NEW YORK — How would the federal government spend if a Democratic Socialist were in charge?
A new outline from Senator Bernie Sanders tells us how.
He points to several priorities — including “a major federal jobs program” and raising taxes on the wealthy — that he says will rebuild “the disappearing middle class.”
“While we must continue to focus on (reducing) the federal deficit, we must also be aware that there are other deficits in our society that have been causing horrendous pain for the vast majority of the American people,” he writes.
His seven deficits: jobs, infrastructure, income, equality, retirement security, education and trade.
The actions he proposes are largely in line with what Democrats — with whom he typically votes — have called for: rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, keep jobs in the U.S., boost the minimum wage, expand the rules for overtime pay, reduce income inequality, bolster Social Security, help those struggling with student loans, sharply reduce unemployment.
Sanders is setting himself up for a major clash in Congress. Republicans now control both houses, and he was recently given the top opposition spot on the Senate Budget Committee.
His budget perch gives him a significant platform to push for his priorities.
Sanders said earlier he is “looking forward” to working with “my Republican colleagues,” but expects “there are going to be some fundamental disagreements.”
The seven-point plan is unlikely to be converted into Republican-backed legislation, but it does show what Sanders presidential platform would look like. Sanders has said he is considering a run.
