♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE BACK HERE WITH SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.
NOW, SENATOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CONTROL OF THE SENATE RIGHT
NOW.
IT'S 50-50 WITH, OBVIOUSLY, KAMALA HARRIS CASTING THE
DECIDING VOTE ON THINGS THAT COME TO A TIE.
WHAT'S IT LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE A 50-50 SPLIT?
EVERY SENATOR'S VOTE IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND ON THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS, YOU'VE GOT THE RANGE FROM BERNIE
SANDERS TO JOE MANCHIN.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BALANCE ALL THOSE VOICES?
>> IT IS NOT EASY.
AND I DON'T ENVY C CHUCK SCHUMER HIS JOB BECAUSE HE HAS TO DO THE
BALANCING, AND HE DOES A GOOD JOB AT IT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, STEPHEN, I THINK ALL OF THE 50
MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT FAIL,
THAT THE PROBLEMS FACING THIS COUNTRY ARE SO SEVERE, THAT WE
ARE GOING TO HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.
WE CAN ARGUE IT OUT WITH EVERY ONE OF THE MEMBERS, NOT ONLY
MANCHIN AND ME, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS
ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT, "A," THAT BIDEN SUCCEEDS.
"B" THAT WE RETAIN CONTROL OVER THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT UNLESS WE PASS SIGNIFICANT
LEGISLATION.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES, A LOT OF FIGHTING,
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IS WHAT I THINK ALL 50 MEMBERS
UNDERSTAND.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE-- WE HAD AMY KLOBUCHAR ON HERE THE
OTHER NIGHT, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S STILL AN ELEPHANT
IN THE ROOM IN THE SENATE AND OVER IN THE HOUSE, TOO, OF THOSE
PEOPLE, LIKE JOSH HAWLEY OR TED CRUZ, THE PEOPLE WHO SPREAD THE
BIG LIE, WHO SUPPORTED THIS WILL IDEA, VOTED AGAINST CERTIFYING
THE ELECTORAL BALLOTS.
HOW DO YOU TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR
PRESENT SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS LNL?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
>> AND THE ANSWER IS IT IS VERY HARD.
I MEAN, OCCASIONALLY -- >> Stephen: YOU WORK WITH JOSH
HAWLEY.
>> I DID IN WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE VERY SIGNIFICANT, ONE OF THE
FIRST POINTS THE PRESIDENT MADE TONIGHT WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF
THAT $1,400 CHECK THAT WENT OUT TO 85% OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AND HAWLEY AND I DID WORK ON THAT.
BUT I DO HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I FIND IT INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT
TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE LITERALLY TRYING TO UNDERMINE
OUR DEMOCRACY THROUGH BIG LIES, AND THEIR FRIENDS BACK IN TEXAS
AND GEORGIA AND ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY ARE TRYING TO DENY
PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE OUR DFFERENCES OF OPINION, BUT IF
IT'S JUST OUTRAGEOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BE
UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY AND TRYING TO DENY PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU STARTED A NEW JOB SINCE LAST WE SPOKE.
YOU'RE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, AND THAT WAS
THE MOST TERRIFYING THING THAT THE SENATORS ACROSS THE AISLE
COULD IMAGINE.
HOW IS THEIR NIGHTMARE PLAYING OUT?
>> WELL, I THINK FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, IT IS A NIGHTMARE.
WE PASSED IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WHAT I THINK IS ONE OF THE
MOST CONSEQUENTIAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION FOR WORKING FAMILIES
THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME.
WE'RE RIGHT NOW GOING TO GO AFTER SOME OF THEIR BILLIONAIRE
FRIENDS AND DEMAND THAT THEY START PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF
TAXES.
THESE ARE GUYS WHO DENY, IN MANY CASES, THE REALITY OF CLIMATE
CHANGE.
WE'RE GOING TO INVEST TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
TRANSFORMING OUR ENERGY SYSTEM AND TAKING ON THE FOSSIL FUEL
COMPANIES.
SO I THINK THEIR NIGHTMARE IS TURNING INTO A PAINFUL REALITY
FOR THEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT FOR GRASS-ROOTS
REPUBLICANS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY-- YOU KNOW, I'M NOT
GOING TO SAY THERE ARE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR OUR
AGENDA, BUT AMONG LOWER INCOME, WORKING CLASS REPUBLICANS, THERE
IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR OUR AGENDA.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU ARE, AS YOU KNOW, YOU'RE VERY POPULAR
WITH THE YOUTHS OUT THERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A
LONG TIME.
YOU ARE CROWNED WITH MANY WINTERS, SIR
( LAUGHING ).
>> Stephen: HERE ARE YOU 40 YEARS AGO WINNING YOUR FIRST
ELECTION.
THIS IS FOR MAYOR OF-- IS IT BURLINGTON?
>> YUP, BURLINGTON, VERMONT.
>> Stephen: BY 10 VOTES.
HOW AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, AFTER 40 YEARS OF DOING THIS, HOW DO
YOU STAY POSITIVE?
DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA THAT KEEPS YOU GOING?
>> I TELL YOU, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE
INSPIRATION THAT I GET FROM PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU RUN FOR PRESIDENT YOU SEE ZIL YONS OF
PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, STEPHEN, IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THE
PESSIMISM AND THE GLOOMINESS, MY GOD, THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF BEAUTY-- I MEAN, IDEALISM.
I HAVE BEEN TO SPEECHES WHERE YOU HAVE WHITE KIDS, BLACK KIDS,
LATINOS, NATIVE AMERICAN KIDS.
THEY'RE DREAMING ABOUT AN AMERICA THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT
FROM THE AMERICA OF TODAY, WHERE THEY'RE WORK FOR ALL, AND NOT
SOMEBODY THAT DESIRES TO DIVIDE US UP.
I WANT TO THANK THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HEAR THAT, YOUNGER GENERATION, BERNIE HEARS
YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "MEANWHILE."
STICK AROUND.
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