►
Description
From the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders:
On August 12, the office of Senator Bernie Sanders hosted a senior event in Burlington. This was an opportunity for seniors to come together to enjoy delicious free food, listen to great music, and connect with friends and neighbors. Senator Sanders also be provided an update as to what’s going on in Washington and answer questions.
8/12/2023
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A
A
And
they're
going
to
return
in
a
little
while
you
know
before
covid
we
used
to
do
these
things
on
an
annual
basis,
not
only
here
in
Burlington
but
all
over
the
state
and
was
very
important
for
us
to
bring
people
together
and
have
a
nice
time,
but
covet
put
a
damper
on
that.
Obviously,
so
we're
glad
to
be
back
again-
and
we
thank
the
Hilton
here
for
their
help
in
arranging
this.
A
What
I
wanted
to
do
is
just
chat
for
a
few
minutes
about,
what's
going
on
in
Washington,
then
I'm
going
to
stop
and
take
your
questions
and
your
comments,
but
before
I
even
begin,
let
me
mention
to
you
that
we
have
an
office
located
here
in
Burlington
for
the
1-800
number.
That
really
does
a
very,
very
good
job
in
helping
vermonters
with
their
problems,
whether
it's
Social
Security
veterans,
Medicare,
Medicaid,
whatever
it
may
be,
housing
we
do
our
best,
and
then
we
have
some
really
good
staff.
B
C
A
A
A
You
know
the
1930s,
some
of
you
may
have
been
around
them
with
terrible
was
The
Depression
unemployment
was
high.
Obviously
the
Civil
War
back
in
the
1860s
was
terrible
Etc,
but
this
is
a
difficult
typical
moment
in
American
history
and
what
are
some
of
the
issues
that
we're
dealing
with
and
what
is
Washington
doing
or
not
doing
two
alternative
is
not
doing
to
address
them
issue.
A
Right
now
we
are
living
in
a
moment
where
the
last
eight
years
have
been
the
warmest
on
record.
It's
just
this
last
real
line.
Last
month,
warmest
July
recorded
history,
July
4th
was
the
warmest
day
ever
recorded
on
earth,
and
it's
not
just
the
United
States
China
had
new
character
of
120
23
degrees.
A
They
had
flooding,
which
drove
a
million
people
out
of
the
Beijing
area.
Iran
literally
had
to
shut
down
its
country.
People
couldn't
go
to
work,
it
was
so
hot
Latin,
America
Africa,
you
name
it
right.
How
the
buildings
probably
still
would
be.
Forest
fires
in
Quebec,
remember:
breathing
in
upload
air
was
really
disgusting.
I
was
in
Washington
at
the
worst
of
it,
and
this
forest
fire
this
model
from
the
parts
many
parts
of
the
country
and
created
the
worst
and
days
that
people
had
ever
seen.
A
A
Just
a
beautiful
beautiful
island,
which
has
something
devastating
fires
which
essentially
are
caused
by
what
climate
change
is
doing.
So
this
is
a
problem
that
has
to
be
done,
is
Congress
doing
much
to
deal
with
doing
something
all
right.
Last
year
in
a
bill
called
the
inflation
of
just
an
act,
we
quite
hundreds
of
billions
of
dollars
into
Energy,
Efficiency
and
sustainable
energy.
One
of
the
provisions
that
I
got
in
will
make
it
easier
for
middle
class
working
class
lowering
from
people
to
put
solar
panels
on
their
rooftops.
A
F
A
To
people
to
put
the
sold
on
and
if
they,
if
they
have
to
repay
the
loan,
it
will
not
be
any
more
than
their
current
electric
bill.
So
if
you're
paying
a
hundred
Watts
down
to
pay
a
hundred
bucks
to
repay
the
loan
and
at
the
end
of
the
seven
eight
nine
years,
just
that's
it,
you
own
the
Solas
and
you
got
to
work
shoes.
A
And
solar,
an
Energy
Efficiency
investing
in
Energy
Efficiency,
something
we
saw
here
in
this
city.
