- 4/16/2025
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) delivers remarks at a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally in Missoula, Montana on Wednesday.
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00:00Let me begin by sharing a very fond memory with you about Missoula.
00:11I was here, I expect, right in this auditorium a number of years ago
00:18because my daughter Karina thought that Vermont was not rural enough.
00:25So she wanted to go to a real rural state and she decided to come here to the University of Montana.
00:43And while she was here, she met a boyfriend named Blake.
00:50They got married.
00:52And today I am the grandfather of two beautiful kids, Cole and Tessie.
01:00So thank you, University of Montana, for bringing them together.
01:08And let me thank all of the speakers who have preceded me.
01:19A special thanks to Sarah Nelson, one of the great trade union leaders in America.
01:24And a very, very special thanks to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
01:35who is not only a great congresswoman from New York,
01:46but has been an inspiration to millions of young people throughout the country.
01:50I want to say a word about Alexandria, which has less to do with her than to do with you.
02:05And that is that I think six years ago or so, Alexandria was a waitress in New York City.
02:14And she looked around her in a community which has very serious problems and she said,
02:26you know what, we can do better.
02:27And she decided with no money, with no organization, but with just a spirit to fight for justice,
02:38she organized and she took on one of the most powerful people in the U.S. Congress,
02:47and she defeated him.
02:48Now, why I say this is not just about Alexandria, it is about you,
03:01because I suspect that in this room of 7,000 or 8,000 people and a couple of thousand people outside who couldn't get in,
03:10and we have a lot of Alexandrias and Josephs and Harrys and Marys.
03:22And what we are asking you today is to understand that coming to this rally
03:27is just the first step in moving forward to transforming this country.
03:34Donald Trump has taken us into an unprecedented moment in modern American history,
03:49and we have got to respond in an unprecedented way.
03:54And that means you can't look around and say,
04:08well, Alexandria's going to do it, Bernie's going to do it, somebody else is going to do it.
04:12Ain't going to happen.
04:13You are going to have to do it.
04:15Now, brothers and sisters, Alexandria and I have been all over the country,
04:29and we've seen record-breaking turnouts.
04:32Unbelievable.
04:34Including right here in Missoula.
04:36And I believe that people, and it's not just Democrats,
04:46and it's not just independents,
04:47you've got Republicans coming out as well.
04:49Yeah!
04:54Because they are saying loudly and clearly,
04:59we will not allow the United States of America to become an oligarchy.
05:29In America today,
05:31one person,
05:33I want you to hear this clearly,
05:34one person,
05:36you may have heard of him,
05:37his name is Elon Musk.
05:38Elon Musk!
05:42Mr. Musk himself
05:46owns more wealth
05:48than the bottom 56%
05:53of American households.
05:54One person owns more wealth than 56% of American households.
06:06That is not what this country is supposed to be about.
06:10But it is not just oligarchy.
06:19The American people,
06:22conservative, progressive, moderate,
06:24are standing up loud and clear
06:27and telling Trump,
06:29you will not create an authoritarian society.
06:33We're a democracy.
06:34Together, brothers and sisters,
06:51and it's hard.
06:52I'm not going to sit here
06:54and give you some fancy rhetoric.
06:56Taking on oligarchy is enormously difficult.
07:01These guys own the economy.
07:04We now have more concentration of ownership
07:06than we've ever had in the history of this country.
07:09They own most of the medium.
07:13They own the United States Congress
07:16and the White House.
07:20They got enormous amounts of wealth and power,
07:25but you know what we got?
07:27We got the people.
07:28We got the people.
07:28And the last that I have heard
07:43is that 99% is a hell of a bigger number than 1%.
07:50So when we stand together
08:00and overcome
08:02what Trump and his friends try to do,
08:05and that is to divide us up
08:08by the color of our skin
08:10or where we were born,
08:12whether we were born in the United States
08:14or someplace else,
08:16or our religion,
08:17or our sexual orientation,
08:19wherever it may be,
08:20that is what demagogues always do.
