Full interview: Bernie Sanders meets with the Register's editorial board (12.6.19) Watch live as presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont meets with the Register's editorial board on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Read more: ...
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This is completely brilliant, in every sense of the word, and in terms of every issue that the Editorial Board brings up in the form of profound and incisive questions.
It is clear that these folks are quite serious as they approach in the near future, as in about a month, from now, at the end of January 2020, when they make their endorsement for the Democratic Primary.
I have had a long and profound interest in and faith in the power of the Editorial pages of America.
I believe now, as I did in 2016, and as I did in the various elections in 2018, particularly Texas, that the Editorial pages ... can and will tip the scale for the ultimate victor.
This is something to be proud of as Americans, that despite many harsh criticisms, we still have a functioning free press that is not largely beholden to Wall Street or to corporate America.
editor's note: Here's the raw transcript of the interview, done by voice to text technology, by youtube:
well senator you want to make sure thatno one in America pays more than $200
for the medicine they need by capping
what Americans pay for prescription
drugs Medicare for part of Medicare for
all you should say you'll do that by
negotiating drug prices under Medicare
and also indexing drug prices to other
countries but still that almost sounds
too good to be true how did the fan
financing work first of all we have to
understand that right now as a nation we
are paying by far highest prices in the
world for richer dressed now let me be
clear when I'm using my words advisedly
we're dealing not only with the greed of
the pharmaceutical industry which made
69 billion dollars in profit last year
while one out of five Americans cannot
afford to fill the prescriptions that
doctors prescribed we're dealing with
corruption as well we're dealing with
price fixing we're dealing with
collusion and I don't even have to go
into the opioid epidemic it's another
example of what the pharmaceutical
industry is doing a couple of months ago
you may recall I took folks from the
Midwest for Michigan over the Canadian
border we purchased insulin for 1/10 the
price in Canada in terms of what we're
paying here in the United States so what
you got is an industry that has to be
taken on they have spent over the last
thirty years four billion dollars on
lobbying and campaign contributions so
today if you go into your pharmacy and
the pharmacist tells you your price of
your medicine is double or triple
nothing anybody can do it
do about it so we got to take them on
and what we do is three things number
one on like what goes on in other
countries medicare-for-all will
negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical
industry not let them charge any price
that they want number two we will do as
you indicate an index with major
countries around the world in the second
point if you're selling this drug in
France in the UK for X dollars why do
you think you're gonna sell it in the
United States for five times more third
I believe in prescription drug
re-importation which means that
pharmacists prescription drug
distributors should be able to buy
fda-approved medicine elsewhere and
charge it at that price in the United
States and then by doing that and also
terms of Medicare for putting public
money into subsidizing prescription
drugs we can have a program which says
nobody in America should pay more than
two hundred dollars a year for the
prescription drugs they need and the
drug man
well the drug makers argue that they
need the kind of income they're getting
for research into new drugs and may save
more lives but what is here is they're
lining up there this is a corrupt
industry and I really I respect the
researches and God knows that we need
research into housing business and
cancer and other serious illnesses and
we need to do that but as you may or may
not know they spent far more money on
advertising promotion executive salaries
than they do in fact in research and
development even research and
development sometimes y'all were they
called me to drugs you change the color
of the judge you modify a little bit
that's a new drug not really a new truck
we need breakthroughs in cancer we need
breakthroughs in Alzheimer's we need
break foods and diabetes terrible
illnesses ravaging the people of this
country and around the world talk
specifically about insulin because
that many of the reforms have been
around for a long time right what did
you do you've got a few manufacturers of
insulin they may just say to you we
won't tell well they may say that too
many but they're not going to say that
to my attorney general yes my attorney
general will charge them with antitrust
violations in terms of insulin it turns
out I learned this when I went on that
trip
this is unbelievable but this is where
we are as an issue this is not only a
dysfunctional health care system but
dealing with pharmaceuticals there are
some seven and a half million people as
I recall who use insulin about 25% of
them are rationing insulin all right
that's insane and when your ration
insulin you get sick up sometimes you
die so what we will do is there has been
a patent and you're right three major
companies and it produce about 90
percent of insulin in this country and
just coincidentally no doubt one raises
that price the other one raises their
price that's what I mean by price fixing
and that's what I mean by Christendom
are you would just cross your break
would you support the government
manufacturing and something like that
there's not a question of when you're
president you don't threaten them price
fixing happens to be illegal
that is corruption no we just support
the government getting in the business
and meaning that what would you would do
is take away their intellectual property
there is air ownership of intellectual
property if they continue to engage in
illegal behavior right now in terms of
health care it is insane as I said
earlier that one out of five people are
walked into a doctor's office and get a
prescription cannot afford to fill that
prescription some of them die
some of them are becoming sicker and
then when you look at the opioid
epidemic what the state's attorneys
general are now doing all over this
country are suing the major opioid
manufacturers because they knowingly
underline knowingly was selling a
product that they knew was addictive
that was killing people and their
response was to hire more sales people
that is the mentality of the industry
kara let's jump in the editorialized
recently on your beyond your bed I heard
about that your wall I'm right okay
thanks to us of why we should have a
parallel system with infrastructure and
and I've talked to people about your
siphoning workers off this idea that you
want you know worried those health
workers gonna come from they're gonna
come out of the private sector so talk
about look you got on the former chair
of the US Senate Committee on Veterans
Affairs and have had the honor and the
privilege of working with the American
Legion the DAV of Vietnam that's and
that's you know all of the VFW all of
the major veterans organizations so I
think first thought and I will I
remember this distinctly as the chair we
had a hearing and we lined up every one
of the veterans organizations and we
said you tell me do the your membership
American Legion VFW DAV whatever it may
be how do they feel about VA health care
and I'm Chuck directed great good very
good excellent do you want to see it
privatized absolutely not absolutely not
are there problems within the VA
