Bernie Sanders (D)

Pro
Should the United States Abide by Its Treaties with Native American Tribes?

"Time and time again, our Native American brothers and sisters have seen the federal government break solemn promises, and huge corporations put profits ahead of the sovereign rights of Native communities. As President, I will stand with Native Americans in the struggle to protect their treaty and sovereign rights, advance traditional ways of life, and improve the quality of life for Native communities."

Pro
Should Supreme Court Justice Scalia's Replacement Be Chosen by President Obama?

"[I]t is beyond my comprehension and it just speaks to the unbelievable level and unprecedented level of Republican obstructionism against Obama from day one. This is not something that is in debate. The Constitution of the United States of America provides that the president appoints, nominates a Supreme Court justice. And then the Senate holds hearings and deliberation and votes on whether or not to approve that nomination.

The idea that Republicans want to deny the president of the United States his basic constitutional right is beyond my comprehension. So I will do everything that I can to make sure that when the president makes his nomination, the Senate goes forward in as speedy a process as possible, holds the necessary hearings and hopefully appoints and selects the president — the Supreme Court justice that the president nominates."

Pro
Should Any Federal Taxes Be Increased?

"[W]e have to raise individual tax rates [for the wealthy] substantially higher than they are today because almost all of the new income is going to the top 1%.

And yes, those folks and large corporations will have to pay under a Sanders administration, more in taxes, so that we can use that revenue to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, create the jobs we need, make sure that every kid who has the ability is able to get a college education in America because public colleges and public universities will be tuition-free."

Pro
Should Glass-Steagall Be Reinstated?

"We not only must reinstate this important law, but we also have to break up the too-big-to-fail financial institutions in this country. If an institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist…

I was proud to lead the fight in the House against repealing the Glass-Steagall Act [in 1999]. I predicted then that such a massive deregulation of the financial services industry would seriously harm the economy. I would give anything to have been proven wrong about this, but unfortunately what happened to the economy during the financial collapse of 2008 was even worse than I predicted…

It [repeal of Glass-Steagall] precipitated the largest taxpayer bailout in the history of the world. It caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, homes, life savings and ability to send their kids to college. It substantially increased wealth and income inequality. And it led to the enormous concentration of economic power in this country."

Pro
Are the Common Core Standards Good for Education in America?

Pro
Should Any Public Colleges or Universities Be Tuition-Free?

"In a highly competitive global economy, we need the best-educated workforce in the world. It is insane and counter-productive to the best interests of our country and our future, that hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college, and that millions of others leave school with a mountain of debt that burdens them for decades. That shortsighted path to the future must end.

As President, Bernie Sanders will fight to make sure that every American who studies hard in school can go to college regardless of how much money their parents make and without going deeply into debt...

Finland, Norway, Sweden and many other countries around the world... offer free college to all of their citizens. If other countries can take this action, so can the United States of America.

In fact, it's what many of our colleges and universities used to do. The University of California system offered free tuition at its schools until the 1980s. In 1965, average tuition at a four-year public university was just $243 and many of the best colleges – including the City University of New York – did not charge any tuition at all. The Sanders plan would make tuition free at public colleges and universities throughout the country."

Pro
Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentences (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote?

"Thirteen percent of African-American men have lost the right to vote due to felony convictions.

This should offend the conscience of every American.

The fight for minority voting rights is a fight for justice. It is inseparable from the struggle for democracy itself.

We must work vigilantly to ensure that every American, regardless of skin color or national origin, is able to vote freely and easily...

We need to re-enfranchise the more than two million African Americans who have had their right to vote taken away by a felony conviction."

Pro
Should US Election Campaigns Be Publicly Financed?

"Real campaign finance reform must happen as soon as possible. That is why we must overturn, through a constitutional amendment, the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision as well as the Buckley v. Valeo decision. That is why we need to pass legislation to require wealthy individuals and corporations who make large campaign contributions to disclose where their money is going. More importantly, it is why we need to move toward the public funding of elections...

AS PRESIDENT, I WILL...

Fight for a publicly financed, transparent system of campaign financing that amplifies small donations, along the lines of the Fair Elections Now Act that I have been pleased to co-sponsor, and an effective public financing system for president."

Pro
Is the Nuclear Arms Deal with Iran Good for America?

"The test of a great nation is not how many wars it can engage in, but how it can resolve international conflicts in a peaceful manner...

The war in Iraq, which I opposed, destabilized the entire region, helped create the Islamic State, cost the lives of 6,700 brave men and women and resulted in hundreds of thousands of others in our armed forces returning home with post-traumatic-stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. I fear that many of my Republican colleagues do not understand that war must be a last resort, not the first resort...

