Bernie Sanders (Democrat)

Personal Information: 

Bernie Sanders (Democrat)

Born: September 8, 1941 (age 74)

             Brooklyn, NY

Alma Mater: Brooklyn College (transferred)

                            University of Chicago (1964)

Spouse: Jane O’Meara Sanders

Children: Levi

Positions Held:

– 1981 Mayor of Burlington, VT

– 1989 elected to Congress – re-elected until 2006

– 2006 elected to Senate

Campaign Views:

Environment: transform our energy system away from polluting fossil fuels, and towards energy efficiency and sustainability

‘If the environment were a bank, it would have been saved by now”

Marijuana: supports the legalization

LGBT: Bernie supports same-sex marriage

“Of course all citizens deserve equal rights…It’s time for the Supreme Court to catch up to the American people and legalize gay marriage.”

Education: plans to create public colleges that are free to attend, lower interest rates on federal student loans and tax Wall Street instead, make quality childcare available for everyone

“Education should be a right, not a privilege. We need a revolution in the way that the United States funds higher education.”

Jobs: raise the minimum wage, modernize our country’s infrastructure, and create jobs for all American’s.

“A job should lift workers out of poverty, not keep them in it.”

Women’s rights: equal pay, pro-choice

Fact Check: Bernie is quoted saying “in America we now have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth.” This is not true and there are several other major countries who have an even greater wealth gap than America.