Thank You to the Over 2,000 Vermonters Who Joined Me at My Labor Day Weekend Town Meetings

I believe that when you have a people’s budget, the people should know what’s in it. That is why I am so grateful to the over 2,000 Vermonters who joined me in Springfield, Newport, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, and Middlebury to discuss the budget reconciliation bill and share their thoughts about the important issues facing our country. This truly is what democracy is all about. I hope everyone who attended enjoyed the great music, food, and discussion.

Throughout the weekend, many Vermonters spoke about their experiences — and from town to town, I kept hearing many of the same struggles and challenges. From struggling to afford child care and rent, to worrying about retirement, a surprise medical bill, or the future of our planet — it’s clear that Vermonters and people all across our country demand more of their government in order to address the problems we face. I hear you! I hope very much that if we can pass this budget legislation, there will be a lot of people who say, ‘you know what, maybe democracy works and maybe, just maybe, we can have a government that works for all of us and not just the wealthy few.’

I have absolute confidence that if we have the courage and the determination to stand together and fight for justice — economic justice, social justice, racial justice and environmental justice — not only can we address the enormous crises that we face, but I believe we can move this country in a much stronger and better direction.

From the bottom my heart, thank you to every single Vermonter who came out to a town meeting. Your insights will help immensely as I return to Washington and continue budget negotiations.

Read on to learn more about my Vermont meetings and events over the August recess, as well as more details about the budget reconciliation bill.

Vermont Can Lead the Nation in Transforming Our Energy System

If you think that the forest fires in Oregon, California, Montana, and elsewhere are an aberration, that they are once-in-a lifetime, you are dead wrong. We’re seeing historic flooding, unprecedented temperatures, and droughts. And Vermont is not immune to extreme weather events. Last month marked the 10th anniversary of the Tropical Storm Irene ravaging our state. If we do not act aggressively to cut carbon emissions, the consequences of climate change will be catastrophic, including more storms of Irene’s magnitude – or worse. If we are to have any chance of avoiding the worst effects, we must act NOW, which is why I am working hard on a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill that will address the existential threat of climate change. To learn more about how this is Congress’ strongest-ever climate bill, read my op-ed in the Guardian.

My Visit to Crossett Brook Middle School to Discuss Sustainable Energy Initiative

I held two events in August to discuss how our small state can lead the nation in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels towards energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

First, I visited Crossett Brook Middle School, which is an outstanding example of what we can accomplish when we work together to combat climate change. In 2010, Crossett Brook was one of ten schools that received $50,000 to install solar using federal funds I secured through the earmark process, or Congressionally Directed Spending requests. Now, we are attempting to build on this successful initiative and bring $1 million to the state to help establish more sustainable energy projects at schools and public facilities all over Vermont. I’m very proud that my Congressionally Directed Spending request for this project has received initial approval and is moving forward. For the ten schools and ten state and municipal buildings that will receive the grants, it will mean a significant reduction in their electric bill and a significant reduction in carbon emissions. 

Thank you, Principal Tom Drake, for hosting us and discussing what the solar array has meant for your school community — both the electricity it generates for the school and the educational tool it provides for students. Without a doubt, it is projects like the solar array at Crossett Brook that are going to bring hope to our young people, the future leaders of this country. And thank you to the Vermont partners who are supporting this important work throughout the state — the Vermont Public Service Department, Waterbury LEAP, SunCommon, and Green Lantern Solar — for joining the discussion. I know together we can address the climate crisis, while also saving a great deal of money for our schools, towns, state, and taxpayers. This federal funding can bring real, positive change to the state and I look forward to continuing this work with you all. 

My Virtual Climate Town Meeting with Town Energy Committees

If we do not come together to address climate change now, it will be too late. Over 120 town energy committees across Vermont understand this and are doing the necessary grassroots work to move our state towards sustainable energy. I held a town meeting with the Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network and Vermont municipal energy committee members to discuss the federal climate investments in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Over 240 Vermonters participated in the discussion, with more than 36,000 people tuning into the livestream. Thank you to all who joined the event. I hope it was inspiring to hear of the great work being done in communities around the state. From distributing low-cost window dressing for weatherization, to improving climate curriculum in local schools, installing EV charging stations and community solar projects, to transportation efficiency efforts — it is clear to me that real change happens at the local level when people get involved in their communities. That is why I wanted to meet with town energy committees to discuss the historic opportunity in front of us to address climate change.