When
I
was
mayor,
we
hit
some
Bond
issues
from
people
supported,
I'm
sure
it's
changed
a
little
bit,
but
for
a
number
of
years
in
the
City
of
Burlington,
while
a
city
grew
the
city,
the
park,
Electric
Co-op
was
not
using
any
more
electricity
because
of
Energy
Efficiency.
So
those
are
the
two
directions
we
are
moving
into:
wind,
solar
and
other
renewable
energies
and
making
sure
that
what
we
do
is
more
energy
efficient.
A
A
These
guys
want
everything
they
are
charging
us
in
this
country,
the
highest
practices
in
the
world
by
far
or
prescription
drugs-
something
you
may
recall,
but
a
number
of
years
ago,
many
years
ago
now,
but
also
the
conference
actually
I,
took
a
trip
from
Saint
Albans
over
to
Montreal
to
help
women
who
were
dealing
with
breast
cancer.
They
needed
to
draw
both
lots
of
them
still
use
it.
They
bought
that
drug
in
Montreal
for
one
ten
of
the
price
to
have
to
pay
in
July
one
tenth
of
a
price.
A
A
couple
of
years
ago,
I
went
from
Detroit
Michigan
to
Windsor
Ontario
San
Diego.
There
are
West
Florida
people
buying
insulin
products,
insulin
big
deal
because
we
have
a
major
crisis
of
diabetes.
They
take
one
time
for
the
price,
so
we
are
working
hard
to
take
on
the
pharmaceutical
industry
and
lower.
The
cost
of
the
prescription
are
not
easy.
They
are
a
very,
very
powerful
industry
that
owns
a
lot
of
members
and
commerce.
A
Last
session,
we
had
some
success
if
you're
on
Medicare,
it
will
kick
in.
You
should
not
have
to
pay
more
than
35
a
month
for
insulin.
Sorry,
that's
a
step
open,
more
importantly,
within
a
short
period
of
time,
I
can't
remember
next
year,
three
years-
and
this
is
a
big
deal,
no
senior
in
America
will
have
to
pay
more
than
two
thousand
dollars
out
of
pocket.
Of
course,
all
right.
So
if
you
have,
if
right
now,
you've
taken
a
lot
of
medicine,
that
would
be
a
good
time.
A
Third
issue
which
supports
the
political
industry
is
running
through,
of
course,
to
get
overturned
is
making
the
most
support.
The
reason
we
pay
the
highest
prices
in
the
world
is:
they
have
never
been
regulations
on
the
industry,
so
they
come
up
with
the
drug
or
they
have
a
truck.
Maybe
it's
been
out
there
for
20
years?
Guess
what
we
didn't?
Let's
double
the
price:
well,
no,
no,
there's
triple
the
price.
What's
the
difference?
No
one.
A
The
law
and
that's
what
they
do:
She
Got
Drugs
put
on
the
market
for
a
long
period
of
time,
they're
just
double
tripping
together
and
walking,
can
bath
so
another
very
first
time.
What
Medicare
will
do
in
a
couple
of
years
is
negotiating
prices
with
the
pharmaceutical
industry,
starting
off
small,
only
10
drugs.
Why
do
you
use
drugs?
So
in
other
words,
you
will
not
be
able
to
charge
any
price
they
want.
A
This
is
something
that
the
Veterans
Administration
has
been
doing
for
decades
and
doing
it
well,
which
is
why
your
VA
pays
by
far
the
lowest
prices
in
this
country
for
prescription
drugs,
so
I'm
going
to
be
introducing
the
bill.
I,
don't
know
that
it
will
get
passed
because
of
all
the
opposition
from
the
industry.
People
get
paid
by
the
industry,
but
basically
what
it
will
say.
It's
kind
of
doing
what
the
Canadians
do.
You're
going
to
look
around
the
world.
Look
at
what
goes
on
in
Europe
goes
on
in
Japan
and
in
the
United
States.
A
A
The
other
issue
that
we're
working
on
on
the
committee
and
we're
working
on
literally
my
staff
is
working
on
it
literally
as
I
stand
here,
and
that
is
I.
