From Bernie's email list, 3/26/24:

You know it. I know it. The current American political system is corrupt.

You get to cast one vote. Billionaires get to spend hundreds of millions supporting or defeating candidates of their choice. That’s not democracy. That’s Oligarchy. And that’s why we must overturn the disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United and move to public funding of elections.

But, in the mean time, living within this corrupt campaign finance system, we have to fight back and support progressive candidates under attack from right-wing billionaires.

One example.

As you may have heard, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and their billionaire-backed Super PAC are planning a $100 million campaign targeting progressive members of Congress this election.

If we do not support those members, I fear that no one will.

So today, I am reaching out asking you to split a donation between Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Summer Lee and my campaign. If that's all you need to hear, use this link.

https://act.berniesanders.com/go/defend-progressives

Otherwise, let me be as blunt as I can about what is happening here:

AIPAC and other groups rely on right-wing billionaires in order to influence primary races and defeat progressives. They spend unlimited amounts of money to undermine our democracy, mislead voters, and maintain the status quo. When we talk about billionaires buying candidates and elections, this is exactly what we are talking about.

During the 2022 campaign, they spent $33 million largely attacking progressive candidates and supporting their right-wing opponents.

They spent more than $3 million attacking Summer Lee in Pennsylvania. They spent more than $1 million defeating Jessica Cisneros in her primary, and they spent significant sums of money to defeat Nina Turner in her primary.

They do it through a Super PAC ironically named the United Democracy Project. Yet, despite their “democracy” project, AIPAC endorsed over 100 election-denying Republicans who refused to certify Biden’s election and are funded by billionaires who want a "two-party" system that is united in support of large corporations and the rich. And, quite cynically, for an organization whose mission is to support "Pro-Israel” candidates, their ads attacking progressives often have nothing to do with that issue at all. They don't even have the courage to talk about the issue they ostensibly support in their ads.

Cowards and hypocrites!

In this election, AIPAC is expected to spend $100 million just to try and unseat progressive members of Congress who dare to speak out about what's going on in Gaza. Yes. As a candidate, all you have to do is speak out against the horrific and destructive war that Israel is waging against the Palestinian people and you will find yourself on the AIPAC Hitlist - and be the recipient of large amounts of money trying to defeat you.

It is also no coincidence that most of the candidates AIPAC targets are women and people of color, and they are almost all progressives who center their campaigns and their work in Congress on protecting the needs of the working people of this country.

So it will surprise no one to hear that the top donors to AIPAC's super PAC are a who's who of financial service industries: Highfields Capital Management, JLL Partners, Saban Capital Group, the right-wing founder of Home Depot, and more. They spend unlimited amounts of money to undermine our democracy, mislead voters, and maintain the status quo.

Billionaire participation in elections is nothing new but, every election cycle, they become bolder and more influential. And the elections of 2024 are shaping up to be the most dangerous yet — with progressives often the target.

So what can we do about it?

First, the progressive members of Congress being attacked by AIPAC deserve the full financial and organizational support of the Democratic Party establishment in their races. When progressives run against sitting members of Congress, the entire Democratic Party leadership contributes to the more conservative Democrat and floods their district with events and fundraisers. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the progressive members of Congress deserve no less support from their House colleagues and leadership.

But these candidates need our help as well, because it would be a tragedy if Jamaal Bowman and Summer Lee were replaced in Congress by some conservative Democrat at a time when progressive voices are needed more and more.

So I am once again asking for your financial support:

Use this link to split a donation between Jamaal Bowman, Summer Lee, and my campaign today. Let us stand together in the fight for a world of peace, economic and social justice and climate sanity. Make a donation to keep Summer Lee and Jamaal Bowman in Congress.

It is not a radical idea to say that the very wealthiest people in this country should not be able to control our political system and our representation in government. This nation and its government belong to ALL of our people, and not to a handful of billionaires and their super PACs.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/19/32-hour-work-week-sanders-fain/

The case for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay

By Bernie Sanders and Shawn Fain

March 19, 2024

Although it is rarely discussed in the media, the Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to establish a 30-hour workweek in 1933. While that legislation ultimately failed because of intense opposition from corporate America, a few years later President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into law and a 40-hour workweek was established in 1940.

Unbelievably, 84 years later, despite massive growth in technology and worker productivity, nothing has changed.

Today, American workers are more than 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, despite this fact, millions of our people are working longer hours for lower wages. In fact, 28.5 million Americans now work over 60 hours a week, and more than half of full-time employees work more than 40 hours a week.

The sad reality is, Americans work more hours than the people of most other wealthy nations. In 2022, U.S. workers logged 204 more hours a year than employees in Japan, 279 more hours than those in the United Kingdom and 470 more hours than those in Germany.

Despite these long hours, the average worker in America makes almost $50 a week less than he or she did 50 years ago, after adjusting for inflation.

Let that sink in for a moment. In a 1974 office, there were no computers, email, cellphones, conference calling or Zoom. In factories and warehouses, there were no robots or sophisticated machinery, no cloud computing. In grocery stores and shops of all kinds, there were no checkout counters using bar codes.

Think about all the incredible advancements in technology — computers, robotics, artificial intelligence — and the huge increase in worker productivity that has been achieved. What have been the results of these changes for working people? Almost all the economic gains have gone straight to the top, while wages for workers are stagnant or worse.

While CEOs are making nearly 400 times as much as their average employees, many workers are seeing their family lives fall apart, missing their children’s birthday parties and Little League Baseball games, as they are forced to spend more time at work. What stresses them out even further is that many still do not have enough money to pay rent, put food on the table and send their kids to college without going deeply into debt.

This should not be happening in the United States of America in 2024. It’s time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay.

Let’s be clear. This is not a radical idea: Belgium has already adopted a four-day workweek. Other developed countries are moving toward this model, such as France (35-hour workweek and considering reducing to 32) and Norway and Denmark (roughly 37-hour workweeks). In 2019, Microsoft tested a four-day workweek in Japan and reported a 40 percent increase in productivity.

Last year, the United Kingdom conducted a four-day workweek pilot program of 3,000 workers at more than 60 companies, and it was a huge success for both workers and employers. Over 73 percent of workers who participated in this program reported greater satisfaction with their work. Businesses that participated in this program saw a 35 percent average increase in revenue, and 91 percent of businesses opted to continue a four-day workweek after the study concluded.

Studies have shown that workers are either equally or more productive during a four-day workweek — one study found that worker productivity rose, with 55 percent saying their ability at work increased after companies adopted this new schedule. In addition, 57 percent of workers in companies that have moved to a four-day workweek have indicated that they are less likely to quit their jobs.

Moreover, at a time when so many of our people are struggling with their mental health, 71 percent of workers in companies that have moved to a four-day workweek report feeling less burnout, 39 percent reported feeling less stress and 46 percent reported feeling less fatigued.

Even Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, predicted last year that advancements in technology could lead to a three- or 3½-day workweek.

The question is: Who will benefit from this transformation? Will it be the billionaire class or workers? In our view, the choice is obvious. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality and huge increases in productivity, the financial gains from new technology must go to workers, not just to the people on top.

As part of their historic contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) — the United Auto Workers called for the introduction of a four-day, 32-hour workweek at the same rate of pay and overtime pay for anything beyond that.

Despite significant gains for workers in their new contract, they were not successful in winning that demand. The struggle continues.

Bernie Sanders, an independent, represents Vermont in the U.S. Senate. Shawn Fain is president of the United Auto Workers.