Sen. Bernard Sanders and the head of the Democratic National Committee are set to appear at a series of rallies across the country, as part of the party’s push to restore the 50-state strategy that it abandoned during the Obama presidency and reengage with voters at the grass-roots level.
Mr. Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, and DNC Chair Tom Perez are scheduled to hold events in “red” and “purple” states, including Maine, Florida, Nebraska and Montana.
“At a time of massive income and wealth inequality and a shrinking middle class, we need a government which represents all Americans, not just Wall Street, multi-national corporations and the top 1 percent,” Mr. Sanders and Mr. Perez said in a joint statement. “Regardless of where they live or their political affiliations,most people understand that it is absurd for Republicans in Congress to support huge tax breaks for billionaires while pushing for cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”
Since the 2016 presidential race, Mr. Sanders has been working to transform the Democratic Party from the inside and to steer it in a more progressive direction.
Former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to step down last year after hacked emails showed staff members were biased against Mr. Sanders in the Democratic primary race, enraging his supporters.
Mr. Sanders and Mr. Perez plan to advocate for raising the minimum wage to $15, investing in roads and bridges, making public colleges tuition-free and overhauling the immigration system.
“[Most people] understand that the recent Republican health care proposal which would have thrown 24 million Americans off of their health insurance, substantially raised premiums for older workers and defunded Planned Parenthood while, at the same time, providing almost $300 billion in tax breaks to the top 2 percent is a disgraceful idea,” their statement said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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