08:24They always find some minority
08:26and they say to the whole country,
08:29you got all kinds of problems?
08:30That's who it is.
08:32It's the immigrants.
08:33It's transgender people.
08:34It's gay people.
08:40That's how they win.
08:41They divide us up.
08:42But when we stand together,
08:46black and white and gay and straight,
08:49there is nothing that can stop us.
09:00And right now,
09:13in the United States Congress,
09:16they are working along with Trump
09:19on what is called a reconciliation bill.
09:22See, it is not good enough for them
09:29that Musk owns more wealth
09:31than the bottom 56% of households.
09:34It's not good enough for them
09:35that the top 1%
09:38owns more wealth than the bottom 90%.
09:41Not good enough.
09:42Not good enough
09:43that CEOs of large corporations
09:46now make 300 times
09:50what their workers make.
09:52Not good enough.
09:56So now they're working on legislation
10:00that would provide $1.1 trillion
10:04in tax breaks to the 1%.
10:07And they do that
10:12by cutting Medicaid
10:14by $880 billion.
10:19They do that
10:21by cutting nutrition programs
10:24for hungry children.
10:28They do that
10:30by cutting education
10:32and other programs
10:33that working families
10:35desperately need.
10:40Now, you have a congressman here.
10:42His name is Ryan Zinke.
10:48Now, I come from Vermont.
10:50Traveled a long distance
10:51to get here.
10:52Alexandria comes from New York.
10:54Traveled a long distance.
10:56Mr. Zinke does not have to travel
10:59a long distance
11:01to meet with you.
11:02So I would suggest
11:06that you ask him
11:08to sit down,
11:10have a meeting
11:10with a few thousand people,
11:12and ask him
11:16one simple question.
11:19Mr. Zinke,
11:20are you going to vote
11:21to cut Medicaid
11:22and education
11:23and nutrition
11:24to give massive tax breaks
11:26to billionaires
11:27who don't need it?
11:28help me!
11:35So, Mr. Zinke,
11:36have the courtesy
11:38to do what we do
11:39in a democracy.
11:41Sit down
11:41and have a little chat
11:43with your constituents.
11:51And right now,
11:53it's not only
11:54tax breaks for the rich
11:57and cuts to Medicaid,
11:59unbelievably,
12:00you have Mr. Musk,
12:02wealthiest guy on earth,
12:04running all over
12:05Washington, D.C.
12:06He is cutting
12:08the staff
12:10at the Social Security
12:11Administration
12:12big time.
12:17And here is the truth.
12:19The truth is
12:20that before Trump
12:21came in,
12:22the Social Security
12:23Administration
12:24was understaffed.
12:26And I,
12:28as a senator,
12:29I am sure
12:29that every member
12:30of Congress
12:31and senator
12:31gets the same calls.
12:33We have calls
12:33from constituents.
12:34We're trying
12:35to get a hold
12:35of Social Security
12:36to talk about
12:37an issue that we have.
12:38Can't do it.
12:40You don't cut
12:42thousands and thousands
12:44of workers
12:45from the Social Security
12:46Administration
12:47when they are
12:48already understaffed.
12:49And let me tell you
12:55exactly what that means.
12:57People who are old
12:59and with disabilities
13:00die when they can't
13:03get the benefits
13:04they are entitled to.
13:06That's a fact.
13:07They have done it
13:08in the past
13:09and you cut
13:09the Social Security
13:10Administration,
13:11you're going to see
13:12thousands of people
13:13dying who should not
13:15be dying.
13:15That is outrageous.
13:16but it is not
13:24just Social Security
13:26they're going after.
13:27You know,
13:28the heroes
13:28and heroines
13:29of this country
13:30are the men
13:31and women
13:32who have put
13:33their lives
13:33on the line
13:34to defend us,
13:35our veterans.
13:38We got any veterans
13:40here today?
