We are living in one of the most consequential moments in modern history. Together, under Trump, we are fighting Oligarchy, authoritarianism, kleptocracy, and a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires enormous power over our elections and legislative process. And the attacks against democracy are not just happening in America. All over the world, the right-wing extremists are fomenting hate, divisiveness, and xenophobia to gain influence and power.
The good news is that we, as progressives, are fighting back effectively. We have already held 17 Fighting Oligarchy rallies in 12 states, with over 250,000 people in attendance. We will soon announce a new series of rallies in rural, conservative areas.
We are hiring organizers in congressional districts where Republicans won with slim margins. We are training many hundreds of people on how to run for office from school board to Congress. We are supporting a number of strong progressive candidates who have already announced – with more to come.
In other words, we are building the grassroots political infrastructure for defeating Trumpism.
Let me be more specific:
Short term, we are mobilizing opposition around the country to Trump’s disastrous Big Beautiful Bill.
Medium term, with Republicans holding only a four-vote majority in the House, we are working hard to end their control over the House of Representatives. If we accomplish that, it will go a long way toward putting the brakes on Trump’s reactionary agenda.
Long term, we are building a political movement that is taking on the billionaire class, the right-wing extremist Republican Party, and a corporate-dominated Democratic Party leadership that is wedded to maintaining the status quo. We are fighting, to quote President Abraham Lincoln, for “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
The immediate challenge that we face is to defeat the extremely unpopular Republican reconciliation bill, which recently passed the House by just one vote and is now coming to the Senate. Let me say a few words about this absolutely horrific piece of legislation, which moves our country in exactly the wrong direction.
At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, this bill makes the billionaire class even richer while attacking the most basic needs of working families and the most vulnerable members of our society.
This legislation provides massive tax breaks to the richest people and largest corporations, and pays for them by making huge cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, nutrition, education, and other programs that working families depend upon for their survival.
This bill would provide a $664 billion tax break to the top 1%, at a time when the top 1% already own more wealth than the bottom 93%.
It would provide a $420 billion tax break to large corporations that are stashing their profits in offshore tax havens like the Cayman Islands. And, by the way, this tax break makes it easier for these companies to invest in robots and artificial intelligence – and throw workers out on the streets.
And how would Trump and the Republicans in Congress pay for these huge tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations?
Well, at a time when over 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, this bill slashes Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $715 billion.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this bill would eliminate health care for 13.7 million Americans.
In many ways, this bill epitomizes exactly what Trumpism is all about: if you are rich and powerful, and can make large campaign contributions, you are entitled to massive tax breaks that will make you even richer.
If you are working class or poor, and struggling to survive, you are entitled to NOTHING. You have no basic human rights. You are not entitled to health care through Medicaid, you are not entitled to a nutrition program to feed your kids, and you are not entitled to a decent education.
Trumpism is about the belief that we live in a “dog-eat-dog world” – where it is moral and appropriate for the big dogs to eat the little dogs, where the billionaires get tax breaks while children go hungry and workers sleep in their cars.
Well. We disagree. That is not our value system, and that is not the value system that most Americans adhere to.
In this enormously difficult moment, we need people like you to step outside of your comfort zone.
We need progressives to run for office at all levels. I am talking about school boards, city councils, state legislatures, and the races that are not in the news but make a tremendous difference in local communities. Maybe that is you?
We need to build community and bring people together, even when it isn’t about politics first. The Republican Party is always trying to divide us based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more. We need to come together as one. Is that something you can help do?
We need to elect a U.S. House and a U.S. Senate that will prioritize the needs of the working class in this country, not the billionaire class. Can you pick a progressive candidate in a contested House or Senate race and support them financially or by volunteering on their campaigns?
We need to be looking for new and creative ways to educate and communicate with each other in a world where nearly the entire media and communications infrastructure is owned and controlled by the wealthiest people in this country.
If there was ever a time in American history when we needed to come together, this is the time.
If we continue to fight for the basic principles of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice, I am confident that we will not only get through this unprecedented crisis together, but that we will lay the groundwork for a better and more just America in the future.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders