On the recordJanuary 7, 2015
as we begin this new session, I think it is important for us to remember why we are here and what our job is as Senators. What our job is, it seems to me, is to try to understand the needs of the American people, the problems facing our constituents, and propose real solutions to those problems. So before we get involved in all of the debates I know we are going to have, let me put on the floor what I believe--in hearing from the people of the State of Vermont--are some of the most important issues facing our country and the need for the Senate, the Congress, and the President to address those issues. First and foremost, to my mind, is the state of American democracy. We are a democracy, and men and women have fought and died to preserve American democracy, which means the people of America--not kings, not queens, not an aristocracy but the people of this country--regardless of where they come from or their economic status, have the right to participate in the political process, to elect their leaders and create the future they want for themselves and their kids. What is the status of American democracy today? We just came out of a midterm election where Republicans did very well. But I think it is important to understand that in that election--that national election-- 63 percent of the American people didn't vote. Eighty percent of young people didn't vote. The overwhelming majority of low-income and working people didn't vote.…