13:40Any veterans
13:41here today?
13:46And at a time
13:55when the VA
13:56the VA
13:57Veterans Administration
13:59is understaffed.
14:00We don't have enough
14:00doctors or nurses
14:01mental health councils
14:02at the VA.
14:03They have
14:04Musk and his friends
14:05have the brilliant idea
14:06of firing
14:0883,000 employees
14:10at the VA.
14:11And that will mean
14:16lower quality
14:17health care
14:18for our veterans
14:19and delays
14:20in them getting
14:21the benefits
14:22that they deserve.
14:25So what
14:26our message
14:28to Musk
14:29and Trump
14:30are
14:31we are not
14:32going to allow
14:33you to destroy
14:34the Veterans
14:35Administration
14:36or Social Security.
14:38Now when we talk
15:00about the kinds
15:02of changes
15:02we need in America
15:04it's important
15:06to understand
15:07that the oligarchs
15:09do not only have
15:11enormous economic
15:12power.
15:13They do.
15:15But they also
15:16have incredible
15:18and unprecedented
15:19political power.
15:22during the last
15:26election
15:27Elon Musk
15:28himself
15:29spent
15:30$270 million
15:33in order
15:35to get
15:35Trump
15:36elected.
15:40And his reward
15:42for that
15:43$270 million
15:45was to be made
15:46the most
15:47important person
15:48in the United
15:49States government.
15:50But it is
15:55not only
15:55Musk
15:56and Republicans
15:57who put
15:58huge amounts
15:59of money
15:59to elect
16:00right-wing
16:01candidates
16:02and to defeat
16:03those who stand
16:04up for the
16:05working class.
16:06It is
16:07Democratic
16:07billionaires
16:08as well.
16:13There is a
16:14reason why
16:15over the years
16:16the Democratic
16:17Party
16:18has not been
16:19as strong
16:20as it should
16:20be
16:21in standing
16:21up for the
16:22working class.
16:29And that is
16:30the power
16:30of big money
16:31in the Democratic
16:32Party.
16:34So I believe
16:36I believe
16:37honestly
16:37that I speak
16:38for conservatives
16:40moderates
16:40and progressives
16:41for the overwhelming
16:42majority of the
16:43American people
16:44who understand
16:45that there is
16:47something
16:47fundamentally
16:48wrong
16:49in our campaign
16:50finance system
16:52when billionaires
16:53can buy
16:54elections.
17:01And that is
17:03why together
17:04we've got to
17:05get rid of
17:06this disastrous
17:06Citizens United
17:08Supreme Court
17:09decision
17:10and why
17:24we have to
17:24move
17:25to public
17:27funding
17:27of elections.
17:31You know
17:31I may be
17:33a radical
17:34from Vermont
17:35and maybe
17:42I'm old
17:43fashioned
17:43but I believe
17:44that democracy
17:45is one person
17:47one vote
17:48not billionaires
17:49buying elections.
17:50But it's not
18:01just oligarchy
18:02and the power
18:03of the rich
18:03that we are
18:05fighting.
18:06Right now
18:07we are taking
18:08on a president
18:10who undermines
18:12our constitution
18:13every day.
18:18Who threatens
18:20our freedom
18:21of speech
18:21and freedom
18:22of assembly.
18:26We're taking
18:28on a president
18:29whose agents
18:30are riding
18:32around in
18:33unmarked cars
18:34grabbing people
18:36off of the streets
18:37putting them
18:38in vans
18:39and taking them
18:40to detention
18:41centers
18:42in this country
18:43and abroad.
