٠٠:٠٨:٤٢Mandatory credit: Democratic National Convention
US Senator Bernie Sanders took aim at both Republicans and his own Democratic Party over the influence of big money in politics, as he addressed the DNC in Chicago on Tuesday.
"At the very top of that to-do list is the need to get big money out of our political process," he told the crowd. "Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections. For the sake of our democracy, we must overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections."
Sanders, a major player on the left of the party, ran for president himself in 2016 and 2020, but was beaten to the nomination by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively. The decision he was referring to - decided in 2010 - found that the free speech clause in the First Amendment stops government restrictions on funding for political campaigns.
Meanwhile, Sanders also said that the COVID pandemic had shown that "when the political will is there, government can effectively deliver for the people of our country."
"Brothers and sisters, bottom line, we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class," he said.
"60 percent of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top one per cent have never ever had it so good," he continued. "And these oligarchs, these oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn't take on price gouging. We shouldn't expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision. And we shouldn't increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I've got some bad news for them. That is precisely what we are going to do."
He added that his agenda was not 'radical' - but claimed Donald Trump's was.
"Let me tell you what a radical agenda is. And that is Trump's project 2025. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And my friends, we won't let that happen," he said.
Sanders said the party must take on "Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Ag, Big Tech and all the other corporate monopolists whose greed is denying progress for working people." He also called for an end to 'this horrific war in Gaza', as well as the return of the hostages and an 'immediate ceasefire'.
The convention concludes on Thursday with a speech from Democratic presidential nominee and current VP Kamala Harris.
'Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections!' - Sanders delivers barnstorming attack on state of US democracy
US Senator Bernie Sanders took aim at both Republicans and his own Democratic Party over the influence of big money in politics, as he addressed the DNC in Chicago on Tuesday.
"At the very top of that to-do list is the need to get big money out of our political process," he told the crowd. "Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections. For the sake of our democracy, we must overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections."
Sanders, a major player on the left of the party, ran for president himself in 2016 and 2020, but was beaten to the nomination by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively. The decision he was referring to - decided in 2010 - found that the free speech clause in the First Amendment stops government restrictions on funding for political campaigns.
Meanwhile, Sanders also said that the COVID pandemic had shown that "when the political will is there, government can effectively deliver for the people of our country."
"Brothers and sisters, bottom line, we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class," he said.
"60 percent of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top one per cent have never ever had it so good," he continued. "And these oligarchs, these oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn't take on price gouging. We shouldn't expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision. And we shouldn't increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I've got some bad news for them. That is precisely what we are going to do."
He added that his agenda was not 'radical' - but claimed Donald Trump's was.
"Let me tell you what a radical agenda is. And that is Trump's project 2025. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And my friends, we won't let that happen," he said.
Sanders said the party must take on "Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Ag, Big Tech and all the other corporate monopolists whose greed is denying progress for working people." He also called for an end to 'this horrific war in Gaza', as well as the return of the hostages and an 'immediate ceasefire'.
The convention concludes on Thursday with a speech from Democratic presidential nominee and current VP Kamala Harris.
Mandatory credit: Democratic National Convention
US Senator Bernie Sanders took aim at both Republicans and his own Democratic Party over the influence of big money in politics, as he addressed the DNC in Chicago on Tuesday.
"At the very top of that to-do list is the need to get big money out of our political process," he told the crowd. "Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections, including primary elections. For the sake of our democracy, we must overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections."
Sanders, a major player on the left of the party, ran for president himself in 2016 and 2020, but was beaten to the nomination by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively. The decision he was referring to - decided in 2010 - found that the free speech clause in the First Amendment stops government restrictions on funding for political campaigns.
Meanwhile, Sanders also said that the COVID pandemic had shown that "when the political will is there, government can effectively deliver for the people of our country."
"Brothers and sisters, bottom line, we need an economy that works for all of us, not just the billionaire class," he said.
"60 percent of our people live paycheck to paycheck, the top one per cent have never ever had it so good," he continued. "And these oligarchs, these oligarchs tell us we shouldn't tax the rich. The oligarchs tell us we shouldn't take on price gouging. We shouldn't expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision. And we shouldn't increase Social Security benefits for struggling seniors. Well, I've got some bad news for them. That is precisely what we are going to do."
He added that his agenda was not 'radical' - but claimed Donald Trump's was.
"Let me tell you what a radical agenda is. And that is Trump's project 2025. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, giving more tax breaks to billionaires is radical. Putting forth budgets to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is radical. Letting polluters destroy our planet is radical. And my friends, we won't let that happen," he said.
Sanders said the party must take on "Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Ag, Big Tech and all the other corporate monopolists whose greed is denying progress for working people." He also called for an end to 'this horrific war in Gaza', as well as the return of the hostages and an 'immediate ceasefire'.
The convention concludes on Thursday with a speech from Democratic presidential nominee and current VP Kamala Harris.