absolutely wrong all right and one of
the concerns that I have is that Trump
is trying to privatize the VA and I
think that that is a very bad idea
look here is the you know the bottom
line here is no matter what your view is
on this without war and you're looking
at somebody who led the opposition to
the war in Iraq Gulf War is when people
put their lives on the line and men and
women put their lives on the line to
defend this country they are entitled to
receive the very best health care that
this country can provide
and they are tiled also to understand
that when you come back for more
you walk into a private doctor's office
you're dealing with PTSD or maybe you
saw your buddy get blown up in front of
you not everybody appreciates that
experience and I think one of the things
and talk to veterans about this that
they like about the VA is that many of
the staff there are veterans themselves
they are familiar with veterans issues
they know what veterans have gone
through and they were able to
communicate better there's nothing more
frustrating I think to the veterans that
I have talked to when they talk to a
doctor really doesn't know what combat
is about so bottom line is I do believe
I do support what the major veterans
organizations want they want us not to
privatize the VA they want us to
strengthen the VA which now has tens of
thousands of they conceives in terms of
doctors and nurses and other steps so
where are you going to get the fifty
thousand workers you want add well we
need your touching on one part of the
healthcare crisis it is not just the VA
do we have enough doctors in America no
do we have enough doctors in rural
America absolutely not in urban America
no we don't what we need is a lot and
many of the doctors and dentists by the
way are getting older so we need to make
sure that when I talk about Medicare for
all and healthcare for a wall it's not
only guaranteeing healthcare is a human
right that doesn't do you any good if
there's not a doctor in your community
if there's not a hospital in your
community so what we have got to do is
to significantly expand the number of
doctors let me also tell you something
doctors of Cullum african-american
doctors and nurses Latino doctors and
nurses but we need to get doctors into
the communities that where they are
needed and that touches you know one of
the things you learn when you run for
president you'll excuse me you know I'm
here to answer any question yeah but
everything is related to everything else
that's what you learn
so let's segue into immigration I know
looks like wait one minute I'm gonna get
to our answer you answered your question
yeah but let me get to the issue of why
I'm calling for public colleges and
universities to be tuition free and
canceling
and canceling also yet if you've got a
medical school and you come out three
four hundred thousand dollars in debt
and I'll never forget being in Des
Moines talking to a young woman
graduated dental school four hundred
thousand dollars a night what you think
you're gonna practice in rural are you
want I don't think so
you're gonna go to some fancy place we
can make you money to pay off your
student debt so what we have got to do
is expand the programs like National
Health Service Corps would say to you if
you want to practice an underserved area
we're going to cancel all of your
student debt and then you can practice
an underserved areas all right
so number one I believe that health care
is a human right I think it is absurd
that we are spending twice as much per
person on health care as do the people
of any other country when eighty seven
million of Americans are uninsured or
underinsured $30,000 a year and some
500,000 people go bankrupt because of
medically related deaths that is an
insane system it is a dysfunctional
system got to move to Medicare for them
well to say we what I'm thinking of an
immigration though as many of our
doctors are here on visas
do we need is that where we can find
more health professional well well
that's one area but I think you we
educate young people we make we say to
to the young people in this country not
just in health care in climate change in
other areas we need you all right so you
want to go to medical school
all right you go to medical school gonna
forgive all of your student that and by
the way you know four years ago when I
came to the state now I want to thank
the people of Iowa for the strong
support they gave me and it's not just a
personal issue when I'm thanking them
for the ideas that I brought to Iowa
which a lot of the establishment thought
were crazy and radical maybe some in the
Des Moines Register turned out not to be
so crazy and radical so the idea of
making public colleges and universities
tuition-free you know that's an idea is
spreading all over the country New
Mexico for example has adopted that New
York state California people are moving
in that direction so you know we're
going to continue the struggle to make
sure that health care is a human right
for all people question Bob Walker
now I'll transition to what you really
should should almost go throw this thing
with the Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst
um
I know them both I like them both
Chuck and I often ride the tram to
voting together and I like Johnny as
well but where I am disappointed on them
and maybe we'll talk about climate
change is in this day and age we cannot
have members of the United States Senate
denying the reality and the severity of
the climate change crisis it's gonna hit
Iowa in terms of your agriculture terms
of the great cost that the floods are
going to result in for communities all
over the state it's too late for people
to say well we're not sure we are sure
I'm gonna listen to the scientists that
I wanna I just want to say hopeful
discuss climate change in a minute but
if there is anything we have got to
understand is that the scientists have
recently told us that they
underestimated the severity and the
extent to which climate change is
ravaging our country and the entire
world this is an existential crisis and
if we don't get our act together and
move aggressively extremely aggressively
um in terms of climate change then the
planet we are leaving our children and
future generations will be significantly
uninhabitable and unhealthy and we
cannot allow that to happen this is an
issue I feel very very strongly about
and when I'm looking at the fossil fuel
industry today I'm thinking back to the
tobacco industry and I'm thinking back
here some of you remember that famous
picture of the tobacco executives
raising their arms members of Congress
said do you believe that tobacco is
causing health habits that it's
addictive oh no no we have no evidence
to believe that they liked they had the
evidence my father smoked two packs a
day he died at the age of 58
okay true story proof you know we gave
the cigarettes out to the soldiers in
World War two okay they lied about the
the incredible health impact of tobacco
right now the the fossil fuel industry
this line when they deny the reality of
climate change were the severity of
climate change and as president I will
deal with my so whether you agree or
disagree the cause of climate changed is
there any disagreement
well let me let me let me stop you
let me stop you're right there I'll
answer your question I promise all right
we're beyond that okay five years ago
the fossil fuel industry put a lot of
money into these think tanks and had
these scientists on their payroll saying
well we're not sure about the evidence
there's the actual warming and all that
other stuff the scientific I'm not I am
NOT a scientist like to help physics in
college but I do read science okay
there's no debate anymore and let's end
that nonsense about the being debate
climate change is real climate change is