Don't
have
to
tell
anybody
that
the
Health
Care
system
in
America
is
broken.
Is
that
true?
Okay?
What
does
that
mean
and
I
want
to
go
through
what
broken
means
and
what
I
believe
the
alternative
itself
number
one
we
spend
as
a
nation
who
wants
to
help
me
out
here,
guess
how
much
we
spend
per
person.
A
A
C
A
To
provide
quality
care
to
all
people
that
should
be
the
function.
The
function
is
to
make
as
much
money
as
possible
for
the
insurance
companies
and
the
drug
companies,
and
that
is
exactly
what
is
happening
right
now
at
the
end
of
the
day
reminders
and
it's
going
to
take
off
just
a
massive
effort
to
make
it
happen.
We
are
moving
the
direction
of
what
Europe
does
what
Canada
does
if
you
get
sick
in
Canada
and
their
system
is
not
perfect.
They're
not
here,
to
tell
you
it
is.
A
A
Now:
here's
where
the
here's,
where
the
problem
lies
when
I
propose
what
we
call
a
Medicare
for
all
system.
There
are
37
ads
on
hold
Bernie
Sanders,
wants
to
raise
your
taxes,
okay
and,
to
some
degree
I'm
sure.
On
the
other
hand,
what
Ernie
wants
to
do
is
eliminate
all
of
your
premiums,
your
co-payments,
your
deductibles.
A
A
The
insurance
companies
a
lot
of
powerful
people
to
make
that
happen,
and
it's
not
going
to
happen
tomorrow,
but
I
am
trying
now
to
do
something
in
a
small
way,
at
least
working
really
hard
trying
to
get
bipartisan
support.
That
is,
to
expand
Primary
Health
Care
in
America.
What
does
that
mean?
It
means
that
other
countries
around
the
world
invest
10
15
of
the
healthcare
allies
in
Primary,
Healthcare
primary
health
and
needs
that
everybody
has
the
opportunity
to
walk
into
a
doctor's
office.
A
When
you
are
sick,
walk
into
a
dental
office,
dental
care
or
issue
are
going
to
a
dentist
when
you're
leaving.
Now.
What
is
the
advantage
of
that?
Well,
the
obvious
is
beneficials.
When
people
are
sick,
they
should
be
able
to
find
the
topic,
but
for
the
system.
The
truth
is
we
save
money
when
you
are
able
to
go
to
a
doctor
when
you're
saying
why?
A
Got
really
sick
whatever
so
happening,
you're,
not
in
the
hospital,
which
is
something
interesting
expensive,
so
keeping
people
healthy
keeping
people
healthy
is
not
only
the
right
thing
to
do.
For
the
Humane
point
of
view,
it
saves
the
system
money
so
I'm
trying
to
significantly
increase
funding
for
Primary
Care,
so
we
can
keep
people
out
of
the
hospital.
A
C
A
All
right,
what
are
the
things
that
concerns
me
is
that
you
live
in
a
nation
right
now,
whereas
some
60
of
our
people
are
living
paycheck
to
paycheck.
You
don't
know
what
that
means.
You
do
know
it
it's.
Unfortunately,
you
do
know
what
it
is.
It
means
that
you
have
to
pay
rent
and
you
have
to
buy
food.
You
got
to
go
to
the
doctor's
office
and
at
the
end
of
the
week,
you've
got
nothing
to
say,
and
sometimes
people
are
holding
personal
life.
A
A
A
You
know
when
I
was
a
mayor
of
Burlington
in
the
80s,
but
I
walked
into
the
city
called
they
didn't
have
any
computers
cell
phones
did
not
exist.
You
know
all
of
this.
New
technology
in
America
is
no
better
off
than
he
or
she
was
50
years
ago.
On
the
other
hand,
the
people
on
top
are
doing
phenomenally
wealth.
A
A
A
And
it
is
not
good
in
economics
that
three
people
on
top
Elon
Musk
and
a
few
of
his
friends
own
more
wealth
than
the
bottom
half
of
American
society
got
that
three
people,
almost
all
of
your
income,
goes
to
the
people
on
top.