The United States must do everything it can to make certain that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, that Israel is not threatened by a nuclear Iran and that a nuclear arms race in the region is avoided...

President Obama and Secretary Kerry have worked through a very difficult process with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran. This agreement is obviously not all that many of us would have liked but it beats the alternative – a war with Iran that could go on for years...

If Iran moves toward a nuclear weapon, all available options remain on the table. I think it is incumbent upon us, however, to give the negotiated agreement a chance to succeed. That is why I will support the agreement."

Pro
Should There Be an Independent Palestinian State?

"I believe in a two-state solution. I would hope that the U.S. in a very very difficult situation, where the leadership on both sides is not particularly good, can finally work out a situation where Israel has a right to exist in security, and at the same time the Palestinians have a state of their own...

I have been working on it for the last 50 years. I’m sorry, I don’t have the magic answer. This is a very depressing and difficult issue. This has gone on for 60 bloody years, year after year."

Pro
Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?

"I can understand that if some Democrats or Republicans represent an urban area where people don't hunt, don't do target practice; they're not into guns. But, in my state, people go hunting and people do target practice. Talking about cultural divides in this country, you know, it is important for people in urban America to understand that families go out together and kids go out with their parents and they hunt and they enjoy the outdoors and that is a lifestyle that should not be condemned...

If anyone thinks that gun control itself is going to solve the problem of violence in this country, you're terribly mistaken. So, obviously, we need strong, sensible gun control and I will support it. But some people think it's going to solve all of our problems. It is not."

Pro
Should the Federal Government Study Gun Violence?

"We must authorize resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and research the causes and effects of gun violence in the United States of America."

Pro
Should Abortion Be Legal?

"We are not going back. Not only are we not going to retreat on women's rights, we are going to expand them. We are going forward, not backward.

We are not returning to the days of back-room abortions, when countless women died or were maimed. The decision about abortion must remain a decision for the woman, her family and physician to make, not the government."

Pro
Is Obamacare Good for America?

"Today is a good day for millions of Americans who have pre-existing conditions who can no longer be rejected by insurance companies. It is a good day for families with children under 26 who can keep their children on their health insurance policies. It is a good day for women who can no longer be charged far higher premiums than men.

It is a good day for 30 million uninsured Americans who will have access to healthcare. It is a good day for seniors who will continue to see their prescription drug costs go down as the so-called doughnut hole goes away. It is a good day for small businesses who simply cannot continue to afford the escalating costs of providing insurance for their employees. It is a good day for 20 million Americans who will soon be able to find access to community health centers...

In my view, while the Affordable Care Act is an important step in the right direction and I am glad that the Supreme Court upheld it, we ultimately need to do better. If we are serious about providing high-quality, affordable healthcare as a right, not a privilege, the real solution to America's health care crisis is a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system. Until then, we will remain the only major nation that does not provide health care for every man, woman and child as a right of citizenship."

Pro
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?

"I am proud of how Vermont is a leader, frankly, in a number of areas, including end-of-life care. You know, this is, uh, a very emotional issue, obviously, and we have got to be extremely careful about how those decisions are made. And I know the concerns of people who oppose this...

But you know, I think if a human being is in a situation where they are going to see their life end in a short period of time, where they are suffering, where they choose no longer to be alive. I think they have the right to make that decision for themselves."

Pro
Should Planned Parenthood Receive Federal Funding?

"The attempt by Senate Republicans to cut off support for Planned Parenthood is an attack on women’s health. Stripping funding for Planned Parenthood would punish the 2.7 million Americans, especially low-income women, who rely on its clinics for affordable, quality health care services including cancer prevention, STI and HIV testing and general primary health care services.

The current attempt to discredit Planned Parenthood is part of a long-term smear campaign by people who want to deny women in this country the right to control their own bodies.

Let’s be clear: Federal funding for Planned Parenthood does not pay for abortions. The vast majority of government funding that Planned Parenthood receives is through Medicaid reimbursements. Cutting that funding will be devastating to the health needs of millions of women who desperately need the quality services Planned Parenthood provides."

Pro
Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care?

"I start my approach to healthcare from two very basic premises. First, health care must be recognized as a right, not a privilege. Every man, woman and child in our country should be able to access the healthcare they need regardless of their income. Second, we must create a national healthcare system that provides quality healthcare for all in the most cost-effective way possible...

As a result of an incredibly wasteful, bureaucratic, profit-making and complicated system, the US spends 17% of its gross domestic product – approximately $2.7tn annually– on healthcare. While insurance companies, drug companies, private hospitals and medical equipment suppliers make huge profits, Americans spend more and get less for their healthcare dollars.

