"It's Time to Stand up and Fight Back"

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Remember the Rumble in the Jungle? In the 1974 heavyweight title bout, Muhammad Ali absorbed furious body blows from George Foreman for seven straight rounds. Then, in the eighth round, Ali dropped the exhausted Foreman and reclaimed the championship. In the Senate, this year should be our eighth round. This should be the year when Democrats stop playing rope-a-dope and put up a fight for people who are hurting. Caseworkers in my Vermont office are sensing a level of desperation among low-income people that has not been seen for a very long time. Similar scenes are taking place all across the country. Homeless shelters are running out of beds. Food banks have depleted their supplies. Many elderly and poor people will soon be going cold in their homes because a federal program is running out of funds to help pay record-high heating bills.