Bernie Sanders

I would like them released publicly and I would like a member of the Commission now, Commissioner Magwood, you believe in an open process.

Your job is to represent the best interests of the people of the United States of America on very difficult issues.

The State legislature recently voted by a 26 to 4 vote to say no, we do not think it is in the best interest of the people of Vermont to extend that contract.

I believe in that. I agree with the people of my own State.

The people of the State of Vermont want to shut down a 40-year old plant that has had numerous problems

Do you think the State should have the right, from an economic point of view, to say no, we don't want a nuclear power plant?

Thank you, Madam Chair.

You can't push a nuclear power plant on people. It is not a safety issue.

In the State of Vermont, people have been extremely dissatisfied with the role that Entergy has been playing.

It is my firm view that 40 years is enough.

What disturbs me very much, and I want to pursue this later, is my understanding is that yesterday, by a three to two vote, this Commission decided to urge the Department of Justice to get involved in that fight.

I find that a disturbing answer.

We have to stop looking at things as either/or, black and white, but looking at what is the combination we need.

That seems to me to be totally absurd.

Madam Chair, I would just point out, here is an example where our military, a sore, serious problem, they responded intelligently and by and large what they did has worked.

I want to thank all of the panelists.

If you just want to worry about the deficit and how we spend money in this country, it is smart economics to invest in our children.

We want to make sure, and I don't think there is any disagreement, regardless of ones political philosophy, that we want all of our kids to grow up strong and healthy and smart.

I think, having said that, that as a nation we should be extremely embarrassed and ashamed, that in our country today we have, by far, the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on earth.

We have experienced this in Vermont--here you have people giving them the responsibility of nurturing children in the most impressionable years of their lives and we are paying them minimum wage.

In some ways I think there are people who think we are back in the 1950's where Dad went to work and Mommy stayed home with the kids.

The fact of the matter is that we have to start this discussion by saying, we are failing our children.

The truth of the matter is, this issue is one of the issues in our country of enormous consequence and yet it doesn't get the discussion that it needs.

We have too much bureaucracy, so let us fix it.

I would hope, Madam Chair, as somebody who really has a strong detestation of bureaucracy in general, that we can work toward a system where these guys will have somebody who they trust that they can call up 24 hours a day who will help…