senator said in his statement Friday. "That's what we must do."
As grassroots groups push the upper chamber to take up and approve the Build Back Better Act without delay, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) said earlier this week that he hopes to pass the reconciliation bill before Christmas.
\u201cLet me say it again. You can\u2019t be a political party that talks about demanding the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, and then end up with a bill that gives large tax breaks to millionaires. You can\u2019t do that. The hypocrisy is too strong. It\u2019s bad policy, it\u2019s bad politics.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1637259251
Sanders also vowed to continue pushing for more substantial climate action, bolder drug price reforms, and Medicare expansion. Last month, amid opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and other corporate Democrats, the Biden White House dropped its push to add dental and vision benefits to Medicare.
In its current form, the Build Back Better Act would just add hearing services to Medicare starting in 2023. The bill also includes drug price reforms that are substantially weaker than Democrats' earlier proposals, which drew pushback from party members bankrolled by the pharmaceutical industry.
"The American people overwhelmingly demand that we take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower the cost of prescription drugs. That's what we must do," Sanders said Friday. "The American people overwhelmingly demand that we expand Medicare to cover dental, eyeglasses, and hearing aids. That's what we must do."
"The American people understand that we must act now to combat the existential threat of climate change and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels," he continued. "That's what we must do."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.