“If the Democrats cave now it would be a betrayal of the millions of Americans who have fought and died for democracy and our constitution. It would be a sellout of a working class that is struggling to survive in very difficult economic times.”
Vermont Business Magazine In case you missed it, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) published an op-ed Saturday in The Guardian calling on Senate Democrats to continue their fight to protect access to health care for 15 million Americans and prevent 20 million people from seeing their health insurance premiums double, on average. Sanders urges his colleagues not to cave to President Trump and congressional Republicans who have refused to negotiate to reopen the government while the House remains on a six-week paid vacation — all so they can provide $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest 1%.
“Democrats in the U.S. Senate must stand with the working families of our country and in opposition to Donald Trump’s authoritarianism. They must not cave in to the president’s attacks on the working class during this ongoing government shutdown. If they do, the consequences will be catastrophic for our country,” Sanders wrote. “This may be the most consequential moment in American history since the Civil War.”
“What will it mean if the Democrats cave? Trump, who already holds Democrats in contempt and views them as weak and ineffectual, will utilize his victory to accelerate his movement toward authoritarianism. At a time when he already has no regard for our democratic system of checks and balances, he will be emboldened to continue decimating programs that protect elderly people, children, the sick and the poor while giving more tax breaks and other benefits to his fellow oligarchs,” Sanders continued. “Democrats in Congress are the last remaining opposition to Trump’s quest for absolute power. To surrender now would be a historic tragedy for our country, something that history will not look kindly upon.”
“We are living in the most dangerous and pivotal moment in modern American history. Our children and future generations will not forget what we do now. Democrats must not turn their backs on the needs of working people and allow our already broken health care system to collapse even further. Democrats must not allow an authoritarian president to continue undermining our Constitution and the rule of law,” Sanders concluded. “The choice is clear. If the Democrats stand with the American people, the American people will stand with them. If they surrender, the American people will hold them accountable.”
Read the full op-ed here.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 — Sanders
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