18:44and I want
18:50you to picture
18:50some of you
18:51may have seen
18:51some of those
18:52videos
18:52swarm of
18:54Asians
18:54come around
18:55surround
18:56some woman
18:56in Massachusetts
18:57throw her
18:58into a car
19:00that is what
19:01takes place
19:02in dictatorships
19:04not democracies
19:06and as some
19:12of you know
19:13by a
19:159 to 0
19:17vote
19:18the United States
19:19Supreme Court
19:20told Trump
19:21to bring back
19:23that gentleman
19:23from El Salvador
19:24and I think
19:33we can all
19:34be in agreement
19:35and again
19:35this is not
19:36a progressive issue
19:37it's actually
19:37more a conservative
19:38issue
19:39our conservative
19:40friends say
19:41we support
19:42the constitution
19:43well if you
19:45support the constitution
19:47you don't throw
19:48people into
19:49detention centers
19:50in El Salvador
19:51every day
20:01every day
20:03Trump is trying
20:04to take
20:04more and more
20:05power
20:06away from
20:07the congress
20:08he is
20:10in an
20:10unprecedented
20:11way
20:12taking on
20:14the judiciary
20:15what
20:16what America
20:18is supposed
20:18to be about
20:19is you have
20:20a judicial
20:21system
20:21and sometimes
20:22they rule
20:23for you
20:24sometimes
20:25they rule
20:26against you
20:26and I gotta
20:26tell you
20:27I am no
20:28great fan
20:28of the Roberts
20:29Supreme Court
20:30they gave us
20:34this terrible
20:34decision
20:35on Roe v. Wade
20:36on Citizens United
20:42and other
20:43bad decisions
20:43but we live
20:46in a rule
20:48of law
20:49Donald Trump
20:52obey
20:53the Supreme
20:54Court
20:54of the
20:55United States
20:55but he is
21:08not just
21:08trying
21:09to usurp
21:10power
21:11from the
21:12congress
21:13and the
21:14judiciary
21:14apparently
21:16Mr. Trump
21:17is unfamiliar
21:18with the
21:19first amendment
21:20to the
21:20constitution
21:21freedom of
21:22speech
21:23and in
21:25recent months
21:26the president
21:27of the United
21:28States
21:29has sued
21:30ABC
21:31CBS
21:33Meta
21:34the Des Moines
21:35Register
21:36his FCC
21:38is now
21:39investigating
21:40NPR
21:42and PBS
21:43and the
21:49other day
21:49the other
21:50day
21:50he said
21:51CBS
21:52should lose
21:54its license
21:55and what
21:58terrible crime
21:59did CBS
22:01commit
22:01they criticized
22:03policies
22:04of the
22:04president
22:05of the
22:05United States
22:06how terrible
22:07for the
22:09president
22:09to be
22:10criticized
22:10so
22:15Mr.
22:15President
22:16you're living
22:17in a
22:18democracy
22:18whether you
22:19like it
22:19or not
22:20and part
22:25of living
22:26in a
22:26democracy
22:27is to
22:28accept
22:29criticism
22:30and if
22:31you can't
22:32take
22:32criticism
22:33get out
22:34of the
22:34political
22:34process
22:35you know
22:49it's really
22:49rather amazing
22:51suing media
22:53who writes
22:54stories that
22:54you don't like
22:55this is a guy
22:56who all of you
22:56know over the
22:57years
22:57has been
22:58vulgar
22:59in his
23:00attacks
23:00against his
23:01opponents
23:01he can
23:02dish it
23:03out
23:03make
23:04terrible
23:05comments
23:05about
23:06anybody
23:06and
23:06everybody
23:07CBS
23:08writes
23:08a story
23:09that's
23:09critical
23:09of him
23:10oh my
23:10god
23:11they gotta
23:11lose
23:12their
23:12license
23:12but it's
23:17not only
23:17the media
23:18unbelievably
23:18he is
23:20going
23:20after
23:20major
23:21law
23:22firms
23:22who
23:23have
23:24represented
