Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Bernie Was Just Asked If Dems Should Work Harder to Win Republican Support and He Was Not Having It

Bernie Was Just Asked If Dems Should Work Harder to Win Republican Support and He Was Not Having It
ABC News

After winning the 2020 presidential election and securing two crucial Senate seats from Georgia, Democrats now control the Executive Branch along with both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending the years-long Republican stranglehold of Congress and the White House.

Republicans' Senate majority was marked by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) unwillingness to bring bills passed by the Democratic House to the Senate floor, as well as his refusal to consider a Supreme Court Justice nominee from former President Barack Obama in 2016, claiming it was too close to the 2016 election to fill a Supreme Court seat.


McConnell infamously reversed this position by confirming former President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee—now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett—to the Court, even as Americans were casting their votes in the 2020 election that saw Trump defeated.

McConnell's near-unwavering refusal to work with Democrats in the Senate defined his tenure as Majority Leader and secured him the nickname of "Grim Reaper."

With the Senate split evenly and Vice President Kamala Harris tasked with breaking any tied votes, Democrats have a narrow but functional majority, prompting many of their constituents to urge them to take advantage of this by passing bold legislation, including an ambitious new wave of pandemic relief.

Meanwhile, Republicans have cited President Joe Biden's pledge for unity to pressure Democrats into treading lightly, especially when it comes to the long-awaited pandemic relief bill.

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) is not having any of it.

Sanders was asked by ABC News' Martha Raddatz about Democrats' willingness to work with Republicans and made clear that appealing to Republican lawmakers' better natures wouldn't be his first priority.

Watch below.

"The issue is not bipartisanship or not," Sanders said. "The issue is are we gonna address the incredible set of crises and the pain and the anxiety which is in this country. You know what? I don't care what anybody says."

He continued:

"So the question is not bipartisanship, the question is addressing the unprecedented crises that we face right now. If Republicans want to work with us, if they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great. But to be honest with you, I have not yet heard that."

Democrats are currently pushing for a $1.9 trillion relief package that includes $1400 checks to most American adults, along with additional aid to a range of cities and states battling the pandemic that's killed over 400 thousand Americans.

Republicans have alternatively supported a less expensive package with lesser, more targeted direct relief and virtually no state and local aid.

People largely sided with Senator Sanders in his evaluation.






For many, the Republican proposal comes up too short.



Democrats were hoping to get the support of 10 Republican Senators for a filibuster-proof majority, but may have to bypass the filibuster for a simple majority vote along party lines through a process ironically called "reconciliation." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said this is a step he's willing to take.

More from People

Screenshots from Dove's ad featuring transgender women
Dove

'One Million Moms' Calls For Dove Boycott Over Hair Care Ad Featuring Trans Woman

The vehemently transphobic conservative group One Million Moms (OMM)—an arm of the Christian fundamentalist nonprofit American Family Association (AFA)—called for a boycott of Dove products after the company featured a transgender woman in an advertisement for their Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Conditioner.

The ad garnered attention after it was shared by the social media account Libs of TikTok—run by the anti-LGBTQ+ conservative Chaya Raichik—which described the ad as an example of "another woke company trying to erase women."

Keep ReadingShow less
Alyssa Milano; Julian McMahon
Michael Kovac/Elton John AIDS Foundation/Getty Images; Marcus Ingram/The Surfer/Getty Images

Alyssa Milano Shares Poignant Tribute To 'TV Husband' Julian McMahon After His Death At 56

Actor Julian McMahon lost his battle with cancer at the age of 56 earlier this week, and to say that the Charmed, Nip/Tuck, and Fantastic Four actor touched many lives would be an understatement.

When the news of McMahon's passing went public, his Charmed costar and "TV wife" Alyssa Milano came forward and expressed her sadness and condolences on Instagram. The pair were a favorite couple on Charmed, and it was clear from her post that their care for each other extended beyond the screen.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Who Slept With Their Best Friend Describe The Aftermath

When two people have a deep and meaningful friendship, the question might eventually come up of whether or not they could be more. Agreeing that their friendship might deserve more, they might try to date or at least explore physical intimacy.

But crossing that line carries with it consequences, and it's only once the pair crosses that line that they'll find out if crossing it was good or bad.

Keep ReadingShow less
child writing on chalkboard
Leonardo Toshiro Okubo on Unsplash

Bilingual People Explain Which Words They're Surprised Don't Exist In English

According to one report, approximately 3.3 billion people worldwide—43 % of the population—are multilingual, meaning they speak at least two languages. According to the last Census, 21.6% of people in the United States speak more than one language, while in the United Kingdom, the number is 36%.

More multilingual people speak English as a second language than English speakers who have learned another language besides English. Worldwide, people who learned English as a first language rate among the lowest in multilingual rates.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Garfield at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival
Harry Durrant/Getty Images

Andrew Garfield meets fan with wild tweet!

American actor Andrew Garfield had a funny yet awkward reunion with a fan from a viral “Thirst Tweet” featured on Buzzfeed Celeb.

The Thirst Tweet compilation shows celebrities reading a collection of scandalous tweets from fans commenting on their looks, attractiveness, and sex appeal. Blushing stars include James McAvoy, Renee Rapp, Keanu Reeves, Anthony Mackie, and more recently, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, as they promote F1 the Movie that was released in theaters last week.

Keep ReadingShow less