This presidential candidate, Vermont senator and self-proclaimed "Democratic Socialist" (phew, even the phrase makes me swoon) just oozes romantic liberalism. His presidential platform includes all types of amazing things, from taking climate change seriously to fixing American income inequality, and he's looking great while doing it.
1. He wants to make college free.
...at least some of it. Sanders has voiced his support for affordable higher education and in February of this year, he debuted a plan (similar to the one President Obama proposed in his State of the Union Address) that would set aside money from the federal budget to allow free tuition to state schools for two years. As a college degree becomes more and more essential to entering higher-wage work forces, this would open up access to those who may have never before been able to consider attending university for its outrageously unaffordable price tag.
2. He supports women's health and family planning *swoon*.
Sanders has voted against countless bills attempting to restrict women's access to abortions and co-sponsored a bill that would provide "emergency contraception to rape victims at all hospitals" and military facilities. He believes (like two-thirds of US women) that the right to birth control should be self-determined, rather than at the discretion of lawmakers or employers.
3. He's an environmentalist.
Gotta love a man who's into tradable allowances on greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to supporting several bills encouraging the promotion of renewable energy and softening our dependence on oil, he has voted in favor of protecting our oceans and lakes and signed the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, which proposes that GMO products should be mandatorily labeled.
4. He advocates for campaign finance restrictions.
When it comes to the massive amounts of money contributed to presidential campaigns (most of which by our nation's richest), Sanders is strongly in favor of regulating the ways and amounts in which donations can be made to further political agendas: “If we cannot control billionaires’ power to buy elections, the people elected to office will be responsive to the needs of the rich and powerful, rather than the needs of everyone else.” Couldn't have said it better myself, Bern. Looks like he's doing pretty well without Big Money, seeing as how his campaign raised over $3 million in donations in its first four days--the majority of which were contributions under 250 dollars.
5. He thinks health care is a right, not a privilege.
In addition to supporting the Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as Obamacare), Sanders believes in the unconditional right for every person to receive federally mandated health care. Instead of private corporations having the ability to charge steep premiums for coverage, Sanders would have Medicare expanded from its 65 and up qualifier to reach all US citizens. He outlines his fantastic plan for recognizing universal health care in an article written for The Guardian which you can read here.
So ima let you finish, Hillary (you'll always have a special place in my heart), but Bernie has one of the best records of support for social issues that resonate with liberal millennials around the country of all time.
Credits for all these dumb gifs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