caused by human activity climate change
is doing devastating harm climate change
will ravage this planet Iowa Vermont the
whole country unless we got our act
together that's already interrupt you so
my question is this there are those out
there to deny the human factor and
including President of the United States
there so it's hard but it is hard to
ignore or deny the reality I mean in
Iowa farmers as you point out are
dealing with wetter fields than ever all
the time coastal cities are gonna deal
with fighting so I mean at some point
the debate doesn't it have to move off
and produce all of this we got to deal
with it because even if we do have a
green new deal it's going to take
decades to get it in action and then the
meantime got a lot of environmental
impact I agree with everything you said
is that people even those who are
denying the reality if you're a farmer
and you don't think climate change it's
real and you can't plant your crops
because your fields covered with mud
right you know you're understanding
something is coming on if you got
drought which is going to cut back on
the quality of the product that you're
producing
where I disagree with you is we don't
have decades we don't have decades and I
don't want to frighten anybody and then
I'm not here to tell you that this is my
research it's not I'm listening to what
the scientists are telling us we do not
have decades if you're talking about
decades then you're really dooming your
kids and your grandchildren
to an increasingly unhealthy life not
only in this country you're talking
about coastal communities not just Miami
not just Charleston not just live in New
York City you're talking about
Bangladesh you're talking about the UNAM
you're talking about hundreds and
hundreds of millions of people being
displaced from where they are living
with all of the cataclysmic global
problems that causes in terms of mass
migrations so this is what we got to do
when we have to understand this I mean
if I told you that there was some
country declared war on the United
States of America you know was attacking
us you would not say well we got decades
to deal with it you don't know decades
we have got to deal with it now and we
have to deal with it in a very dramatic
and aggressive way and that's what I am
very proud to say that the legislature
have introduced is the most
comprehensive proposal out there to
address climate change and it can't be
decades we've got to move a lot quicker
than that not only in America but around
the world your plan one of the things it
says is to to enlist farmers like those
in Iowa with carbon sequestration and
being part of the solution just yet very
simple things in the impasse farm bills
like more money for conservation say
haven't been able to get past so how do
we get over the hump to start movement
you're asking a question not only about
agriculture not only about climate
change you're really asking your
question about political corruption this
if you go out that the country today you
say should we invest more money in
conservation should we make it easier
for farmers to be part of the solution
in terms of climate change 90% of the
people say of course we should what's
the problem but the problem in
Washington right now and I know I won't
surprise to many people and saying it is
that we have a corrupt political system
in which Congress especially my
Republican colleagues are interested in
doing the bidding of the wealthy and the
powerful and campaign contributors
rather than responding to the needs of
ordinary Americans whether it is farmers
of workers so to answer your question
you know the subtitle of my campaign as
you know is called a political
revolution and I use those words
advisedly and I know that gets some
people nervous but essentially what I
believe is that in this particular
moment in history when we have massive
levels of income and wealth inequality
three people owning more wealth from the
bottom half of America when you got a
corrupt political system which allows
billionaires to spend hundreds of
millions of dollars to buy candidates
will represent the wealthy and the
powerful we need whether it is
agriculture protecting family farmers or
anything else we need a mass movement of
working people to stand up and take on
the one percent
and the corporate elite and that is what
our campaign is about you you used the
term corrupt in a TV ad that's running
in Iowa now you call President Trump the
most corrupt president in American
history and it shows the president
shaking Vladimir Putin's hand given that
can you honestly approach an impeachment
trial with an open mind fair question
and I will do my best
what I will tell you I mean your the
question you're asking me is a
reasonable question I'm gonna be a juror
have I already decided that he's guilty
what my promises and I think my
obligation as the United States Senator
who will if he is a beach being a juror
is to listen to all of the evidence so
you can dislike Trump you can disagree
with Trump you can think Trump is a
terrible terrible president does that
mean that his crime the what he did is
indeed well not necessarily no it does
not so I've got to listen to the
evidence so it will certainly be hearing
but Trump's defenders have to say but
this is what I will tell you is if I
were in the house based on what I have
heard and seen so far I would vote to
impeach Trump I think he has obstructed
justice terms of the Mulder
investigation I think he is likely
guilty of the emoluments clause which
prohibits a president for earning money
from making money through his position
as president I think he has used this
position as president to make many
millions of dollars and lastly I think
in terms of the Ukraine if you are doing
a quid pro quo in terms of providing
hundreds of millions of dollars in
military aid to an ally in exchange for
dirt on a political opponent that's an
impeachable offense as well so I will if
I were in the house based on what I know
I would vote to impeach on the United
States Senate if it comes to the Senate
I will listen to all of the evidence and
make a decision based on
we wanted to circle back to student loan
debt because it's something that you've
talked about a lot yes how do you talk
with people who didn't get to go to
college and say that it's fair to cancel
the debt for all those people who got
that privilege what I say is that we
can't working people cannot allow
themselves to be divided up I believe
that in a highly competitive global
economy that we have to rethink what
free public education means Iowa has
been one of the leaders historically in
public education and the fights the
people in Iowa made a hundred plus years
ago and saying you know what all kids
regardless of their income have a right
to go to high school their high school
degree and it should be free should be
paid for out of public taxes that was a
huge breakthrough for the working class
of this country so there only it would
not only be rich people being able to
send their kids to college the time is
now to re-examine that concept and I
believe that in this day and age with
the explosion of technology and a global
economy if we want our kids to go out
and get the good jobs that are there
they're gonna need a higher education
that does not just mean college by the
way it means trade school you want to be
a sheetmetal worker you want to be a
carpet you want to be a plumber you need
additional training and I think we
should make public colleges and
universities tuition-free we should be
substantially increase Pell grants and
work-study programs so bottom line is
anybody in America who wants a higher
education should be able to do that now
in terms of student debt you got some 45
million Americans that are dealing with
student that I have talked to young
people wouldn't paying off that debt for
