VA ‘At a Tipping Point’ as Claims Backlog Begins to Shrink, Senate Panel is Told

WASHINGTON, June 12 – Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) welcomed assurances today that the Department of Veterans Affairs has made “significant progress” and is “at a tipping point” in reducing a massive backlog of claims for disability benefits. The assurances came from Thomas Murphy, the VA’s director of compensation services during testimony before Sanders’ committee. Murphy

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Sanders: Change Domestic Surveillance Law

WASHINGTON, June 11 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today called for changes in a law that the National Security Agency used to obtain hundreds of millions of U.S. phone records and tap into Internet companies to gather searches, emails, audio, video and photographs. The massive surveillance programs divulged by The Guardian and The Washington Post relied on the so-called USA

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Sanders to Propose Youth Jobs Bill

DETROIT, June 9 – With new unemployment numbers for May showing that the jobless rate for young people remains extremely high, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that he will introduce legislation this week to help young people find work.  Sanders will speak tomorrow in Detroit where youth unemployment rates are extremely high. Sanders and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)

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Sanders Slams Secret Surveillance

WASHINGTON, June 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today criticized a secret domestic surveillance program that swept up millions of telephone records on calls by Americans who were not suspected of any wrongdoing. A court order demanding the records be turned over was obtained under a controversial interpretation of a provision in the so-called Patriot Act, which Sanders voted against

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Senate Veterans Panel to Consider Legislation for Sex Abuse Victims in the Military

WASHINGTON, June 5 – With the Pentagon embroiled in criticism over its handling of sexual assault cases, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders said today that he will remain steadfast in his commitment to ensure that veterans who suffered military sexual trauma during service are provided the care and compensation to which they are entitled.  The House yesterday passed

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Vermont Delegation Urges Obama to Act on Disaster Aid Request

WASHINGTON, June 5 – Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today urged President Barack Obama to support Gov. Peter Shumlin’s request for disaster assistance in the wake of damaging floods caused by heavy rains and a freak May snowstorm. Up to eight inches of rain and a more than a foot of snow

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