WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after voting against the Continuing Resolution to fund the government that passed the House and Senate early Saturday morning:
I’m gratified that states that have been hard hit by natural disasters will finally receive the critical aid that they need. In fact, this bill includes over $200 million in disaster relief for Vermont – something I fought hard to include.
But while I strongly support the disaster relief provision, I’m extremely disappointed that some vitally important programs were stripped from the original bill. Some of the provisions that were taken out included an expansion of primary health care, mental health care, substance abuse counseling, nutrition programs for the elderly, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and expanding apprenticeships for our young people.
These important proposals, negotiated by Democrats and Republicans for months and agreed to by both sides of the aisle, were stripped from this bill by an unelected billionaire named Elon Musk. Musk, the richest person on Earth, threatened to use his fortune to unseat any member of Congress who would have voted for the original bipartisan legislation.
As a result of Musk’s intervention, fewer people will be able to obtain the services they need at community health centers and there will be fewer doctors and nurses in rural America and underserved areas.
This bill will also deny 100,000 young people the opportunity to receive vocational training to become the skilled workers that Vermont and the rest of America desperately need.
In addition, this bill no longer takes on the greed of Pharmacy Benefit Managers, the middlemen who make outrageous profits by keeping prescription drug prices artificially high.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the precedent that has been set today in Congress should upset every American who believes in our democratic form of government. It appears that from now on no major legislation can be passed without the approval of the wealthiest person in this country. That’s not democracy, that’s oligarchy.
