Glance at the Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders

By: Lily Wachtor

Bernard “Bernie” Sanders: He was born on Sept. 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, N.Y.He was elected as the mayor of Burlington, Va. in 1981, and served four terms. He transitioned to the national level by winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991-2007. In 2007, he won election to the United States Senate and then was reelected in 2012. Sanders is the only self-proclaimed socialist member of Congress, and the longest-serving independent.

Foreign Policy: Sanders is an anti-war activist and was openly against the invasion of Iraq. He believes that Middle Eastern countries should play the lead role in fighting the Islamic State and that the United States should take care of domestic issues like economic disparities. He supports President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. He has been critical of the Israeli Prime Minister’s opinion to increase sanction on Iran; Sanders said he believes the prime minister is “unnecessarily antagonist.”

Education: Sanders believes that all public colleges and universities should be tuition-free. He would do this by slightly increasing taxes on large expenditures like stock trades and hedge funds. Sanders also suggested increasing federal spending on education by a dollar-for-dollar match by state governments. He would like to lower student loan interest rates as well.

Environment: In the first presidential candidate debate, each candidate was asked what they thought was the biggest threat to the United States’ national security. Sanders replied, “Climate change.” He speaks about the dangers of human-induced climate change. He would push for companies to be charged for their carbon emissions, and the money made from that would go towards sustainable, alternative energy.

Immigration: Sanders believes immigrants should have a pathway to legal status. He condemns exploiting foreign workers for cheap labor and says it is a great disservice to the American public. Sanders supported Obama’s policy of helping current undocumented workers on a track towards citizenship.

Social Issues: Sanders is an advocate for same-sex marriage and applauded the Supreme Court decision. Sanders voted for a national instant background check system that would be imposed on anyone that wanted to buy a gun. He supports the decriminalization of recreational marijuana.

— lilywachtor3@hotmail.com