decades they can't get married and have
kids they can't buy a house they can't
buy a car that generation often will
have a lower real wages than their
parents and I think it is appropriate to
say to that generation both for them
and for the economy that we are going to
cancel those student debts now how do we
do that do we put the burden on the
average working person that we don't we
are saying that at a time when we bailed
out the crooks on Wall Street whose
greed and illegal behavior nearly
destroyed our economy back in 2008 we
bailed them out and we bailed them out
not only through a top grant of 700
billion dollars but through zero
interest loans trillions of dollars of
zero interest loans which is real money
and I think if we can bail the crooks
out on Wall Street if we can give a
trillion dollars in tax breaks through
1% and private corporations which is
what Trump did you know what we can
cancel all student debt that was in this
family because it was the right thing to
do it was done because we were facing
what we thought was a economic
apocalypse well that's the only way it's
not comparable to well if you are if you
are that young person who graduated
dental school who I talked to in Des
Moines young woman $400,000 in debt
maybe it's an apocalypse for her but I
think punishing I mean philosophically
let me back it up a little bit and to
say that 50 years ago 60 years ago do
you know how much it costs to go to some
of the great public universities of
America you call it the University of
California the university city of New
York I wouldn't be surprised the
universities here in Iowa virtually
tuition-free am i right on that one no
it's well going back to your statement
about Iowa public education another
I are late sans private colleges what
does free tuition of public universities
do to those I'll tell you what it does
schools what it does is part of our
educational the only point that I want
to make is that what I'm proposing for
public colleges universities not such a
radical idea because we virtually had it
50 or 60 years ago
so how come right now we're more wealthy
oh how young people are finding that
harder to go to college second of all in
terms of your question what we also do
is not only make public colleges and
universities tuition-free we greatly
expand Pell grants and work-study
programs so that if somebody who has
every right in the world wants to go to
a private college they will be able to
do that as well we make it far easier
the goal is to have anybody in this
country who wants a higher education
again not just college betray'd school
be able to get that education and leave
school without that I don't think that
that's a radical idea I think that's
exactly what should why not index it
though so that if you have you know if
you're that dentist who's gonna be
making a $200,000 income we'd still have
to pay off some well I understand that
one of my opponents has raised that
issue I guess he has a TV ad running
here in Iowa and the answer is twofold I
am glad that he is very worried that I
have been too kind to the wealthy maybe
I'll get him to do it and he have to
make you honor the answer is that I
believe in universal programs like
Social Security like Medicare
one of the concerns when you go around
the country and you talk to people and I
say everything is so bloody complicated
okay so I'm on Medicaid and I got a good
job
I lost my Medicaid my income went up by
$500 I'm off of a program I got to fill
out 18 forms to get onto the program all
right so what I believe is we have
certain principles Social Security is a
universal program you know Bill Gates
gets his $15,000 $20,000 year Social
Security check I'm sure it means a great
deal to him worth 50 billion dollars you
know but he pays into it so what I
believe right now you got the richest
people in the state of Iowa state of
Vermont they choose to send their kids
to public elementary schools high
schools that kids go like everybody else
goes and it's party a good thing by the
way all right
so I think what we have got to do is
have Universal programs public colleges
and universities tuition-free
health care is a human right for all
people but we fund it in a progressive
way so that the wealthiest people in
this country believe me who are not
unlike mr. booty joke and others I do
not get a whole lot of campaign funding
from millionaires and billionaires and
the CEOs of large corporations because
they know we have tax policies which are
going to demand that they start paying
their fair share of taxes so we're gonna
raise the necessary funds that we need
in terms of making public colleges and
universities tuition-free that is over a
10-year period about a 1.4 trillion
dollar program with arrays' 1.6 trillion
through a modest tax on Wall Street
speculation Wall Street doesn't like it
I think it's a good idea so I believe in
universal programs I believe you fund
them by progressive taxation on the
wealthy
I think the programs are open to
everybody that is easier that is cleaner
you don't have middle-class families who
got a pay raise who's their eligibility
or I'll have to fill out a hundred
different
if you become president what are some of
your first executive orders I think
specifically I'm doctor he's related so
what'd you do it's gonna be very busy
first thing I made enough promise if you
keep going 24 hours on the sleepy very
sleepy president on the second I'll lay
that uh in terms of dacha in terms of
immigration we will undo all of the
racist executive orders that Trump has
put into place he could do it through
executive orders I can undo them two
executive orders and certainly at the
top of the list is restoring the legal
status of the 1.8 million young people
and their parents in the daca program
that's what we do we end this Mexico
City Agreement situation which denies
the ability of the United States the
fund or M organizations around the world
will believe in reproductive rights or
the rights of women to control their own
bodies
we are gonna in terms of immigration
move on the first day to end private
prisons and detention centers in this
country I don't think cooperation should
be making money locking people up the
other thing that we do by executive
order is to tell those corporations that
have government contracts that the
minimum wage they will pay their workers
will be $15 an hour like were caught
under Obama
to raise that to Tenten an hour just
where it is used to be the national
minimum wage got up to ten ten if you
want a contract with the federal
government you pay your workers at least
fifteen bucks
those are some of what we do in day one
so in terms of those trend has been
criticized for his executive orders for
all sorts of reasons but some of the
criticism was he didn't have a plan when
he was issuing these broad policy
statements you know when remember when
we were protesting at the airports and
Berg the inss agents didn't know what to
do right now tribalism so how would you
get all that done without having a staff
and administration on your very first
day to immediately make what would be
major changes you have an interval
between election day and the day are
inaugurated and during that time
the federal federal employees and
agencies will know exactly what we have
in mind no great secret I've been in
campaigning on them and you're right I
mean one of the many many criticisms
that is made of Donald Trump is he
develops policy at 3 o'clock in the
morning through a tweet that it's not
the way you do policy and also I should
tell you that much of what I want to do
is not going to be done by executive
order president mr. Trump doesn't
understand it but presidents are not
dictators in our kings we have a
legislative process in this country
and for many of the things that I want
to happen it's gonna have to go to the