What should the US be doing to improve this abysmal situation? President Obama's Affordable Care Act is a start...

The only long-term solution to America's healthcare crisis is a single-payer national healthcare program."

Pro
Should Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Be Allowed to Become Legal Residents?

"It is no great secret that across the United States undocumented workers perform a critical role in our economy. They harvest and process our food and it is no exaggeration to say that, with out them, food production in the United States would significantly decline. Undocumented workers build many of our homes, cook our meals, maintain our landscapes. We even entrust undocumented workers with that which we hold most dear – our children...

[I]t is time to end the discussion of mass deportation or self-deportation. We cannot and we should not even be talking about sweeping up millions of men, women, and children – many of whom have been here for years – and throwing them out of the country. That’s wrong and that type of discussion has got to end...

The bottom line of all of this is that it is time to bring our neighbors out of the shadows. It is time to give them legal status. It is time to create a reasonable and responsible path to citizenship."

Pro
Should Sanctuary Cities Continue to Receive Federal Funding for Law Enforcement?

"Senator Sanders wholeheartedly rejects the 'The Great Sanctuary City Slander' as the politics of fear, and supports enacting community trust policies. These policies will strengthen relationships between community members and local law enforcement, respect the constitutional rights of immigrants, and reflect the will of a locally elected electorate."

Pro
Should the United States Allow Syrian Refugees into the Country?

"We must not allow the horrific violence we have seen in France and elsewhere to turn us from our historic role as a haven for the oppressed.

In terms of the Syrian refugee situation we are now facing, now is not the time for us to succumb to racism and bigotry…

When hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything and have nothing left but the shirts on their backs, we should not turn our backs on these refugees escaping violence in the Middle East…

Syrians and other refugees from the Middle East are escaping unspeakable horrors. To get to our country, refugees already go through a vigorous vetting program by the FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security and the State Department. The process takes almost two years and refugees from Syria face additional scrutiny.

We should continue our program to provide Syrians fleeing violence with the opportunity for a new life. I hope you’ll join me to stand together to admit Syrian refugees."

Pro
Should the Federal Government Guarantee Paid Family and Medical Leave?

"[W]e are the only major country on earth that does not provide paid family and medical leave...

We talk a lot about family values in America, and yet there are babies being born in Iowa, babies being born Vermont today, who because their moms do not have sufficient income... those moms are going to have to be separated from their babies because they have to go back to work...

In my view, and I have to say this is a fairly conservative approach, every worker in America should be guaranteed at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. This is not as strong as many other countries around the world, but it would be a huge step forward for our country and provide enormous relief to millions of our families."

Pro
Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased?

"Millions of Americans are working for totally inadequate wages. We must ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty. The current federal minimum wage is starvation pay and must become a living wage. We must increase it to $15 an hour over the next several years."

Pro
Do Labor Unions Provide an Overall Benefit to Their Workers in the United States?

"The benefits of joining a union are clear: higher wages, better benefits and a more secure retirement. If we are serious about reducing income and wealth inequality and rebuilding the middle class, we have got to substantially increase the number of union jobs in this country."

Pro
Should the Minimum Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?

"I do not feel the drinking age should be raised [from 18 to 21]. Aside from the economics involved, if our young people are given the right and responsibility to vote and are drafted into the armed forces to die for their country, then they should be given the responsibility to decide when and how much to drink."

Pro
Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?

"Let me just say this - the state of Vermont voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and I support that. I have supported the use of medical marijuana. And when I was mayor of Burlington, in a city with a large population, I can tell you very few people were arrested for smoking marijuana. Our police had more important things to do.”

Pro
Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?

"In my view, the time is long overdue for us to remove the federal prohibition on marijuana...

In my view, states should have the right to regulate marijuana the same way that state and local laws now govern the sale of alcohol and tobacco...

Too many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That’s wrong. That has got to change."

Pro
Should the United States Continue Its Use of Drone Strikes Abroad?

"[W]hat you can argue is that there are times and places where drone attacks have been effective, there are times and places where they have been absolutely counter effective and have caused more problems when they have solved. When you kill innocent people, what the end result is that people in the region become anti-American who otherwise would not have been.

So, I think we have to use drones very, very selectively and effectively. That has not always been the case."

Pro
Should the United States Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp?

"We must also, finally, close the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The mere existence of this camp, and the misguided policies that led to its creation, continues to damage the United States' moral standing in the world, undermines our foreign policy, and fans the flames of terrorism rather than deters it."

Pro
Should Colleges and Universities Use Affirmative Action for Admissions?

"[Akilah Hughes] I have a question about affirmative action. You've been a supporter of affirmative action for a long time. But I want to know how would you respond to a white student who believes that their access to education is being limited by affirmative action?