So
our
struggled
ultimately
is
to
try
to
create
an
economy
that
works
for
everybody,
not
just
the
billionaires
and
the
one
percent.
A
A
So
right
now,
as
a
result
of
a
Supreme
Court
decision
called
citizens
united,
you
all
hear
that
listen
what
that
decision,
but
the
Supreme
Court
said
is
for
all
of
you
who
are
billionaires
and
I
know
about
many
millionaires
in
this
storm
right
now
you
can
send
hundreds
of
millions
of
dollars.
Nobody
knows
it.
Let's
go
to
the
bank
check
out
a
couple
hundred
million
boys,
Super
PAC
ific
government
ads
on
television
attacking
people
who
are
trying
to
stand
up
working
people
supporting
other
people.
A
B
C
A
C
F
So
last
of
all
the
governor
of
the
state
right,
if
you
don't
have
only
impose
upon
required
state
employees
or
Medicare
Advantage,
he
fought
the
governor
and
he
was
trying
to
bypass
the
unit.
But
I
decided
to
stepped
in
all
things
are
good
right.
Now.
We're
bargaining
for
working
averages,
non-profit
Blue,
Cross,
Blue,
Shield
medical
policy
in
the
process
I
found
out
that
under
the
Trump
Administration
traditional
Medicare,
not
Medicare
management
was
beginning
to
be
privatized
through
the
Innovations
program
called
direct
contact.
F
National
Healthcare
program,
the
bike:
Administration
bureaucrats
are
going
to
expand
the
privatization
of
traditional
Medicare
over
the
next
two
to
eight
years.
This
means
they're
giving
money
to
direct
Contracting
entities
which
is
capitated
so
that
Medicare
enrollees
will,
with
their
providers,
grow
these.
A
And
a
lot
of
years,
Medicare
our
traditionally
has
been
enormously
popular
and
enormously.
Success
has
its
problems,
but
it's
a
very
strong
program
over
the
last
number
of
years,
United,
Insurance
and
other
big
insurance
companies.
Essentially
Medicare
is
Social
Security
and
Medicaid,
and
everything
else
so
you're
right
and
it's
a
very
serious
problem.
It's
like
within
the
jurisdiction
that
my
committee
is
another
committee,
but
we
you
don't
understand,
and
it's
something
that
has
to
be
here.
G
A
G
Elon
Musk
and
all
those
cronies,
the
billionaires,
the
ball
players,
the
football
players,
baseball
player,
the
people
in
holy,
but
everybody
they
don't
pay
any
Social
Security
after
160
000
growing
up
now.
My
suggestion
is
instead
of
putting
the
pack
every
year,
I'm
Social
Security
at
the
beginning,
but
then
on
the
end
on
the
end
that
most
people
could
get
better
say:
five
thousand
dollars,
but
paying
Social
Security
on
what
you'll
earn
and
you
will
have
never
had
a
problem
with
Social
Security
foreign.
A
A
If
you
make
160
billion
dollars
a
year,
you
pay
the
same
amount
so
on
our
legislation.
Does
it
has
a
lot
of
support?
Is
it
lifts?
Look
forward
to
lifts
the
cat
gets
rid
of
that
cap
at
160.
taxes.
People
want
all
of
their
income,
which
will
impact
not
impact
the
bottom
98,
just
the
top
one
to
two
percent.
A
And
number
two:
it
will
increase
social
security
benefits
all
right,
because
right
now
there
are
a
lot
of
seniors
trying
to
get
by
on
fifteen
sixteen
thousand
Dollars
near
Social
Security
all
right
and
that's
tough
to
do
so.
We
want
to
increase
that
until
president
100
right.
That's
the
building
like
introducing
a
number
of
postal
answers
on
it
through
with
the
father.
That
is
the
solution
to
the
Social
Security
Department.
E
Every
October
1st,
when
the
new
federal
budget
here
starts,
we
get
a
cost
of
living
adjustment
for
both
of
us
to
get
SNAP
benefits,
which
is
probably
fun.
