Letter to the editor: Political system ‘just too corrupt’

To the editor:

Yesterday, I voted No on a terrible Continuing Resolution bill — written by right-wing Republicans in the House with no input from anybody but themselves.

This bill moves our country toward authoritarianism by usurping Congress‘s constitutional responsibility to determine how federal funds are spent and creates a slush fund for Elon Musk and Donald Trump to continue their war against the working families of our country. This bill puts more and more power into the hands of the White House.

In order to pass this bill, the Republicans needed 60 votes — which meant they had to have seven votes from Democrats -– and they got them. Actually they got 10. That is sad and a real failure on the part of Democratic leadership. Nobody in the Senate should have voted for this dangerous bill.

But that’s only part of what’s going on right now.

As I’m sure you know, Trump, Musk and the Republican Party are going after Social Security, cutting thousands of jobs at the Social Security Administration.

They are going after Medicaid, trying to cut the program by more than $800 billion. That means millions of kids are going to lose their health care. It means if your mom and dad are in a nursing home, they’re going to be in trouble because two-thirds of people in nursing homes are supported by Medicaid.

They are going after the Veterans Administration and want to cut more than 80,000 workers at the V.A., which means our veterans will get lower-quality health care.

They’re going after public education, nutrition assistance programs and regulations to protect us from polluters and corporate crooks — and on and on it goes.

And why do they want to cut all of these programs that are so important to the working families of our country?

The answer is very simple: they want to give massive tax cuts to the richest people in America. In their program, they are going to give over $1 trillion to the top 1%, paid for by cuts to programs working people rely on to survive.

It’s the Robin Hood principle in reserve. They’re taking from the poor and working people and giving to the very rich.

And if you think my Republican colleagues lose a minute of sleep thinking about all of the harm they will cause for families across the country in the process, you would be mistaken.

So. Where do we go from here?

First, we have to understand that the economic and political crises facing our country will not be solved in Washington, D.C. The system is just too corrupt. As a result of Citizens United, billionaires in both parties are able spend unlimited sums of money buying and selling politicians — and that’s what they do. Further, on any given day, thousands of corporate lobbyists roam the halls of Congress, doing the bidding of their corporate masters.

The only way that real change ever takes place is from the bottom on up. It’s when millions of people, at the grassroots level, reject the status quo and stand up for justice and decency. And the good news is that we’re beginning to see that happen right now — all across the country. Seniors in large numbers are telling Congress: don’t cut the Social Security Administration. Veterans and their organizations are telling Congress: don’t cut the Veterans Administration. Students are telling Congress: don’t cut Pell grants and student loans.

And large numbers of people are coming out to town meetings — and taking on members of Congress who are prepared to vote against their interests.

Over the past several weeks I’ve held a series of town meetings in Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. And what I have found is that in these districts, and all across the country, Americans are saying loudly and clearly: No to oligarchy, No to authoritarianism, No to kleptocracy, No to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, No to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country.

Next week, as part of our Fighting Oligarchy tour, I will join with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive members of Congress in holding events in Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. And that’s just the beginning.

There must be meetings and rallies in all 50 states, and they should take place over and over again. And when those rallies are over, we need to organize the people who attend to mobilize in their communities and be in touch with their members of Congress.

But that is not all.

We need progressives to run for office at all levels. I am talking about school boards, city councils, state legislature and the races that are not in the news but make a tremendous difference in local communities.

We need to build community and bring people together even when it isn’t about politics first. The Republican Party is always trying to divide us up based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and more . . . we need to come together as one.

We need to elect a U.S. House and a U.S. Senate that will prioritize the needs of the working people in this country. We now have open Senate seats in Minnesota, Michigan and New Hampshire. Who are the progressives that are going to run, and how can we support them? There are also a number of House seats that can be won.

Further, we need to be looking for new and creative ways to educate each other in a world where nearly the entire media and communications infrastructure is owned and controlled by the wealthiest people in this country.

If there was ever a time in American history when we need to come together, this is that time.

Not me.

Us.

That is the only way forward.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
Burlington, Vermont