Congress I'm gonna have to fight for but
there are things you can do with
executive orders and the people of
America will will know exactly what they
are whether things Trump is done you
agree with or think of anything look I'm
sure if I thought very hard over here
for few hours I could but I have to say
this my disagreement with Trump is not
just that he's a pathological liar
that he came to the people of Iowa and
he said you know I'm a different type of
Republican you know I'm not gonna cut
Medicare I'm not gonna cut Medicaid and
not gonna cut Social Security well look
at his budget he does exactly that
massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare
cuts the Social Security it's not just
that he said his tax plan would benefit
the working class of this country 183
percent of the benefits are going to the
top one percent but I'll tell you you
asked me about Trump what this really I
disliked the most is not just this
policies tax breaks of the rich custom
Medicare and Medicaid and Social
Security
horrific ignorant dangerous position on
climate change it goes deeper than that
you have presidents who I disagreed with
all the time like george w bush aren't
conservative Republic is agree with Bush
on everything but Bush did not go out of
its way to divide the American people up
based on the color of our skin based on
where we were born
based on our religion based on our
sexual orientation did not do that right
and one assumes that any President of
the United States your conservative you
moderate your progressive understands
that you'll function as president of the
United States is to bring people
together
who cares what your religion is who
cares what the color of your skin is who
cares what your sexual orientation is
were Americans and complete fostering
hatred based on where somebody was born
that is unacceptable so you know my son
when you have a president who is doing
that who is a racist intersects this and
a homophobe and it's not a Pope and a
religious bigot you're asking me what do
I like about what Trump has done I
really can't answer that which is not to
say I just think I have a policy yeah I
know I know
you know he talks I mean early honored
his administration apparently not so
much anymore
and you know by the way even with Trump
I'm asked everyday by the media what do
you think about what Trump said
yesterday and I said wait till tomorrow
because what he said yesterday will no
longer be relevant tomorrow nobody
changes his mind but you know certainly
he talked about the high cost of
prescription drugs campaigned on that
but he's right as I've indicated he is
he gonna do anything meaningful I doubt
it
he talked about rebuilding our crumbling
infrastructure right he's right on
record structure whether it's our water
systems roads bridges I was serious
problem Vermont serious problem has he
done anything no he's doing the bidding
of Wall Street in terms of
infrastructure so well is there anything
in his is a attitude toward China that
makes sense whether you like his tariffs
or not but at least he's dealing with
some behavior of the Chinese government
really well let's know that's what's
driving him no I don't have in all due
respect I don't care but is there
anything
what's your iving Trump I believe you
know and again I'm not happy to have to
tell you this I would not say this I
have friends were conservatives all
right I really do and I respect we argue
each other but you know what drives
Trump is personal gain what drives Trump
is Palin and his desire to be re-elected
so he will do anything and I worry very
much sorry now aside you that in this
campaign that you may see in an
unprecedented way the merger of
government agencies which is with
because I think he does not understand
the rule of law I do not believe he does
or what the Constitution is about but to
answer your question you have a
President of the United States so in
terms of foreign policy has has turned
his back on what has been our global
legacy for so many decades that the
United States was a country of hope and
optimism for billions of people around
the world who looked at us as a
defenders of democracy and human rights
all right that has gone on for so many
years but have we been perfect about it
obviously not but that's what we said we
believe in democracy we believe in human
rights and you have a president who not
only seems to have a good buddy in Putin
who's an autocrat or in Mohammed bin
Salman who is a murderer
or in watt day who is the head of the
Philippines who was complete attacks on
human rights there was an arrow he has
aligned himself with the worst anti
human rights leaders around the world
and in China his policies have been in
building not so many months ago years
ago she was a good friend of his right
thought he was doing a great job kim
jeong-hoon good buddy of this who was an
incredible tyrant so I have you know
doubts about his motives in terms of
China what we should be doing with China
is understanding they are a superpower
they are a strong economy we want to be
working with them we certainly don't
want a cold war
but we should be speaking out against
human rights abuses when you put into
concentration camps son you know or at
least lock off the Potomac a million
Muslims there somebody has got to speak
out about that you talk a little bit
about food assistance which is important
Iowa not just for low-income people that
are AG economy and there's been some
policy changes this week willing to work
requirements around food assistance this
is the wealthiest country in the history
of the world we should not have millions
of people who are living in food
insecurity we give tax breaks to
billionaires and large popular bull
corporations and you have kids who are
going to school who are hungry so it
seems to me that a very I think not
debatable situation is that nobody in
America should go hungry and what
Trump's policies now are punishing poor
people increasing hunger in America by
the way just if I might I know I'm doing
a few aside cereal forgive me but I'm
answering any question Jen I was in Des
Moines like I was four years ago I guess
I was running in the first time and I
was at the farmers walked into a
beautiful farm spot front on Saturday
morning right when I was there I talked
to a guy bumped into a knight and we
chatted for a while and I said what do
you do
he works for a church and what he does
at the farmers market he collects the
food that is not sold and he brings it
to an emergency food shelf
and and I asked them on pedicures who is
going to the food shop because this is
just people unemployed but with
disabilities really poor people you know
most of the people go or worked in
people who are not earning enough money
to take care of their families so to cut
back on food stamps this is what
demagogues do you get tax breaks to
billionaires you're hundreds of billions
of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies
through the fossil fuel industry you
expand military spending so that we're
now spending more than the next ten
nations combined and then to show how
tough you are you cut back on the
poorest people in this country and
create a situation where folks are gonna
pause can you talk a little bit about
your health I think it's something
people are wondering about and give us
an update on that drop uh as I suspect
all of you know I underwent a procedure
which required two stents I know more
about cardiology now that I have a hope
to know it I was in a hospital for two
and a half days it is a procedure which
it's not about a million times a year in
the United States not a very unusual
procedure I have a blocked artery that
artery is now doing quite well
and in fact in many respects I am
feeling better than I did before the
heart attack because I got three
arteries that are working and I have
