During the second night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Senator Bernie Sanders urged voters to reflect on the past in order to envision a brighter future.
He reminded the audience of “three-and-a-half years ago” when the nation faced “the worst public health crisis in a century and the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression.”
“That was the reality the Biden-Harris administration encountered as they entered the Oval Office,” Sanders stated. “A nation in distress, looking to its government for help.”
He emphasized the successful governmental response to that crisis and called on everyone to support Vice President Kamala Harris as she prepares to accept the Democratic nomination on Thursday night.
Getty Images/Somodevilla
“When there’s political will, government can truly make a difference for its citizens,” Sanders said. “We must find that will again; countless Americans are just trying to get by.”
“We’re going to win this fight because this represents what the American people want from their government,” he continued. “This isn’t a radical agenda; a radical agenda is what Trump’s Project 2025 represents.”
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont who aligns with Democrats and has run for the presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, reassured attendees that the Democratic ticket holds the power to fulfill their “common sense” proposals.
He discussed the working class during his speech on raising the minimum wage, ensuring healthcare access, and reducing childhood poverty.
“Thank you, President Biden. Thank you, Vice President Harris. Thank you, Democratic Congress,” Sanders expressed. “We need an economy that benefits all of us, not just the wealthy.”
At the top of his list was removing “big money from our political process.”
AP
He voiced concern that many working-class Americans feel neglected by the Democratic Party and expressed hope that Harris would prioritize their needs.
Throughout the first night of the DNC, representatives from six unions and labor organizations voiced their support for Harris. “Kamala Harris has always stood by us,” declared Kenneth Cooper, international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “Now it’s our turn to support her.”
“On November 5, let’s elect Kamala Harris as our president and move forward as a united nation,” Sanders concluded.