Dear Fellow Vermonter,

Earlier this month, I held a Vermont Telephone Town Meeting and I have to say, the response was extraordinary. More than 30,000 Vermont households joined the meeting and over 750 Vermonters submitted questions. This tells me that, in the midst of the many major challenges facing our country, Vermonters want to know what’s going on in Washington and they very much want to be part of the conversation.

During the call, I answered many questions from across the state on a range of issues, but I could only respond to a fraction of the questions asked. What I’d like to do now is answer a few more questions that were asked on topics of wide concern.

Let me thank all those who joined us for the town meeting, and those of you who asked questions.

Sincerely,

Jeffery, Montpelier: What is the best thing that Vermonters can do to ensure that all Americans can vote if they want to?

A: All across the country right-wing state legislatures are working overtime to roll back voting rights and make it harder for people of color, the poor, the young, and the disabled to vote. Under the pretense of combatting voter fraud, they are suppressing the vote and undermining American democracy. These legislative actions are largely based on Trump's false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election by a landslide, but lost because of voter fraud.

In order to protect voting rights, I strongly supported legislation that would have guaranteed the right of all Americans to vote – no matter what state they live in. Shamefully, a minority of my colleagues were able to kill the Freedom to Vote Act by using the filibuster, an archaic Senate rule that has been abused countless times in recent years to deny basic, fundamental human rights and block the will of the people. In my view, it is long past time that we modernize the Senate rules, so that we can save our democracy and pass the Freedom to Vote Act into law.

The good news is that here in Vermont we have in recent years made it easier, not harder, for people to vote. Mail-in ballots are readily available. Additionally, Vermonters do not need to present an ID unless it is their first-time voting, and Vermont has same-day voter registration. To find out more, visit https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/voters/early-absentee-voting/ or call the State of Vermont’s Secretary of State’s Election Division at 802-828-2363.

 
Madeline, Colchester: What is the status of student loan debt being cancelled? It would change my entire life.

A: Working class people in this country should not have to suffer financially for decades because they chose to get a higher education. That is grossly unfair not only for the individual carrying that debt, but for a nation which desperately needs a well-educated workforce. We need to encourage people to get the education they need, not punish them. I should mention to you that you are not alone in struggling with student debt. Nearly 45 million Americans, owing over $1.8 trillion in total, are in the same position.

It is my view that we should cancel all student debt in this country, and that is a fight I will continue to wage. It is absurd and unfair that millions of Americans are unable to buy a home or a car or even start a family because of the drain that student debt has placed on their budget, year after year. Instead of giving massive tax breaks to billionaires, now is the time to protect the financial needs of working individuals and families.

I am pleased that the Biden administration extended the payment pause to May 1, 2022, and that the Department of Education cancelled $415 million in student loans for students who were misled by for-profit colleges. That is a small step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough. It is also good news that President Biden has made it simpler for people working in public service jobs to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Even if you have applied before and been denied, I would encourage you to review the PSLF Waiver and apply again today. Stay tuned for an upcoming Bernie Buzz on this limited-time opportunity.

Nicholas, Winooski: A recent VPR-Vermont PBS poll found that many suggested 18-year-olds leave the state to start a life, most working students want to attend a college out of state, and rising costs to attend Vermont colleges make it unaffordable to get an education. The change in age demographics in Vermont are quickly becoming a crisis. How can we make this state friendlier to young people?

A: The challenge of keeping young Vermonters here in the state is not an easy one, but it is enormously important that we confront it.

The good news is that the overall quality of life in Vermont is high. We are a beautiful state with four distinct seasons that many people find appealing. We also do better than most states in terms of the quality of our health care and educational systems and, currently, we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

The bad news is that we are an expensive state in which to live. And despite the fact that at $12.55 an hour, Vermont ranks 11th nationally for its minimum wage, many of the jobs in Vermont still do not pay a livable wage. We have got to raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour and focus on creating good-paying jobs.

Short term, we should look at how best to use the historic level of federal funding that came into the state from the American Rescue Plan. That means using these funds to invest heavily in child care, affordable housing, and higher education. We must also create a high quality, universal, and affordable broadband system. Small businesses cannot thrive and create jobs if there is not decent internet and cell phone service.

