Hey collegiettes! The 2016 election is fast approaching so it is important to get to know the candidates. Here is the low down on one of the Democratic candidates, Bernie Sanders.
Background:
Bernie Sanders is an Independent Senator from Burlington, Vermont running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Sanders began his career as the mayor of Burlington, and after eight years, in 1990, he ran for Congress. In 2006 Sanders became a member of the United States Senate and has been a member ever since.
Where he stands on the important issues:
The Economy
Bernie Sanders does not beat around the bush with his opinions on the current state of the U.S. Economy. He believes the top 1% has way too much power, and the government does not cater to the remaining 99%. His goal as president is to bring back the middle class. He plans to do that by creating more decently paying jobs and increasing the minimum wage.
Education
Education, particularly higher education, has been a popular issue in the race to the 2016 nominations. The average amount of debt that college students are graduating with is skyrocketing and Sanders is prioritizing lowering costs of higher education. In the Senator’s opinion it is completely unfair that people have to sacrifice education because of cost. Obama recently proposed free community college, but Sanders says this is not enough. If elected, Sanders has proposed the idea of tuition-free public university to greatly decrease student debt, which in turn will strengthen the economy.
Immigration
Sanders agreed with Obama’s 2014 action that protected millions undocumented immigrants from being deported. Sanders also wants to create a guest workers program that allows business to hire low-wage immigrant workers.
Environment
Climate change is one of Sanders biggest platforms. He believes the climate is drastically changing, and we are to blame. Sander would plan to implement some harsh standards for new vehicles, along with other plans to lower greenhouse gases.
Foreign Policy
Sanders is a believer that powerful Middle Eastern countries, like Saudi Arabia, should fight the war against ISIS. Sanders did not support the war in Iraq, and he believes that Afghanistan is becoming costly and comparable to Vietnam. As far as Iran goes, Sander supports Obama in his attempts to make a deal regarding their nuclear program.