Bernie Sanders in 2019-2021 Town Halls

On Civil Rights: Even prisoners should still have right to vote

Cowardly Republican governors are trying to suppress the vote. In Vermont our Constitution says that everybody can vote. I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away, you're running down a slippery slope. When they get out of jail, they certainly should have the right to vote. But I do believe that even if they are in jail that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Energy & Oil: End fossil fuel; move toward wind and solar

We have got to take on the fossil fuel industry and make it very clear that we are moving away from fossil fuel and not blaming people who work in the coal or gas or oil industry. All they are trying to do is feed their families. We can move aggressively toward wind and solar. We have got to rethink our transportation system and build the kind of state-of-the-art rail system that our country needs which will help us transport people and cargo in a much more nonpolluting way. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Foreign Policy: Supports Israel's right to exist, not Netanyahu

Netanyahu is a right-wing politician who is treating the Palestinian people extremely unfairly. The goal must be to try to bring people together and not just support one country, which is now run by a right-wing, dare I say, racist government. I am 100 percent pro-Israel. Israel has every right in the world to exist in peace and security and not be subjected to terrorist attacks. But the United States needs to deal not just with Israel, but with the Palestinian people, as well. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Health Care: Single payer will transform health care for the better

Over a four-year period we're going to transform our health care system. First year, we go from 65 years of age for eligibility to Medicare down to 55, and we cover all of the kids in the country. And, despite what President Trump says, we expand benefits for senior citizens. Medicare doesn't cover dental care. It doesn't cover eyeglasses. It doesn't cover hearing aids. We do that. Health care is a human right, not a privilege, and the best way is through a single-payer program. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Principles & Values: Government should address income inequality, not support it

There is something fundamentally wrong when we have three families owning more wealth than the bottom half of American society. Something wrong when the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 92%. Something very wrong when 49% of all new income today is going to the top 1%. We should have a government that represents working families and not just the 1% and powerful corporations. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Tax Reform: Supports progressive taxation; closing loopholes for wealthy

You're looking at somebody who not only voted against Trump's disastrous tax plan -- 83 percent of the benefits going to the top 1 percent -- but I have and will continue in this campaign to fight for progressive taxation. If you are doing very, very well in our economy, you should be paying your fair share of taxes. We will raise those taxes for the upper income people. We will do away with the tax loopholes and the tax breaks that large private corporations currently receive. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

On Welfare & Poverty: Would sign reparations bill; wants investment in poor areas

A congressman from South Carolina, Jim Clyburn, called it the 10-20-30 legislation, which means that you use 10 percent of federal funds to focus on communities who have long-term poverty. We make sure that all of the kids get the education [and] health care they need. We improve the infrastructure. We improve broadband. We create a situation in these distressed communities where we take people out of poverty all across the country. That is the direction that I think we should go. Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back Apr 22, 2019

The above quotations are from 2020 Presidential Primary CNN Town Halls. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Bernie Sanders. Click here for Bernie Sanders on all issues.
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Page last updated: Apr 07, 2021