Martin, Williston: While I recognize there are more pressing problems at present, is there any realistic expectation of improved postal service in the near to medium term? It's only gotten worse over the last few months. Here in Williston, we are down to one delivery/week and it doesn't help to pick up mail at the post office because delayed sorting is at least as big a bottleneck as home delivery. I have excellent internet access so I am not very dependent on the USPS for routine transactions, but there are many people who remain critically dependent.

A: If you are experiencing mail delays, you're not alone. That goes for many people in Vermont, with rural communities often being hit hardest. Over the last two years, I have heard from more and more Vermonters who are having problems with mail delivery and, recently, that situation has only become worse.

I am working hard to address these delays but, before I get into that, I want to make one point very clearly. What every Vermonter should know is that delays in the mail are not the fault of our local postal workers. In fact, the opposite is true. Today, many letter carriers are working incredibly long hours – sometimes 12-hour shifts, seven days a week.

The problems facing the Postal Service are deep, long-standing, and largely unnecessary. For more than 15 years, the Postal Service has been required to pre-fund 75 years' worth of retiree health benefits which costs them many billions of dollars every year. There is no other entity, either public or private, which has had that kind of financial burden.

Further, President Trump’s handpicked Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, under the guise of “efficiency,” has implemented a disastrous plan to slow down mail delivery, cut back on post office hours, shut down mail processing plants, and dismantle mail sorting machines. I believe that DeJoy should be removed from his position.

The good news is that, after many years of discussion, the Senate just passed a piece of legislation that will help strengthen the Postal Service, protect postal workers, and begin to address some of these long-standing issues. Hopefully, that legislation will give the Postal Service the resources they need to greatly improve service. It is headed to President Biden’s desk now.

If you have not received mail delivery in a timely manner, or are experiencing a health or safety issue as a result of mail delays, please contact my office at 802-862-0697, or toll free at 1-800-339-9834.

Barbara, Pawlet: We have 26 miles of dirt roads in our town and climate change is making mud season longer and more difficult to navigate. Is there funding to repair and re-engineer dirt roads?

A: In November 2021, President Biden signed into law one of the most significant infrastructure bills since the creation of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. At a time when many of Vermont's roads, bridges, and water systems are in serious need of repair, I fought hard as a senior member of the Environment and Public Works committee to ensure that Vermont got its fair share of funding in this historic legislation.

I’m proud to let you know that, as a result, our state is expected to receive at least $2.2 billion dollars – one of the largest infusions of federal money into Vermont in history. This federal investment will not just repair our roads and bridges, but will help clean up Vermont’s drinking water supply, increase access to affordable, reliable internet service, help transition our public transit systems away from fossil fuels, and create many good-paying jobs.

This legislation provides Vermont with:

• $1.4 billion for federal-aid highway programs over five years.
• $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs over five years.
• $21 million to expand Vermont’s electric vehicle charging network over five years.
• At least $100 million to deploy advanced broadband throughout the state.
• $77 million to improve and expand public transportation over five years.
• $355 million to improve water infrastructure over five years.
• $150 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC).
  

Kerry, Windsor: I'm concerned with senior isolation and loneliness. Being one myself and living in low income senior housing, and thankful for it! Any plans for more senior programs etc.? A lot of us would like free art classes, yoga. But the classes around here are few and costly.

A: I hear from many seniors who are experiencing one challenge after another. From the high cost of prescription drugs, to adequate nutrition, to affordable housing, to keeping warm in the winter, there are thousands of older Vermonters who are struggling.

In addition, social isolation and loneliness makes a bad situation worse and often impact the health and well-being of seniors. All of us are social animals who want to interact with other people. Unfortunately, that isolation has been made much worse because of the pandemic and the inability of seniors to fully interact with family and friends.

There are excellent federal programs, like those funded through the Older Americans Act, which provide services to millions of Americans. These programs do a great job and need to be expanded.

The Older Americans Act, for example, funds Meals on Wheels – which provides seniors with nutritious meals and, equally important, a visit from a friendly volunteer. The Older Americans Act also funds senior centers around the country which offer exercise classes, congregate meals, book clubs, health screenings, routine health care services, and more. I am a strong supporter of senior centers and am working to increase funding for these essential parts of our communities.

To learn more about senior centers and other senior programming in your area, please contact the Senior Helpline: 1-800-642-5119 or visit https://asd.vermont.gov/.

Seniors will not do well without adequate income. That is why I have fought for years to protect Social Security from proposed cuts. For years, many of my Senate colleagues have seen Social Security cuts as a way to balance the federal budget. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now – but the effort to cut Social Security has not gone away.

