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>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WE'RE BACK WITH THE SOON-TO-BE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE BUDGET
COMMITTEE, SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.
IT HAS BEEN A LONG FOUR YEARS, AND AMERICA HAS CHANGED IN A LOT
OF WAYS.
WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, HAS BEEN THE GREATEST CHANGE YOU'VE SEEN
WROUGHT ON THIS GREAT COUNTRY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND
WHAT HAS STAYED THE SAME, DESPITE THE ATTACKS?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT HAS UPSET ME THE MOST IS NOT JUST DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR AND A DEMAGOGUE, AND I GOT THAT, BUT
WHAT UPSETS ME THE MOST IS SOME 73 MILLION AMERICANS SUPPORTED
HIM AND THAT HE DID BETTER IN MANY DEPRESSED AREAS OF THE
COUNTRY THAN HE DID IN 2016.
NOW, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SOMEBODY WHO IS A LIAR,
WHO GIVES THEIR BENEFITS -- MAKES POLICY TO BENEFIT THE RICH
AND THE POWERFUL AT THE EXPENSE OF WORKING PEOPLE?
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
HOW DO WE RESTORE FAITH IN GOVERNMENT SO THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BE
WORKING FOR THEM?
HOW DO WE BRING A NATION TOGETHER WHICH TRUMP HAS DONE
ITS BEST TO DIVIDE US WITH HIS RACISM AND HIS XENOPHOBIA?
SO WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS TASK IN FRONT OF US IN THAT REGARD.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME WHAT'S POSITIVE ABOUT
ALL OF THIS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE HAD GOVERNMENTAL
OFFICIALS, SECRETARIES OF STATE IN GEORGIA, ARIZONA, OTHER
REPUBLICAN STATES WHO, AGAINST AN ONSLAUGHT OF VICIOUSNESS AND
TREATS FROM TRUMP'S BASE, HAVE DEFENDED THE CONSTITUTION, AND
THAT'S NO SMALL THING.
BUT GETTING BACK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT REINVIGORATING DEMOCRACY
AND VOTING RIGHTS, AT THE VERY HIGHLES LEVEL OF PRIORITIES HAS
GOT TO BE THE EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN CREATE A VIBRANT
DEMOCRACY WHERE IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME, THAT'S FINE, YOU'RE NOT
MY ENEMY, WHERE WE HAVE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS, WHERE BIG MONEY
DOES NOT BUY ELECTIONS, WHERE WE END THE KIND OF RACISM AND
XENOPHOBIA THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: THERE WAS SOME SPECULATION THAT YOU WOULD BE
SECRETARY OF LABOR, BUT, WHEN BIDEN NOMINATED, INSTEAD, MARTY
WALSH, HE DID SAY THIS ABOUT YOU MORE PASSIONATE AND DEVOTED ALLY
TO WORKING PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAN YOU.
DOES IT EVER SURPRISE YOU THAT THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED THE
PRESIDENT, THOSE 74 MILLION PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE WORKING
CLASS WHITE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT YOU CAN'T FIND
COMMON CAUSE WITH THEM BECAUSE MANY OF THE POLICIES THAT YOU
PUT FORTH WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERY WORKING CLASS PERSON
IN THE UNITED STATES, MANY OF THEM FOR ALL PEOPLE, BUT
CERTAINLY SPEAKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE POWER
OF THE CORPORATE MONEY BEHIND THEM IS SOMETHING YOU'RE KNOWN
FOR.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THEM?
>> MY MESSAGE IS LET US WORK TOGETHER ON HEALTHCARE, LET'S
WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE ALL OUR KIDS REGARDLESS OF INCOME
CAN GET A HIGHER EDUCATION, LET US NOT ALLOW THE DEMAGOGUES
DIVIDE US UP.
WHETHER YOU'RE BLACK, WHITE, LATINO, YOU WANT YOUR KIDS TO
HAVE A DECENT EDUCATION, YOU WANT CLEAN WATER, YOU NEED
HEALTHCARE AND YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ON STARVATION WAGES.
WHAT OUR JOB HAS TO BE IS TO BRING PEOPLE AROUND AN AGENDA
THAT IS IN FACT SUPPORTED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND VIGOROUSLY OPPOSE THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DIVIDE US BY
THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN OR OUR RELIGION OR WHERE WE WERE BORN.
>> Stephen: IN 2016, PAUL RYAN SAID REPUBLICANS SHOULD BE
SCARED OF DEMOCRATS CONTROLLING THE SENATE BECAUSE BERNIE
SANDERS WOULD BE THE BUDGET CHAIR.
BEFORE WE GO, WHAT'S THEONE THING THAT YOU COULD SAY THAT
WOULD SCARE PAUL RYAN THE MOST?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY TO PAUL RYAN IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO
START AN EFFORT TO TAX THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY AND THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS WHO, TODAY, ARE NOT
BAYING, BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, THEIR FAIR SHARE OF
TAXES.
>> Stephen: SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, EVERYBODY.
BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY FINNEAS.
SENATOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
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