23:24clients
23:26opposed
23:27to his
23:27policies
23:28and
23:32I
23:32say
23:33to
23:33those
23:33cowardly
23:34law
23:35firms
23:35these
23:37are
23:37multi
23:37billion
23:38dollar
23:38law
23:39firms
23:39who
23:39make
23:39huge
23:40sums
23:40of
23:40money
23:41every
23:42year
23:42by doing
23:42business
23:43in
23:43Washington
23:43representing
23:44corporate
23:45interests
23:45the
23:46function
23:47of a
23:47law
23:48firm
23:48is
23:49to
23:49protect
23:50the
23:50rule
23:50of
23:51law
23:51not
23:52cave
23:52in
23:52to
23:53authoritarianism
23:54and
24:03he's
24:03going
24:04after
24:04universities
24:05these
24:11so-called
24:12conservatives
24:13who believe
24:14in local
24:14control
24:15now want
24:16to tell
24:16universities
24:17and schools
24:18what they
24:19can
24:19and cannot
24:20do
24:21and I
24:21want to
24:22thank
24:22Harvard
24:23University
24:24for
24:32standing
24:32up
24:33to
24:33Trump
24:33and I
24:34hope
24:34every
24:35university
24:35in this
24:36country
24:36does
24:37the
24:37same
24:37function
24:49of a
24:50university
24:51and it
24:52is an
24:53enormously
24:54important
24:54effort
24:55is the
24:56pursuit
24:57of truth
24:58no matter
24:59where that
24:59truth
24:59takes you
25:00that's
25:00what it
25:00is
25:00vigorous
25:01debate
25:02on the
25:02University
25:03of Montana
25:03and every
25:04other
25:04university
25:05the
25:06function
25:06of a
25:07university
25:07is not
25:08to collapse
25:10in the
25:10face
25:11of
25:11authoritarianism
25:12so
25:13universities
25:13stand
25:14tall
25:15but it
25:24is not
25:25just
25:25domestic
25:26policies
25:27of the
25:28Trump
25:28administration
25:29that should
25:30concern us
25:31for the
25:31first time
25:32embarrassingly
25:34for the
25:35first time
25:35in the
25:36250 year
25:37proud history
25:38of the
25:39United States
25:39we have
25:41a president
25:41who is
25:43aligning
25:43us
25:44with a
25:45dictatorship
25:46in Russia
25:47no
25:52Mr.
25:53President
25:54Ukraine
25:55did not
25:56start that
25:56terrible
25:57war
25:57Russia
25:58did
25:58and let
26:07me tell
26:07you
26:07something
26:08else
26:08we cannot
26:10continue
26:11to fund
26:12under
26:12Biden
26:13or
26:13Trump
26:14this
26:14horrendous
26:15Netanyahu
26:16war machine
26:17Israel
26:27like the
26:42United States
26:43and every other
26:44country
26:44has the right
26:45to defend
26:46itself
26:46against
26:47terrorism
26:47but
26:49Israel
26:50does not
26:51have
26:51the right
26:52to wage
26:53a barbaric
26:54war
26:55against
26:56the people
26:56of Gaza
26:57kill
27:02over
27:0250,000
27:04wound
27:04110,000
27:06and destroy
27:07the entire
27:08infrastructure
27:09of Gaza
27:09and let me
27:12tell you
27:12something
27:13that is
27:14even worse
27:15and almost
27:16unimaginable
27:17and in the
27:18beginning
27:18I almost
27:18thought it
27:19was a stupid
27:19joke
27:20bad joke
27:21and that
27:22is right
27:23now
27:23Trump
27:24is talking
27:25about
27:25forcibly
27:27expelling
27:28the suffering
27:29people of
27:30Gaza
27:31and creating
27:32a Riviera
27:33for the
27:34billionaire
27:34class
27:35in Gaza
27:36the American
27:43people
27:44will not
27:45ever
27:45allow that
27:47to happen
27:47our job
27:58our job
28:00right now
28:00in this
28:01pivotal moment
28:03in American
28:03history
28:04is to
28:05take on
28:05Trump
28:06every
28:07single
28:07day
28:08but it
28:10is to
28:10do
28:11more
28:11than that
28:12it is