less you know and I kicked myself I've
said this before like if you want any
free advice here is listen to your body
you know I worked very hard and
campaigned very hard
but I was finding myself getting more
fatigued than I usually did I usually am
able to go out and walk for an hour and
a half and I wasn't was walking for 45
minutes and getting tired and I should
have asked myself why but anyhow right
now I am feeling fine
we're running knavery my staff has lined
me up from warning tonight today I know
probably on six different events and I
am feeling fine and obviously I
understand that people are concerned I
would not be running for president today
if I did not feel that I could be a
would be will be a very strong and
hard-working
president understanding you know
distress and difficulties of anybody
whose personal advancements are you
scared
tell you what
here's what it was I was so know if this
is wood or not I'm knockin on whatever
it is I was blessed with really good
health when I was a kid I used to run
forever I was one of the better
long-distance runners in New York City
and it's a cross-country captain and one
were a lot races and I've had enormous
endurance small in life I never have to
worry about my body what literally
shocked me it wasn't you know the pain
was distressing wasn't terrible panic
and collapse away
it was the for the first time in my life
doctor said yeah Pina Colada time I
couldn't believe it I just could not
believe that that was like but again I'm
feeling strong right now I am good
health working hard and look for week
becoming percentage is considered
limiting yourself to a long term to sort
of want that age issue I don't think
that any candidate should do that for a
couple of reasons you know you don't
know I mean if what happens at the end
of four years I have a really successful
administration I'm feeling great people
say Bernie we want to support you for
another term but I don't know I promise
not to do that and second of all and one
of my staff members made this point if
you do that you're going in as a
lame-duck president aren't you
and there's a disadvantage to that so
you know you play it out you know at the
end of the four years I am the American
people think I'm not doing well you know
I couldn't run if I'm doing well I
likely would run but I think it's
premature to be talking about that now
one of the jobs that he would have as
president is to appoint judges both to
the US Supreme Court of Appeals but to
the district courts all over the country
how would you approach that job unlike
the current president I would appoint
judges who are qualified who the Bar
Association thinks are qualified it is
an average that we are seeing judges
appointed today who have minimal
qualifications other than their
adherence that trumps ideology but I
want to say this
I believe very strongly his women who
have the right to control their own
bodies not local state or federal
politicians and one promise I had made I
repeat to you I will not ever nominate a
candidate to the Supreme Court who was
not 100 percent Pro Rafi wait that's a
prompt so that's my litmus test but also
I wish I could tell you what you would
thought you would believe it if I told
you but you know Chief Justice Roberts
may tell you that when we in the Supreme
Court politics doesn't matter we're all
Americans we all look at the
Constitution and we reach our
conclusions independently an objective I
wish I could tell you that's the truth
it is not Supreme Court today is a very
political institution Trump's nominees
by and large come from the Federalist
Society which is a right-wing extremist
organization to my mind and I will be
nominating people to the Supreme Court
and two other court positions we not
only are understand that a woman has the
right to control her own body but also
understand what is happening to working
families in this country and are not
going to be beholden to powerful
corporate interests
so she's I mean isn't it isn't the use
of a litmus test whether it's for poor
roe v-- wade or Brown versus Board of
Education or just choose whatever your
favorite ruling is isn't art those
litmus tests what get us a court you
know that's a political institution as
opposed to you know just who use their
own instincts that's a question and I
wish you could tell you than the best of
all possible worlds and the best of all
possible worlds all I have and by the
way this president does anyone is not
even appointing qualified people but I
wish I could tell you that in the best
of all possible worlds if you were
qualified if you're a stronger economic
downturn appointed this is not the best
of all possible worlds and obviously I
want judges who will be intelligent to
understand the Constitution or objective
but I have said not repeat it with that
in terms of a woman's right to control
her own body that is a litmus test for
me in terms of litmus test during this
sit down what's up season of Justice it
comes of a litmus test I just love your
answer today well you get yourself three
books you've railed against the
pharmaceutical industry fossil fuels
wall street and previously many other
industries if somebody
judge or injustice had represented any
of those industries could you imagine
yourself a continent
well representative agony by Japan a
representative is abort work if somebody
has spent his or her life representing
powerful corporate interests against the
needs of working family probably that
person will not be very high on my list
our yesterday last night at various
meeting talking to the Iowa organic
farmers association point that I made
whether it's agriculture or anyplace
else we have an administration that is
beholding to in this case agribusiness
and powerful corporate interest in
agriculture ignoring the needs of family
farms
I want judges who live in the real world
to understand than half about people are
living paycheck to paycheck and when
they rule against unions they are making
decisions that will lower the standard
of living of working people when they
rule that it's okay for corporations to
pollute the environment that they are
causing illness and maybe death for
people so I think it is important to
take a look at the background of person
does that meet us sometimes of 120 years
ago somebody worked for a company if you
look at the totality of that person's
experience two stupid judges mention
that think the president Trump's
appointees are unqualified the different
life time when it's nonetheless what we
do about these generals well I think
there is a constitutional argument to be
made some constitutional scholars I'm
not a lawyer but some have said that
what we do when we appoint judges they
have a lifetime appointment but not
necessarily to the soup
so it is possible to rotate judges and
district courts into the Supreme Court
and that's something that I will take a
look at you mentioned earlier that you
voted against the rock war you often
point that out you want troops out of
Afghanistan in general you do take a
very cautious approach as far as
committing troops could you outline in
more detail other than an outright
attack on the homeland what criteria
would you use in saying yes this is
worth committing troops I've done pesos
but I think our history is that it's
just then I say this is a United States
Senator somebody was in the Congress
it's very easy for a politician to give
a really tough speech and the only thing
that x-country respects is force how
often have we heard that not my sons and
therefore we're gonna go to maybe take a
look at what happened in Vietnam now it
was a young man marching in the streets
against the war in Vietnam history
indicated that those who advocated that
war were terribly terribly wrong
and a whole generation my generation the
young men who came home for that war you
