>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK.
WE'RE HERE WITH SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS ON OUR LIVE "LATE
SHOW"."
ALL RIGHT, SENATOR, LET'S GET TO ECONOMICS.
TONIGHT, PRESIDENT BIDEN LAID OUT HIS ECONOMIC PLAN.
IT INCLUDED CUTTING THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
CUTTING THE COST OF CHILD CARE.
MAKING CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.
IS IT-- IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT BIDEN WAS FEELING THE BERN
TONIGHT?
YOU'RE AN EXPERT.
( APPLAUSE )
>> WELL, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE HE TOOK OFFICE, WE HAD A
TASK FORCE OF PEOPLE FROM MY CAMPAIGN AND HIS CAMPAIGN
WORKING TOGETHER ON A SET OF PROPOSALS.
AND MUCH OF WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT WAS JUST THAT.
AND HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT BEING A DIVIDED NATION, AND IN MANY WAYS
THAT'S TRUE.
BUT IN SOME WAYS, STEPHEN, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY UNITED.
EVERYBODY HATES THE DRUG COMPANIES.
AND EVERYBODY-- EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IT IS ABSURD THAT WE IN
SOME CASES PAY 10 TIMES MORE FOR THE SAME EXACT DRUG SOLD IN
CANADA OR EUROPE THAT ONE OUT OF FOUR AMERICANS CANNOT AFFORD THE
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT THEIR DOCTORS PRESCRIBE.
MEANWHILE, THE COMPANIES MAKE TENS OF BILLIONS IN PROFITS AND
GIVE HUGE COMPENSATION PACKAGES TO THEIR C.E.O.s.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THIS-- WE ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT
NOW TO LOWER THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
THE DRUG COMPANIES HAVE SPENT AT LEAST $300 MILLION ON LOBBYISTS
ALONE.
THEY'VE GOT 1,500 LOBBYISTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CONTINUE PAYING THE HIGHEST PRICES IN THE WORLD FOR
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
SO WHEN BIDEN SAYS WE'VE GOT TO LOWER THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS, THAT MEDICARE'S GOT TO NEGOTIATE PRICES WITH THE
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, AS THE V.A. NOW DOES, THE OVERWHELMING
MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SUPPORT HIM.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT
IT IS ABSURD THAT FAMILIES ARE PAYING $10,000, $15,000 A YEAR
FOR CHILD CARE.
WE'VE GOT TO LOWER THE COST OF CHILD CARE SUBSTANTIALLY.
I BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO EXPAND MEDICARE TO COVER DENTAL,
HEARING, AND EYEGLASSES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU-- YOU AND JOE BIDEN, OBVIOUSLY, HAVE
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
IF YOU WERE UP THERE AT THAT PODIUM TONIGHT, WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY THE STATE OF OUR UNION IS?
>> I WOULD SAY...
THAT WE'RE AN ANXIOUS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE GONE THROUGH SO MUCH.
BUT I THINK, AS HE INDICATED, THE STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTRY IS
ALWAYS THE PEOPLE.
AND OUR HISTORY IS THAT WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, WE STAND UP
AND WE FIGHT BACK.
AND I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO DO THAT RIGHT
NOW.
( APPLAUSE )
TO THE REPUBLICANS WHILE PROMOTING HIS LEGISLATIVE
AGENDA.
HE COULD PASS MUCH OF THAT AGENDA WITH ONLY DEMOCRATIC
SUPPORT.
SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT MAN INCH AND SINEMA.
>> NO, WE'VE LOOKED AT THEM FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S THE SAD
TRUTH.
WHAT HE DIDN'T GET INTO ENOUGH TONIGHT IS THE POWER OF MONEY IN
POLITICS.
LET'S BE VERY CLEAR-- WE HAVE A CORRUPT POLITICAL SYSTEM.
CANDIDATES AND MEMBERS OF BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN
PARTIES TAKE HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY, FROM THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY.
AND, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO UNITED STATES SENATORS
WHO ARE MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM THE WEALTHY AND THE POWERFUL THAN DOING THE WORK OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
IT'S A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST-- IT'S NOT JUST MANCHIN AND
SINEMA.
YOU'VE GOT 50 REPUBLICANS, AND NOT ONE OF THEM IS PREPARED TO
STAND UP TO THE DRUG COMPANIES, NOT ONE OF THEM IS PREPARED TO
STAND UP TO THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY.
NOT ONE OF THEM, APPARENTLY, IS PREPARED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
CHILDREN HAVE QUALITY CHILD CARE AND WOMEN CAN GO BACK TO WORK.
SO YOU'VE GOT 50 REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE GOT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
IN THIS COMING ELECTION.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE BERNIE SANDERS.
STICK AROUND.