At a time when about half of American households over the age of 55 have no retirement savings, our job is to expand Social Security, not weaken it. That is why I introduced the Social Security Expansion Act, so that everyone in this country can retire with the dignity they have earned.

Linda, St. George: I am turning 65 in June and received my paperwork for Medicare. The Part B premium for me is going to be $170 out of my Social Security and in order to have all of my medical costs covered I will also have to purchase gap insurance on a very limited low income. How am I supposed to do this??? We as senior citizens are barely surviving on what income we get and now it’s going to be lowered. When are we going to be taken care of?

A: It is unacceptable that, in the richest country in the history of the world, many seniors are forced to choose between paying for necessities like medicine, food, or housing. Older Americans have worked their entire lives. They have raised families. They have helped build this country. They are entitled to retire with dignity.

In my view, health care is a human right and not a privilege. That is why I have led the effort in the Senate for a Medicare for All system which ends all deductibles and co-payments and covers all basic health care needs. At a time when we spend almost twice as much on health care as other countries, the United States is the only major country on earth which does not guarantee health care for all. That must end.

Today, with outrageously high prescription drug prices, Medicare, unlike the Veterans Administration, is not allowed to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. That is absurd, and why Medicare pays twice as much for prescription drugs as does the VA. The plan that I have proposed would enable Medicare to save hundreds of billions of dollars. That money should be used to cover dental care, vision, and hearing aids. I do not think it is asking too much for seniors in this country to be able to chew their food, hear what their friends have to say, or be able to read a newspaper.

If you are having trouble paying your Medicare premiums or figuring out a supplemental plan that meets your needs, federally funded State Health Insurance Plan Coordinators are available to help you at Area Agencies on Aging across Vermont. To learn more or find a SHIP Coordinator near you, visit https://asd.vermont.gov/services/ship or call 800-642-5119.

Richard, Stamford: Why do we continue to spend more on our military than the next 9 countries on the list, while starving our own programs to help people in our own country?

A: The Department of Defense, with a budget of over $780 billion a year, is the only federal agency that has not been able to successfully undergo an independent audit.

As President Dwight D. Eisenhower told us 60 years ago, the military-industrial complex is enormously powerful. That was true then. It is truer today.

It is time to get our priorities right. We must realize that a great nation is judged not by the size of its military budget, but by how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable citizens. It is unacceptable that the United States spends more on its military than the next 11 countries combined, while nearly 600,000 Americans are homeless and 80 million are uninsured or underinsured. In my view, the time is long overdue for us to take a hard look not only at the size of the Pentagon budget, but at the enormous amount of waste, cost overruns, fraud, and financial mismanagement that has plagued the Department of Defense for decades.

Roger, Vergennes: What can we do to bring down the exorbitant price of prescription drugs?

A: It is long past time for Congress to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry which charges us, by far, the highest prices in the world.

One out of four people in this country are unable to afford the prescription drugs their doctors prescribe. Thousands of Americans die every year because they can’t afford their medicine. Millions with diabetes in America ration their insulin. Why? Because over the past 20 years, the pharmaceutical industry has spent over $4.5 billion on lobbying and hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Last year alone, the pharmaceutical industry hired more than 1,700 well-paid lobbyists to protect their interests on Capitol Hill – including the former congressional leaders of both major political parties. Eight of the largest drug companies in the United States made nearly $50 billion in profits in 2020, while the CEOs of those pharmaceutical giants took home over $350 million in total compensation.

Let’s be very clear. The overriding motivation of the pharmaceutical industry is greed, not public health. Their overriding goal is to make as much money as they can by squeezing as much as they possibly can out of the sick, out of the elderly, and out of the desperate.

That is why I recently introduced legislation that would cut the price of prescription drugs under Medicare in half. It would make sure that Medicare pays the same low prices for prescription drugs as the VA does and would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. I have also introduced legislation to cut drug prices by 50 percent by making sure the U.S. pays no more for prescription drugs than other major countries, as well as legislation to allow patients, pharmacists, and wholesalers to purchase lower-cost drugs from Canada and other countries.

Until the day comes when we put the health of our people over the profits of the drug companies, I will continue to do everything I can to help Vermonters afford their medication. If you are struggling to pay for the medicine you need, you can check out the State of Vermont’s prescription assistance program, find your local Federally Qualified Health Center to learn about their affordable prescription options, or call my office for assistance at 800-339-9834.