Bernie Sanders Criticizes Senate Democrats for Supporting Continuing Resolution

Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont has expressed his disapproval of the eight Democratic colleagues who sided with Republicans on a procedural vote for the continuing resolution in the U.S. Senate on Sunday.

In a video shared on his X account, Sanders labeled the decision a “very bad vote.” He remarked, “Tonight, eight Democrats joined Republicans in voting to allow this continuing resolution to move forward. In my opinion, this was a very bad vote.”

The resolution was initially aimed at providing temporary funding to the federal government and preventing a shutdown. However, Sanders argued that it contained provisions likely to increase health insurance premiums, lead to Medicaid cuts, and introduce tax changes favoring high-income individuals.

He claimed that the measure would potentially “double, in some cases triple, even quadruple the cost of health insurance for more than 20 million Americans.” Sanders emphasized, “We already pay some of the highest prices for health care in the world, and people can’t afford it.”

Furthermore, he stated, “This paves the way for 15 million people to be taken off Medicaid,” pointing out that research indicates this could result in about 50,000 needless deaths each year. “And all of that was done to give the 1% a $1 trillion tax cut,” he added.

Reflecting on the recent elections held across the country, Sanders said, “What the election showed was that the American people wanted to stand up against Trumpism, the war on the working class, against authoritarianism. That’s what the American people wanted. And tonight, that didn’t happen.”

He framed this procedural vote as part of a broader policy direction that, in his view, not only keeps the government functioning but also undermines healthcare protections and working-class interests.

Sanders concluded, “We need to advance efforts to protect working-class Americans and end the absurd reality that America is the only advanced nation that doesn’t guarantee healthcare for everyone. We have a lot of work to do, but honestly, tonight was not a good night.”

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned that millions of Americans could face increased premiums if subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, established by the American Rescue Plan, are allowed to expire. Their analysis indicates that ending these subsidies would significantly elevate out-of-pocket costs for those enrolled in ACA markets.

A study referenced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which Sanders leads, suggests that large Medicaid cuts could result in tens of thousands of preventable deaths yearly. The 2023 committee report highlights peer-reviewed studies indicating that losing Medicaid coverage correlates with higher mortality rates due to decreased access to essential care.

The report is supported by findings from researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania, warning that proposed federal healthcare budget cuts could lead to more than 51,000 preventable deaths annually.

Sanders’ statements echo his ongoing opposition to the Republican budget plans, which he argues favor the wealthy at the expense of working Americans.