know so many died in Vietnam somebody
came home in to idea some of them are on
the streets today war is a terrible
terrible thing and I know that from a
political point of view it looks we'd be
to be in favor of diplomas hey get tough
with that country but often the
politicians who are sending on young
working class kids into war thought
their kids who were going to war
Donald something called war so I think
that force is the last response
sometimes it may be necessary if you're
in a genocide 'el situation you know
where millions of people are large
numbers of people might be killed
without international response and by
the way I think it should not be just
the United States responding I believe
in strengthening the United Nations not
weaking and weakening it you know so I
would like to see when necessary one
force is applicable to see
the countries around the world coming
together on that response but you know
if I think back on my own lifetime your
lifetime I think about Vietnam I think
about the war in Iraq those were
terrible terrible mistakes and wasn't
the politicians who paid the price it's
working-class kids and people all over
the world who were impacted by those was
God knows how many hundred thousands
hundreds of thousands or even millions
of people died as a result of the Iraq
war so we have got to be very very
cautious trump is cutting back on aid to
the warning cutting back on aid to the
State Department we have
commercial break the back of the
technical limited-run
okay I'm not going in right okay so
Trump is cutting back on support for the
State Department or on State I've been
all over the world you know Zach of us
from the center made many trips with Tom
pocket but away and you're impressed by
the quality of people who you see in
embassies all of the receives people who
know the language know the culture we're
representing the United States in a very
positive ways to cut back on those
people while we greatly greatly expand
military spending to lay the groundwork
for war know it's that's very much the
opposite what I do so you cannot predict
what happens tomorrow or 10 years from
now
but I believe in diplomacy okay what
else I believe it I believe in exchange
programs I believe that was often
evolved when people are frightened about
somebody else because they don't know
anything about that it's very easy to
demonize somebody else different person
or different language different color
different culture when I was mayor of
the city of Burlington I started to
sister city programs one in the former
Soviet Union and one in Nicaragua and I
think both of them are still around
today it's beautiful to see kids I'll
never forget seeing kids from both than
the Soviet Union coming here you know
talking the involved kids from
Burlington Vermont we need to make the
world a little bit smaller place and
make sure that we know each other before
we go around killing each other both you
and Senator Warren advocate a wealth tax
hers is kind of a flat to two cents on
wealth over 50 built Milligan yours it's
a little more complicated it starts at
one and then goes up why is yours better
here's what I think and again this is an
issue I am proud to have maybe helped
bring to the forefront as a nation and
that is we have more income and wealth
inequality today in America there almost
any other major country on Earth and it
is worse now than it was in 1920 so
that's the question we have to ask
ourselves tonight you're gonna 500,000
people sleeping out on the street
including some thirty thousand veterans
87 million people are either uninsured
or underinsured hundreds of thousands of
kids can't afford to go to college many
of leaving school deeply in debt 18
million people spending half of their
income on housing etc etc I have a
population is living paycheck to
paycheck can we continue in good faith
maintaining a nation in which so few
have so much and so many have so little
over the last thirty years I know I'm
sorry to bore you with statistics you
know but it's case over the last thirty
years the top one percent has seen a
twenty one trillion dollar increase in
their wealth 21 trillion for the top one
percent bottom half of American society
has seen a decline in their wealth
so I'm here to tell you I know not
everybody will agree with me I think
that is fundamentally wrong it is a
threat to our way of life as a nation is
a threat to democracy and we are moving
in the direction of oligarchy where a
handful of billionaires control our
economic and political life so I believe
it is time to take on the billionaire
class font I know that they are not
happy about it I guess some of them are
actually on tears believing that
somebody thinks that when we have kids
in America going hungry that they are
entitled to maintain 30 50 was Basil's
worth 150 billion dollars no I'm sorry I
don't I don't believe that involved so
we are going to love the very heavy
taxes on wealth and on income these guys
will be fine but believe me they're
gonna get by in their five or ten
billion dollars here when I push them
out onto the streets their families will
be fine but I gotta say this also and I
apologize you you get me going on things
and I know our extrapolating we have a
major crisis in this country in terms of
lowering of life expectancy all the way
around and the doctors call that
diseases of despair which are largely
drug addiction alcoholism suicide
I believe I believe that the kind of
greed that we are seeing among the
richest people in this country is an
addiction now I you know I grew up in a
working-class family I lived in a
rent-controlled apartment my whole life
my family never had any money so I gotta
tell you I'm not familiar with living in
a billionaire home but I don't
understand I really do not understand
that if you are worth 10 billion dollars
why you think you need to step on
working people while you need to take
factories in this country that I'm
making money send them to China or to
Mexico well you need to come down to
Congress I dealt with these people oh
yes we are billionaires but we think you
should cut Social Security Medicare and
Medicaid because we're worried about the
national debt all right so the answer is
I think the time is now to tell the
billionaire class that they really
cannot have it all that their greed is
destroying this country and by the way
not only agreed the corruption that goes
with the greed and I will deal with that
so why do you think this income
inequality happened in this country and
is is taxing the 1% the answer to cure
it no but is it just it's not the answer
it's not the answer but it's part of the
insight so what what happened well I
like you know people write big books on
the Sun oh I don't
all the answers I'll tell you what I
think happened I think that after Lyndon
Johnson won his landslide victory and
when he won that in 64 fighting for
Medicare fighting for Medicaid fighting
for a host of programs that benefited
working people and by the way I think
with the exception of the terrible
Vietnam War Lyndon Johnson is an
underestimated president in my view I
think the ruling class of this country
woke up and they said oh my god this
continues if government starts
responding to the needs of working
families we're gonna be in big trouble
and they mounted a massive multi-front
operation I mean it is very well
constructed this is people like later on
the Koch brothers and everybody else
this is funding think tanks this is in a
coordinated way funding politicians this
is funding through the Alec program
lobbyists at state legislatures so this
is doing lobbying in a way that we've
never seen before we started this
discussion with the pharmaceutical
industry over the last 20 years the
pharmaceutical industry has spent four
billion dollars in lobbying and campaign