28:13to understand
28:14that in
28:15the wealthiest
28:16country
28:17in the
28:17history
28:18of the
28:18world
28:18we can
28:19do a
28:20hell of
28:20a lot
28:20better
28:21than
28:21having
28:22an
28:22oligarchy
28:22country
28:23while the
28:28richest people
28:29in America
28:30are becoming
28:31much richer
28:33800,000
28:36Americans
28:37are sleeping
28:38out on
28:39the street
28:39we have
28:41the highest
28:41rate of
28:42childhood
28:43poverty
28:43of almost
28:45any nation
28:46on earth
28:46and 22%
28:48of our
28:49seniors
28:50are trying
28:51to survive
28:52on
28:53$15,000
28:54a year
28:55or less
28:56brothers and
29:01sisters
29:01the media
29:02doesn't talk
29:03about it
29:03much
29:03and you
29:04don't hear
29:04much about
29:05it in
29:05Congress
29:0660%
29:08of our
29:10people
29:10in America
29:11today
29:12are living
29:13paycheck
29:14to paycheck
29:15you all
29:16know what
29:16paycheck
29:17to paycheck
29:17life is
29:18about
29:18I grew
29:21up in
29:22a family
29:23that lived
29:23paycheck
29:24to paycheck
29:24I know
29:25a little
29:26bit about
29:26what
29:27that is
29:28like
29:29and what
29:31it means
29:31is that
29:32every day
29:33moms get
29:34up and
29:35say
29:35how can
29:36I afford
29:37to provide
29:38decent quality
29:39food for
29:39my kids
29:40what happens
29:42if my dad
29:43becomes ill
29:43how can
29:45I afford
29:45to buy
29:45the prescription
29:46drugs
29:47that he
29:48needs
29:48what happens
29:50if my
29:50landlord
29:51raises my
29:52rent
29:52and I
29:52can't afford
29:53to pay it
29:54what happens
29:59if my
30:00car
30:00breaks down
30:01and the
30:02mechanic
30:02says I
30:03got a
30:03thousand dollar
30:04bill
30:04I don't
30:04have a
30:04thousand bucks
30:05how am I
30:06going to get
30:06to work
30:07what happens
30:07if I can't
30:08get to work
30:08I'm going to
30:10lose my job
30:10I lose my
30:11job
30:11how do I
30:11feed
30:12my family
30:12millions
30:14and millions
30:15of working
30:16class people
30:17low income
30:17people
30:18are living
30:19under
30:19incredible
30:20stress
30:21and you
30:23know what
30:23the impact
30:24of that
30:24stress is
30:24they are
30:26dying
30:27in significantly
30:28younger ages
30:30than they
30:30should
30:30do you all
30:32know that
30:32in America
30:34today
30:35our life
30:36expectancy
30:37is four
30:38years
30:38lower
30:39than other
30:40wealthy
30:41countries
30:41but if
30:43you are
30:43working
30:44class
30:44in America
30:45you're
30:46going to
30:46die
30:46seven
30:47years
30:48shorter
30:49than
30:50the
30:50rich
30:51in the
30:55richest
30:56country
30:56in the
30:57history
30:57of the
30:57world
30:58it is
30:58not
30:58too
30:59much
30:59to ask
31:00that
31:00all
31:01of our
31:01people
31:01have
31:02the
31:02right
31:02to a
31:03decent
31:03life
31:04and
31:04decent
31:05life
31:05expectancy
31:06you know
31:17back in
31:181944
31:20Franklin
31:22Delano
31:22Roosevelt
31:23one of
31:23the great
31:24presidents
31:24in American
31:25history
31:25he gave
31:28a state
31:29of the
31:29union
31:29speech
31:30which didn't
31:31get a lot
31:31of attention
31:32because it
31:32was in
31:32the middle
31:32of World
31:33War II
31:33but what
31:35he said
31:35he said
31:36in so
31:36many
31:36words
31:37he said
31:38you know
31:38in America
31:38we have
31:39this
31:39constitution
31:39it's
31:40great
31:40freedom
31:41of speech
31:42you have
31:42the right
31:42to vote
31:43freedom
