Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Sunday said Harris should be “very proud” of the administration’s accomplishments over the past few years, dismissing concerns that some of her policy positions might be reversed.
“She should be very proud of the Biden/Harris Administration’s track record of standing up to the greed of the pharmaceutical industry, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and creating millions of jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure,” Sanders said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“We’ve done more on this front than any administration in history. We’re working hard to combat climate change and create jobs,” Sanders added. “So we’re making some progress.”
Sanders has been campaigning around the country for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and said he is committed to helping them both win the election.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure that Donald Trump is defeated and that they become the next administration in this country,” he said.
Asked about Harris’ withdrawal of support for issues including Medicare for All, fracking and some immigration policies, Sanders dismissed those concerns.
Asked if he was concerned about the shift in policy, Sanders said: “She has to be on the campaign trail and she has to be talking to all kinds of people to come up with an agenda that will win her in November.”
“But when you compare her policies to Donald Trump, who doesn’t believe climate change is real, who thinks it’s a hoax, who wants to increase tax cuts for billionaires, who’s started talking about income and wealth inequality in this country, who’s made big talk about taking on pharmaceutical companies but hasn’t done anything about it during his administration, I think the contrast is very clear,” he said.
Sanders said Harris will unveil her economic platform next week, and noted that recent internal polling conducted by his team shows Americans “overwhelmingly” support expanding Medicare to include dental, hearing and vision coverage, raising the minimum wage to a living wage and expanding Social Security by eliminating the cap on taxable income.
“This is not only good policy, but what we need to do at a time when so many workers are suffering,” he said. “It’s also good politics.”
