Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders remarked on President Joe Biden’s accomplishments in a speech on Sunday, in which he also noted that even though the president has achieved promising economic results, there are still significant issues facing the nation today.
“The president has a right to be very proud of many of the accomplishments that we’ve achieved in the last three years. Unemployment, very, very low. We’ve brought inflation down,” Sanders said when asked by CNN’s Dana Bash about an ideological shift he mentioned in his speech. “We’re investing in clean energy. We’re rebuilding our infrastructure. We have made real progress in a number of areas.”
In spite of the progress that has been made, Sanders quickly listed the economic troubles the country is facing. “But the reality is that today, 60% of our people are living paycheck-to-paycheck,” he said. “We have massive levels of income and wealth inequality. Our health care system is a total disaster. 85 million people uninsured, underinsured while the insurance companies make huge profits. The cost of pharmaceutical drugs, precipitation drugs, sky high.”
Sanders explained that the president should be given credit for his successes, but must also confront the current reality of life in America. “So the point is, in my view, the president should tout his very good record. We have got to continue to defend women’s right to control their own bodies. But we have to deal with the reality of life today,” he said. “That’s what Roosevelt did back in 1936. And that is to understand that we have massive levels of corporate greed, in every part of society. The very rich are getting richer, working people are struggling. We have got to make it clear, we’re going to stand with those workers, we’re going to a health care system that works for all, lower the cost of precipitation drugs, raise the minimum wage to a living wage. So I think that was the message of yesterday.”
When looking at the country’s current economic climate, inflation levels remain at 3.2% year-over-year compared to 3.0% in June. Additionally, the Fed chair Jerome Powell recently signaled possible for more interest rate hikes as inflation is at a target rate. Biden’s approval rating of the economy stands at 38.1% and 33.4% of Americans approve of his handling of inflation, according to RealClearPolitics.
As these numbers illustrate, many outside of Capitol Hill are feeling the economic strain and it is essential for the Biden administration to understand this in order to make progress in areas such as income inequality and health care. Sanders pointed out that FDR did just this in 1936, showing that there is a precedent for this type of response to crisis.