31:43of religion
31:43freedom
31:44of assembly
31:45but he
31:45said
31:46you know
31:46what we
31:46don't
31:46fully
31:47appreciate
31:48we don't
31:49appreciate
31:49that
31:50economic
31:51rights
31:52are human
31:53rights
31:53see
31:58what the
31:59system
32:00does
32:00we are
32:00taking
32:01on
32:01a system
32:03of
32:04enormous
32:04power
32:05and one
32:07of the
32:07things
32:07they are
32:08trying
32:08to do
32:09is to
32:09say
32:09you have
32:10no rights
32:11say
32:11hey
32:11we'll
32:11let you
32:11vote
32:12every
32:12four years
32:13to somebody
32:13that we
32:14paid for
32:14that's
32:14fine
32:15no problem
32:15hey
32:16we bought
32:17this guy
32:18you can
32:18vote for him
32:18he ain't
32:18gonna win
32:19anyhow
32:19it doesn't
32:19matter
32:20if you
32:20do win
32:20but this
32:22is what
32:23we will
32:23not give
32:24you
32:24we will
32:25not allow
32:26you
32:27as an
32:27American
32:28system
32:29American
32:30citizen
32:30the right
32:32the right
32:33to have
32:34health care
32:35the right
32:36to have
32:36decent
32:37housing
32:37the right
32:38to have
32:38a job
32:39that pays
32:40you a living
32:40wage
32:41that we're
32:41not gonna
32:42give you
32:42so brothers
32:49and sisters
32:50our job
32:52is to really
32:53take that
32:54on
32:54in as bold
32:56a way
32:56as we
32:57and to stand
32:57up and say
32:58you know what
32:58we are human
32:59beings
33:00good
33:01we want
33:01the right
33:02to vote
33:02very important
33:03freedom of speech
33:03very important
33:04but you know what
33:05in the richest
33:06country
33:07in the history
33:08of the world
33:08where technology
33:09is gonna make us
33:10richer
33:10we want
33:12an economy
33:13that works
33:13for every
33:14single
33:15man
33:16woman
33:16and child
33:16not just
33:17Musk
33:17and his
33:18billionaire
33:18friends
33:19so what does
33:32it mean
33:32it means
33:34that no
33:35we are not
33:36gonna cut
33:37social security
33:38we are going
33:39to expand
33:40social security
33:41it means
33:49that at a time
33:50when millions
33:51of workers
33:52are earning
33:53starvation
33:54wages
33:54we're gonna
33:55raise the
33:56minimum wage
33:57to a living
33:58wage
33:59no worker
34:04who works
34:0540 hours
34:06a week
34:06should live
34:07in poverty
34:08it means
34:11that no
34:12we're not
34:12gonna give
34:13Musk
34:13and his
34:14billionaire
34:14friends
34:15a tax break
34:16we're gonna
34:16demand
34:17they start
34:18paying
34:18their fair
34:19share
34:19taxes
34:33does anybody
34:35here
34:35think
34:36that the
34:37American
34:37health care
34:38system
34:39is working
34:39well
34:43we are spending
34:44almost twice
34:45as much
34:46per capita
34:47on health care
34:48over $14,000
34:50a year
34:50double what
34:52other countries
34:52are spending
34:53and yet
34:54we are the
34:54only major
34:55country on
34:56earth
34:56not to
34:57guarantee
34:58health care
34:58to all
34:59people
34:59as a human
35:00right
35:0085 million
35:06of us
35:06are uninsured
35:07or underinsured
35:08anybody here
35:09have a high
35:10deductible
35:1160,000
35:14people a year
35:15die because
35:16they don't get
35:16to a doctor
35:17on time
35:18brothers and
35:19sisters
35:20it is not
35:21a radical
35:22idea
35:22to understand
35:24that health
35:24care
35:25is a human
35:26right
35:26we must
35:27pass a
35:28medicare
35:28for all
35:29single
35:30payer
35:30program
35:30in Vermont
35:48and all