In this $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, there is hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars directed towards cutting carbon emissions in this country. If we can get this bill across the finish line, it will not only substantially improve the lives of working people, elderly people, the sick, and the poor, but also in an unprecedented way, combat climate change and create millions of good paying jobs. This bill will make massive investments in wind, solar, and other forms of sustainable energy. It will fund the electrification of transportation, including significant rebates to help working families buy electric vehicles. It will invest in climate resiliency and ecosystem projects, water and environmental justice, weatherization, and creating a greener agriculture. It will create a Civilian Climate Corps that will put hundreds of thousands of young people to work transforming our energy system and protecting our vulnerable communities. The list goes on and on and on in terms of what this bill will do for our climate, and you can learn more about the historic proposals in the bill by reading my op-ed here.

With a little bit of luck, we WILL pass this damn bill and be able to give communities across the state the resources to start making the changes we need. Simply, we have got to be prepared to use this federal money creatively and effectively. My hope is that Vermont can play a leadership role and become a model for the rest of country, and maybe the world, in terms of building a clean, affordable, renewable energy system. So, I’m very glad to have our town energy committees, who are already doing incredibly important work, involved in this fight. This is the moment. We can create an environment that is healthy and habitable for our children, grandchildren, and future generations. We’re all in this together.

Speaking with Vermont Nurses and Medical Students

As anyone who has ever been in a hospital bed knows, nurses are the backbone of any hospital. No hospital, not here in Vermont or anywhere in the country, can provide the quality and compassionate care its patients deserve unless it has a strong nursing workforce. On Thursday, I met with nurses at the University of Vermont Medical Center to thank them for their vitally important work — especially over the last 18 incredibly difficult months. Our health care workers deserve our gratitude for working tirelessly to care for Vermonters throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to the UVM Medical Center nurses and nurses all across the state for your hard work.

It’s no secret that we have a massive shortage of doctors and nurses in this country. Currently, 25% of Americans already live in areas that have workforce shortages, and it’s predicted that by 2033 we will face a shortage of 139,000 physicians, and by 2022 a shortage of 1.1 million nurses. It’s clear that our medical workforce is understaffed and overworked. If Congress does not address this crisis now, it will only worsen — and as a result, patients will suffer. I spoke with UVM’s incoming first year medical students about this crisis on Friday and my legislation to address it — which includes increasing funding for the National Health Service Corps, permanently authorizing the Teaching Center Graduate Medical Education program, and authorizing 14,000 new Medicare-supported medical residency positions. We also discussed our dysfunctional for-profit health care system, the high cost of prescription drugs, the mental health care crisis in America, the need for community health centers, and how to get more primary care doctors in rural and underserved areas.

In the richest country in the history of the world, all communities should have access to doctors, nurses, dentists, and other medical professionals. Thank you to the UVM students for your time. Thank you for choosing to go to medical school because we desperately need good doctors and good luck as you start your first year!

Visiting the Site for a New Vermont National Guard Family Programs Facility

The Vermont National Guard is more than the men and women in uniforms. The husbands, wives, partners, and kids are also part of the National Guard family and we must do everything we can to support them. I visited Camp Johnson to discuss the plans for a new Family Readiness Center facility. To be blunt, the current building is antiquated and inadequate. It’s clear to me that we need a modern facility to house the Family Programs so it can fulfill its mission of providing education, support, and resources to the Vermont Guard and their families. I submitted the $4.66 million project for federal funding through the Congressionally Directed Spending process, and I’m very grateful it has received initial approval. I know that a new facility will significantly help the program continue their important work serving Guard families, which includes financial counseling, family assistance, career counseling, and youth services. Thank you to the Vermont National Guard for meeting with me — I’ll continue to do everything I can to see that this project is funded and completed.

We Must Come Together to Help Vermonters Suffering with Substance Use Disorder

Last month, I was honored to join the Tatro Family as they celebrated the grand opening of Jenna's House. Greg and Dawn Tatro, as well as their son Gregory and his wife Amy, deserve our thanks for dedicating themselves to fulfilling Jenna’s promise of helping Vermonters suffering with substance use disorder. All the money in the world isn’t going to solve this problem – the only way we solve this problem and ease the pain of all those suffering, is by coming together. There is no doubt that what the Tatro family has built – and what they will continue to do with Jenna’s House – will go a long way toward bringing people together to get the help and support they need.

I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: the very best part of my job is getting around the state, meeting Vermonters, and hearing your thoughts about the future of our country. I look forward to many more meetings and events in the coming months and to seeing you again soon.

Now, I return to Washington to hopefully pass a budget that invests in the long-neglected needs of the working class and combats the existential threat of climate change.

Now is the time to think big, not small. Now is the time for Congress to be there for the working families of this country. Let’s get it done.