contributions and they're not radically
different than the fossil fuel industry
than Wall Street insurance companies so
I think what they sent around and said
look if you have a government that
represents working families if we raise
wages if we the rich are asked to pay
off their share of taxes if we cannot
continue to run industries which pollute
we're in trouble and we got to fight
back and they fought back and what has
to be acknowledged a very coordinated
and intelligent way they brought some
really smart people on what so it has to
do with developing trade policies yes
reason why it has to do with developing
trade policies that cost working
families in this country
the good-paying jobs it has to do with a
very coordinated attack on trade unions
in America right now you got millions of
people want to join unions can't do it
often because of the legal behavior on
the part of their employers in
corporations it has to do with tax
policy you know you're asking gee do you
really want to ask the rich and the
powerful to pay their fair share of
taxes what about asking Donald Trump and
his friends why they gave a trillion
dollars in tax breaks over ten years to
the 1% of large profitable corporations
why are we not discussing why Amazon a
corporation made over ten billion
dollars in profit last year owned by the
wealthiest guy in America didn't pay a
nickel in federal income tax what about
a system which allows the rich in
corporations the slash god knows we
don't know hundreds of billions
trillions of dollars in the Cayman
Islands and other tax havens to avoid
taxes so all my answer to you question I
mean people write books on this is there
has been a very coordinated effort on
the part of the ruling class of this
country the billionaire class to do
everything they can to increase their
own wealth and they have been enormously
successful 21 trillion dollar increase
in wealth over the last twenty years is
quite something and they have been you
ask me a moment ago about cutting food
stamps this is what it's about tax
breaks for billionaires rich get richer
and then we cut back on the needs of
working-class how can it happen that it
is state like I owe a beautiful great
state like Iowa you have a $7 and 25
centimeter mum wage anybody think that
makes sense you know so you have
powerful lobbyists powerful effort to
protect the interests of working
families and the political revolution
that I am helping to lead with millions
of other people is saying enough is
enough about that we cannot continue to
have a handful of billionaires a few
hundred people
developing policy for our government
would simply benefits the very rich and
like we heard one or two terms of a
Sanders presidency gonna change all of
that no but one or two terms will go a
long way to transform in this country
away from the greed and immorality that
we're seeing right now it's going to
change our value system in one or two
terms of the Sanders administration
we're gonna guarantee health care to all
people as a human right and I think
sometimes we don't understand what that
means we don't understand what it means
when somebody gets sick and can't afford
to go to a doctor we don't understand
what it means if you get diagnosed with
cancer and end up in the hospital you
have the bill for $100,000 what does it
happens if you're working claspers you
can't go bankrupt or your credit school
will be shot what does it mean that we
have people working a jobs by the
millions today why are they working at
their jobs do they love their jobs is
that what they want to do no it's
because they have decent health care and
they have families that they got to take
care of what does it mean if you can
suddenly go to any job you want and
continue to have strong health care it
will be transformative in America all
right in one or two terms of the Sanders
administration we will do everything we
can to save this planet for your kids
and your grandchildren by taking on the
fossil fuel industry we will raise the
minimum wage so the people in Iowa if
you work in 10 bucks an hour under a
Sanders administration we will raise
that minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour
and we will accomplish that House passed
the bill that I introduced of course to
Mitch McConnell hasn't taken it up but I
will pass that so if you're working 40
hours a week you're not living in puppy
you will be able to go to college
without regardless of your income and we
will cancel asleep that so I'm not going
to tell you that at the end of four
years or eight years we transform the
world make everybody happy not it's not
what happens but I think we will go a
long way to a changing the value system
of this country and to significantly
improve the lives of working-class
people in America
what will you prioritize if you've come
into office with a Republican Senate I
kind of like been asked out about ten
million times all right what are you
gonna do what's the major priorities
thing yeah and here's what I want to say
in a response
I do politics some of you may agree with
me some of you may not people I work
with they don't except don't my view of
politics is different than what most
politicians tell you okay so I'm not
going here and say well you know it's
health care is my priority raising wages
is my prime climate change
infrastructure saving family farms this
is what I believe and I have some
experience for this because I was mayor
of a city and I helped do this to some
degree when you transform politics what
is in this country resume when suddenly
millions of people are involved in the
political process and a way that we have
never seen before which is essentially
what our campaign is about bringing
working people bringing young people to
stand up for their lives
when you understand that the history of
America in terms of real change has
never taken place from the top on down
it's always the bottom on up think about
the labor movement the civil rights
movement the women's movement the gay
rights movement environmental movement
today just a few hours if I talk to
young people who are deeply concerned
about climate change high school kids
college kids that's how change takes
place with millions of people get
involved and when we win this election
we will beholden to those people I will
not only be commander-in-chief of the
military I will be organizer in chief
we're gonna rally the American people
around an agenda that works for working
people so it is not one issue I will do
everything humanly possible to fulfill
the agenda that I'm running on and that
is health care is a human right
bypassing Medicare for all raising the
minimum wage the living wage making it
easier for workers to join unions
putting hundreds of billions of dollars
to build the affordable housing that we
need and creating millions of jobs doing
that and helping to lead the world in
terms of climate change so to me it's
not either law we're gonna do it all and
you can do it all because the agenda
that we have not a radical agenda it's
an agenda that the American people
support but what it's hard for people
and I talk to a lot of people often in
the media or no square will think about
politics the way it usually is how am I
gonna go she ate with Mitch McConnell
that's not the issue and by the way I'm
gonna do everything I can to make sure
that Mitch McConnell is not too
Republican lead on that we have
Democrats controlling the Senate but at
the end of the day change only comes
about the millions of people demand it
and when they demand it we can move very
aggressively on a wide front of issues
to try to move this country well that
sounds like a closing argument and we're
past time so thank you very much senator
Sanders and come back to Des Moines
Register calm for all of the caucus
coverage thank you
(Article changed on December 22, 2019 at 22:43)