35:49over this
35:49country
35:50we have a
35:51housing crisis
35:52and it is not
35:53just 800,000
35:54who are homeless
35:55it is 20 million
35:57people who are
35:58spending half
35:59of their limited
36:00income
36:00on housing
36:02maybe
36:04maybe
36:05just maybe
36:06instead of spending
36:07a trillion dollars
36:08on the military
36:09industrial complex
36:11we build
36:115 million units
36:13of low income
36:14and affordable
36:14housing
36:15we live in a
36:25global economy
36:26and we need
36:28the best educated
36:30workforce on earth
36:31young people
36:37who want to get
36:38a higher education
36:39either in college
36:40or in trade school
36:41should not
36:42have to go
36:43tens of thousands
36:45of dollars
36:45into debt
36:46education
36:53not only makes
36:55important sense
36:59for our economy
37:00education
37:01growing intellectually
37:02is something
37:04that every human
37:04being is entitled
37:06to
37:06we must make
37:07public colleges
37:09and universities
37:10tuition free
37:11and cancel
37:12all student debt
37:13now Donald Trump
37:27thinks that
37:29climate change
37:30is a hoax
37:32he is
37:36dangerously
37:38dangerously
37:39wrong
37:40and our job
37:42is to lead
37:43the world
37:44in transforming
37:46our energy system
37:47away from
37:48fossil fuel
37:49into energy
37:51efficiency
37:51and sustainable
37:52energy
37:53and create millions
37:54of jobs
37:54as we do that
37:55you know
38:01a lot of my
38:01republican friends
38:02they talk about
38:03freedom
38:04and freedom
38:04and freedom
38:05well if this is
38:06going to be a
38:07really free country
38:08every woman
38:09in america
38:10has the right
38:11to control
38:12her own body
38:13let me read
38:27let me read
38:41something
38:41something to you
38:42which was
38:43a statement
38:44made
38:45in 1857
38:47a few years
38:48ago
38:48by the great
38:50abolitionist
38:52Frederick Douglass
38:53you all remember
38:53Frederick Douglass
38:54I want you to hear
38:57what he said
38:58this is in the years
39:00preceding the civil war
39:01when the great
39:03struggle of the time
39:04was whether or not
39:05this country
39:06would end
39:06the nightmare
39:07of slavery
39:08listen closely
39:09what Douglass
39:10said back then
39:11and see its relevance
39:12for today
39:13so what he said
39:15and I quote
39:15power
39:16concedes
39:18nothing
39:19without a demand
39:21got that
39:22in other words
39:24nobody on top
39:26is ever going to
39:27give you something
39:28unless you
39:29demand it
39:30and then he continued
39:31it never did
39:32and it never will
39:33find out
39:35just what
39:35any people
39:36will quietly
39:38submit to
39:39and you have
39:40found out
39:41the exact measure
39:42of injustice
39:43and wrong
39:45which will be
39:46imposed upon them
39:47and these
39:48will continue
39:49till they are
39:50resisted with
39:51either words
39:52or blows
39:52or with both
39:53the limits
39:54of tyrants
39:55are prescribed
39:56by the endurance
39:57of those
39:58whom they oppress
40:00brothers and sisters
40:07we are tired
40:09of being
40:10oppressed
40:11we believe
40:23in democracy
40:25not authoritarianism
40:27we believe
40:32in an economy
40:33that works
40:33for all
40:34not just
40:35for musk
40:35and his fellow
40:36billionaires
40:37brothers and sisters
40:42let's stand
40:44together
40:44let's go forward
40:45let us win
40:46this struggle
40:47thank you
40:48let's go forward
40:50thank you