If
you
remember
and
then
on
January
1st,
we
did
a
cola
for
our
social
security,
the
state
immediately
recalculates
our
stat
benefits
and
they
go
down
40
to
60
percent.
So
there
goes
the
picture
of
our
social
security
code
advantages.
A
These
two
things
well
you're,
absolutely
right,
I
mean
you
know
what
the
government
schools,
if
it's
local,
SAFE
Federal
Government.
They
all
need
money,
but
instead
of
going
to
the
places
where
you
should
be
going
to
the
people
who
have
the
money
they
go
to
people
who
are
struggling.
That
is
Advanced
way
to
raise
money
you're
on
Snap.
A
A
Right
now
you
are
a
low
income,
single
mom
and
you're
getting
benefits
for
child
care.
Well,
you
know
what
you
get
a
decent
job.
You
make
a
little
bit
more
money.
You
can
lose
those
child
care
benefits.
It's
the
same
thing
where
penalizing
poor
people
for
trying
to
survive
lower
than
whatever
you
want
and
that's
wrong.
Okay,
Katie.
I
We're
both
Social
Security
recipients.
We
also
pay
Medicare
out
of
that
Social
Security.
The
issue
that
we
have
is
that
when
we
were
employed
and
had
health
insurance,
that
health
insurance
premiums
that
we
paid
were
not
counted
for
taxes
out
of
our
income,
but
when
you
with
Medicare,
taken
out
of
Social
Security,
that
those
premiums
be
made
for
Medicare
and
also
for
supplemental,
is
taxed
and
that's
not
fair
to
people
who
are
on
Social
Security,
so
I
don't
understand
why
the
government
is
taxing
those
premiums,
basically,
that.
A
We've
had
well,
the
answer:
is
it's
easier
to
taxes,
low
income
and
working
people
and
billionaires?
That's
the
answer.
Are
all
of
these
questions
get
through
the
same
form
and
talk
about
tax
policy.
Is
that
what
you're
talking
about
all
right
give
me
an
example,
piece
of
the
paper
yesterday
pharmaceutical
industry,
which
makes
huge
profits
what
they
do
is
they
take
their
profits?
They
put
them
in
Europe
because
the
tax
rate
is
lower
and
they
pay
very
little
taxes
in
the
United
States
Elon
Musk
probably
plays
a
lower,
effective
tax
rate
than
usual.
A
So
it
is
always
the
new
goal
of
your
Philadelphia
Gas
Line.
It
is
a
regressive
form
of
Taxation.
So
what
we're
trying
to
do
is
to
fight
for
progressive
taxation.
That
means,
if
you
got
a
lot
of
money,
you
should
be
asked
to
pay
your
fair
share
of
taxes.
That
does
not
exist
right
now
that
touches
on
exactly
what
you're
talking
about.
So
your
point
is
voltage,
just
as
this
gentleman's
point
is
well
taken.
You.
A
A
C
K
A
A
You
know
we
think
of
ourselves
as
the
richest
country
on
Earth
and
in
some
respects,
that's
correct.
If
you
add
it
all
together,
we
all,
but,
as
I
mentioned
earlier,
the
problem
with
that
is
we
have
massive
economy
throughout
the
equality.
Also,
our
social
programs
are
much
weaker
than
many
other
countries.
A
The
gentleman
talked
about
Paid,
Family
and
Medical,
Leave
guess
what
we
are,
the
only
major
country
on
Earth
that
does
not
guarantee
pay,
Family
and
Medical
Leave
all
right
so
right
now
they
are
all
meaning
in
America,
low-income,
working-class
women,
they're
making
12
bucks
an
hour,
15
bucks
an
hour.
They
have
a
baby
they're
going
to
go
back
to
work
a
week
after
they
have
that
baby,
because.
A
C
A
Depends
on
the
country,
but
you
can
get
up
to
a
year
off
to
stay
home
with
full
pay
to
a
three-quarters.
