Senator Sanders Teen Vogue Interview
By Lucy Diavolo
November 2, 2018
Excerpt:
Two years later, with the 2018 midterm elections looming, Sanders spoke with Teen Vogue about how the Democratic Party has changed since his presidential run, what’s at stake in this year’s voting, and how he views supporting Democrats who might break from the party line on issues like reproductive rights.
Teen Vogue: Let’s talk about the 2018 midterms. What is at stake?
Bernie Sanders: This midterm election, in my view, is the most important midterm election in the modern history of this country. And what’s at stake is whether we continue one-party, right-wing reactionary rule in Washington, in which we have a Congress that follows a bigoted, racist, sexist, homophobic president — who also is a pathological liar — or whether we stand up and fight back for justice for all people. That is what is at stake.
What’s at stake is that this is an unprecedented election because we have an unprecedented president who is doing very, very serious harm to millions of Americans. And if we want to change the direction of the country and move toward a system of justice — economic, social, racial, environmental justice — we have got to vote and we have to see young people coming out at a much higher level than they have ever voted in the past.
TV: So, is healthcare the first thing on the agenda if Democrats take back Congress?
BS: In my view, healthcare will be right up there. What will be up there is moving forward to a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system. And the first part of that effort — it’s a four-year phase-in — is to lower the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 55 and to cover all of the young people in this country.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bernie-sanders-2018-midterms-chance-for-young-voters-to-transform-america