Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders Begins “Tax Cut Filibuster”
Vermont’s Bernie Sanders is on the Senate floor right now in what he says is a filibuster of the tax deal:
A leading Senate liberal waged an act of protest against President Obama’s tax-cut proposal on the Senate floor Friday morning.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — a self-described democratic socialist — railed against the plan in a lengthy floor speech that he said “you [can] call … a filibuster.”
“You can call what i am doing today whatever you want, you it [sic] call it a filibuster, you can call it a very long speech … ,” read a message posted on Sanders’s Twitter account after he’d taken to the rostrum at around 10:20 a.m.
Most congressional Democrats have loudly protested against the tax-cut deal Obama struck with Republicans, which includes a two-year extension of all the expiring Bush tax cuts in exchange for a 13-month renewal of unemployment benefits.
Sanders has said he will do “whatever it takes” to block the deal, “including a filibuster.”
So far, Sanders has had the floor for an hour and a half. You can watch CSPAN 2 to see how long it lasts.
If he ends up doing a “real” filibuster, not yielding the floor but instead speaking for hours and hours and hours, well, then, at least he’s walking his talk and that merits some level of respect.
It’s real, and he’s still going. Over 4 hours now.
till talking @ 1445 EST
Go, Bernie, Go!
Bernie Sanders is my hero! Elect this guy as President!
1804EST still talking
Very, EXCELLENT, Presentation as seen on CNN Dec., 10 2010. I believe you are right Sir. I see from afar U.S.A is in trouble mostly due to laws created to suppress the common worker and gratifies the wealthy. My best wishes for you in your endevours.
Sincerely,
DEREK
Based on the data the Senator from Vermont has provided, this tax bill and the GOP are not only wrong but they’re invalid in every way. The thought that the middle class (me) pay proportionately more tax than people who make over a million dollars and that the top 400 families paid no tax is not unacceptable.
Go Senator. the republicans should be ashamed of themselves. how can anybody believe in anything they say in future when their clear purpose in life is wealth at any cost.