Bernie Sanders

Progressive

Independent

Senator

Vermont

Current Position: Senator from Vermont

Running For: N/A

Policy Positions

For raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, including a top marginal income tax rate up to 90%, a 52% top income tax bracket, and a top marginal estate tax rate of 65%; supports repealing tax deductions benefiting hedge funds and corporations and raising taxes on capital gains
Against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, calling it 'really bad policy' that provides massive tax breaks to the wealthy
For expanding the federal estate tax with a progressive rate structure and lower exemption amounts
For cracking down on offshore corporate tax havens by requiring companies to pay the top U.S. corporate tax rate on profits held abroad
For a $1 trillion infrastructure investment program to create jobs and modernize roads, bridges, and other infrastructure
For a 95% windfall tax on corporations to address price gouging during inflation
For the Inflation Reduction Act, including clean energy investments, expanded ACA subsidies, and Medicare drug price negotiations; voted in favor
For increasing corporate tax rate from 21% to 35%
For a financial transactions tax on stock, bond, and derivatives trading estimated to raise $2.4 trillion over 10 years
For national rent control capping increases at 3% or 1.5 times inflation; for spending $2.5 trillion on affordable housing and $70 billion repairing public housing; for ending exclusionary zoning and homelessness
Against the soda tax proposed by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on grounds it would disproportionately impact the poor

For raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour (later advocating $17/hour citing inflation)
For breaking up 'too big to fail' financial institutions and reinstating Glass-Steagall Act provisions separating commercial and investment banking
For auditing the Federal Reserve and adding board representatives from labor, consumers, homeowners, urban residents, farmers, and small businesses
For worker-owned cooperatives, workplace democracy, and requiring large corporations to grant workers 20% stock ownership and elect 45% of board members
For a federal jobs guarantee
For making it easier for workers to join or form labor unions; co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act
Against the CHIPS and Science Act, calling it a corporate welfare 'blank check'; voted against it
For a 'robot tax' on companies with large AI sales to protect workers from job displacement due to artificial intelligence; proposed a sovereign wealth fund funded by a 50% stock transfer from large AI companies
Against the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act repealing Glass-Steagall provisions

For protectionist trade policies; against NAFTA, CAFTA, Trans-Pacific Partnership, Panama Free Trade Agreement, and permanent normal trade relations with China, citing job losses and wage depression
Against the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement in its 2018 form, citing failure to prevent outsourcing of U.S. jobs