For far too long, it has not been Congress that has been regulating the pharmaceutical industry. It has been the pharmaceutical industry that has been regulating Congress.

I’m very glad my home state of Vermont will be welcoming 100 Afghan refugees in the coming weeks. This is exactly what we should be doing, and I have no doubt that they will enrich, and contribute immeasurably, to our state.

The pharmaceutical industry, over the last 20 years, has spent over $4.5 billion dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions. They have hundreds of lobbyists on Capitol Hill right now to fight any bill that will lower the cost of prescription drugs.

Poll after poll shows that the American people want fundamental and transformational change. It’s time to listen to them, not the wealthy and the powerful.

Today, there are almost 600,000 people sleeping out on the streets of the wealthiest country in the world. There are 18 million households spending 50% of their limited incomes on housing.   It’s time to build affordable housing and create good-paying jobs in the process.

Nearly two-thirds of our seniors have no dental insurance and no idea how they will afford to go to a dentist. That is a disgrace, and it must end.

The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want us to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The health care industry doesn’t want us to expand Medicare. The fossil fuel industry doesn’t want us to tackle climate change. This is an enormous struggle. And we're going to win it.