Today,
you've
got
a
vacation
time
throughout
Europe
people
are
guaranteed
30
days,
40
days
of
paid
vacation,
so
we
are
behind
many
of
other
countries,
so
we're
trying
to
do
what
we
can
and
easy.
Okay.
Other
questions.
C
A
The
theory
of
the
Supreme
Court
is
that
the
politics
aside
and
look
at
the
constitutional
laws
of
America,
and
you
render
the
best
decision
that
you
can
I,
don't
think
too
many
Americans
think
that
that
is
now
the
case.
You
have
a
very
right-wing
Supreme
Court,
which
has
passed
some
terrible.
The
terrible
makes
a
very,
very
terrible
decisions
in
recent
years,
I
mentioned
earlier,
the
citizens
united,
which
is
going
a
long
way
to
undermine
American
democracy.
A
A
H
H
I
have
been
working
for
several
years
to
try
and
get
constitutional
amendment
to
open
term
citizens
through
the
state
legislature.
Method
of
amending
account
s
that
has
failed
up
to
this
point.
Vermont
was
the
first
state
to
volunteer
to
do
that
and
I'm
proud
of
that,
but
that,
together
with
the
lack
of
excess
profits,
taxes
in
this
country
that
allow
billionaires
to
become
trillionaires,
we've
all
worked
hard
on
all
these
issues
of
following
your
great
example
of
leadership.
A
A
A
A
See
if
we're
working
with
vice
versa,
how
are
you
going
to
get
the
money
you
need,
or
you
do
Public
Funding
of
Elections?
If
you
have
a
certain
threshold
of
your
email
that
you
can
run
a
serious
campaign?
Does
some
of
that,
for
example.
So
your
your
absolute
product
issue
of
campaign,
Finance
reform,
election.
A
K
B
B
A
The
mayor
and
the
city
council
are
attempting
to
deal
with.
I
will
tell
you
that
the
issue
of
homelessness
is
a
huge
issue
in
this
state,
not
not
only
here
in
Burlington
but
around
the
city.
I
got
around
to
say
that
and
if
you
talk
to
police
officers,
you
know
the
teachers,
you
know
the
local
officials
just
on
a
broader
world,
the
other
day,
homelessness
and
the
high
cost
of
housing
is
a
major
major
issue
and
when
you
have
homelessness-
and
you
have
drug
addiction,
you're
going
to
have
crime
with
them.
So.
A
B
A
A
C
F
A
In
the
hospital
you
know
that
the
hospitals
had
a
huge
amounts
of
life
because
it
was
being
flooded
with
people
with
coven.
Nobody
knew
how
to
deal
with
it.
School
systems
got
money,
Child,
Care,
Centers
got
money.
We
expanded
medicaid,
because
people
lost
their
health.
Insurance
is
Chairman
of
the
luxury
committee
working
with
the
president
to
help
write
that
1.9
trillion
dollar
bill
would
help
get
this
country
out
of
the
worst
economic
downturn
in
modern
history,
but
that
was
not
enough.
A
What
we
wanted
to
do
is
come
back
and
deal
with
some
of
these
systemic
and
structural
crises
facing
this
country,
including
homelessness
and
housing,
and
health
care
and
drug
addiction.
We
put
together
a
massive
bill
that
was
unprecedented
in
modern
American
history
that
if
God
would
have
done
hundreds
of
billions
of
dollars
going
into
low-income
and
affordable
housing
money
going
to
help
me
addiction
treatment.
We
don't
have
enough
counselors
by
any
means.
A
C
J
A
A
A
Great
idea,
he
understands
that
many
of
you
senior
citizens-
you
are
passionately
concerned
about
these
issues
that
we're
talking
about
many
of
you
are
retired.
You
want
to
do
meaningful
things
with
your
lives
right,
you
don't
want
to
sit
around
watching
YouTube
all
day
and
he
is
trying
to
organize
seniors
into
a
powerful
political
force
to
do
just
that,
and
let
me
get
back,
you
know
we
have
any
of
you
get
the
burning
buzz.
You
ever
seen
that
burning
bus
all
right
who's.