[Bernie Sanders] Well, how I would respond is saying that it's time not to play off white against black. It's time to make sure that every kid in this country regardless of income can get a college education, which is why I am vigorously fighting to make sure that all public colleges and universities are tuition-free. And I would say to that white kid, 'You know what? You deserve an education and so does the black kid next to you. So does every kid in America.'...

[Akilah Hughes] If the Supreme Court were to end affirmative action, what would you do to ensure that minority students have access to higher education?

[Bernie Sanders] Everything that I can..."

Pro
Is the Black Lives Matter Movement Good for America?

"We must pursue policies that transform this country into a nation that affirms the value of its people of color. That starts with addressing the four central types of violence waged against black and brown Americans: physical, political, legal and economic...

Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Samuel DuBose. We know their names. Each of them died unarmed at the hands of police officers or in police custody. The chants are growing louder. People are angry and they have a right to be angry. We should not fool ourselves into thinking that this violence only affects those whose names have appeared on TV or in the newspaper. African Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police...

Today in America, if you are black, you can be killed for getting a pack of Skittles during a basketball game. These hateful acts of violence amount to acts of terror. They are perpetrated by extremists who want to intimidate and terrorize black and brown people in this country...

Violence and brutality of any kind, particularly at the hands of the police sworn to protect and serve our communities, is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. We need a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter...

With input from a broad segment of the community including activists and leaders from organizations like Black Lives Matter we will reinvent how we police America."

Pro
Is the Criminal Justice System Unfair to Black People?

"We must pursue policies to transform this country into a nation that affirms the value of its people of color...

African-Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police...

We need a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter and racism will not be accepted in a civilized country...

For decades, we have been engaged in a failed 'War on Drugs' with racially-biased mandatory minimums that punish people of color unfairly...

If current trends continue, one in four black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetime. Blacks are imprisoned at six times the rate of whites and a report by the Department of Justice found that blacks were three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop, compared to white motorists. Together, African-Americans and Latinos comprised 57 percent of all prisoners in 2014, even though African-Americans and Latinos make up approximately one quarter of the US population. These outcomes are not reflective of increased crime by communities of color, but rather a disparity in enforcement and reporting mechanisms."

Pro
Is Human Activity Primarily Responsible for Global Climate Change?

"The scientific community is virtually unanimous in telling us that climate change is real, that it is caused by human activity and carbon emissions, that it is already causing devastating problems not only in the United States but all over the world in terms of drought, forest fires, flooding, extreme weather disturbances, and rising sea levels, at this moment when the scientific community is so clear about the dangers inherent upon a further dependence on fossil fuels, it is absolutely imperative for the future wellbeing of this country that we listen to the scientists and we begin the path forward to break our dependency on fossil fuel."

Pro
Should Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Have Mandatory Labeling?

"I am very proud that Vermont is taking the lead in a growing national movement to allow the people of our country to know what is in the food they eat. GMO labeling exists in dozens of countries around the world and should exist in the United States…

I will continue my efforts in Washington, against Monsanto and other multi-national food industry corporations, to pass national legislation on this issue. In the meantime, it is extremely important that Vermont and other states lead the way."

Pro
Should the United States Transition Away from Fossil Fuels and Towards Renewable Energy?

"The leaders of the seven major industrialized nations, including the United States, agreed in the summer of 2015 to a long-term goal of phasing out fossil fuels entirely and moving to an economy powered entirely by clean energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal. We're already transitioning to a clean energy economy – but scientists say we need to do it faster and we need to do it right...

Scientists warn us if we continue burning fossil fuels, we will experience cataclysmic change, in terms of more disease, more hunger, more drought, more famine, rising sea levels, more floods, more ocean acidification, more extreme weather disturbances and more human suffering. That means we must leave the vast majority of global reserves of coal, natural gas and oil in the ground...

Bernie recently co-sponsored the Keep It in the Ground Act to ban future fossil fuel leases on our public lands. His legislation would keep over 90 percent of the potential carbon emissions from fossil fuels on our federal lands and waters underground forever.

Bernie believes we must transition away from fossil fuel consumption to prevent the worst impacts of climate change."

Pro
Was the US Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage a Good Decision?

“Today the Supreme Court fulfilled the words engraved upon its building: ‘Equal justice under law.’ This decision is a victory for same-sex couples across our country as well as all those seeking to live in a nation where every citizen is afforded equal rights. For far too long our justice system has marginalized the gay community and I am very glad the Court has finally caught up to the American people.”

Pro
Should Transgender People Be Allowed to Use the Bathroom of Their Choice?

"It's time to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This law [North Carolina House Bill 2] has no place in America."