Bernie Sanders’ New Legislation

by Duane Paul Murphy

U.S. Senator from Vermont and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders introduced a piece of legislation in Congress that would make public higher education accessible and affordable to most college students throughout the country. Co-sponsored by Washington State congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, DNC Vice Chairman Keith Ellison, California Senator Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, the College For All Act would eliminate tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and university for American families earning $125,000 a year, which according to the senator is about 80% of the national population. Funding would mainly come from Wall street financial speculation taxation as well as other forms of progressive taxation. The proposed piece of legislation also includes a 50% reduction in student loan interest rates, allowing existing borrowers to re-finance their student loans at low interest rates, and increase public financial student aid. States such as California, New York, and Rhode Island have proposed tuition free and debt free public higher education legislation for in-state residents. States like Tennessee, Oregon, and Minnesota offer free public community college their own in-state residents.