WASHINGTON, July 25 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after the Senate voted 51-48 to extend tax cuts for most working Americans and end Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthy:

“With a $16 trillion national debt and a $1 trillion deficit, we cannot continue to give tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires. This is a step forward in ending the Bush-era tax breaks for the rich and asking the wealthiest Americans, who are doing phenomenally well, to do their fair share to bring down deficits. I hope our Republican friends in the House can overcome their support for tax breaks for the wealthy and support this common-sense approach to cutting deficits.”