Press Releases

Legislation that would phase out the use of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan was unveiled Wednesday by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Jan Schakowsky. The bill would restore vital military functions to the military, reducing the reliance on unaccountable private security contractors in the war zones. As many as 48,000 heavily armed guards are among the private security contractors now operating in Iraq, performing sensitive functions that should be undertaken by U.S

As Veterans Day approaches, Congress is considering legislation that would provide the greatest increase in funding for veterans programs since the Veterans Administration was created 77 years ago. “Congress is finally making great strides in the effort to keep faith with our veterans,” said Senator Bernie Sanders, a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee. A bill before Congress this week represents the work of the nation’s major veterans service organizations, which banded together to produce

Business and consumer advocates were brought together on Monday by Sen. Bernie Sanders to press for better cell phone coverage throughout Vermont “Anyone who drives around the State of Vermont knows the coverage is spotty,” Sanders said. “If Verizon is allowed to buy out Unicel and create a monopoly in the state of Vermont, it seems to me that we have to attach requirements to that merger. At the very least we have got to demand that Verizon provides universal geographical coverage in every a

A Senate panel on Thursday narrowly approved a global warming bill that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposed because it would not reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as much as scientists say is necessary to stop catastrophic changes in the Earth’s climate. “This bill is a step in the right direction, but it simply does not go far enough to do what scientists tell us must be done to stop global warming,” Sanders said. “If we are not extremely bold and aggressive, this planet faces a catastrop

As Verizon Wireless moves ahead in Vermont to acquire the competing mobile phone company Unicel, Senator Bernie Sanders has asked the Federal Communications Commission to step in to protect the interests of Vermont consumers and businesses. If Verizon is to be handed a virtual Vermont monopoly, the telecommunications giant must guarantee that it will provide cell service throughout the state. “We should ask them to provide universal geographic coverage. They should make sure that all of our peo

A global warming bill that a Senate panel is scheduled to take up on Thursday carves out $324 billion for the coal industry and $232 billion for car makers. There’s not a nickel carved out for solar power, wind energy, geothermal or other alternative energy sources. “This is a rather extraordinary omission,” said Senator Bernie Sanders, a member of the subcommittee that will consider compromise legislation drafted by Senators Joseph Lieberman and John Warner.