Chair's Press

WASHINGTON, May 1 – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, May 2 will hold an Executive Session to mark up legislation that would lower drug prices in America, following a bipartisan deal by HELP Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) to consider the bills.The following...

WASHINGTON, May 1 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday outside the U.S. Capitol will be joined by workers, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry, and Economic Policy Institute President Heidi Shierholz as he makes an announcement...

WASHINGTON, April 25 – Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) on Tuesday issued the following statement announcing a bipartisan deal on legislation to lower drug prices in America: “We are happy to announce that we’ve come to an...

WASHINGTON, April 24 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today announced that the committee will hold a markup this Wednesday, April 26 at 10 a.m. ET on the nomination of Julie Su to serve as Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.“I strongly support Julie...

WASHINGTON, April 21 – Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Friday that the committee will hold a hearing entitled “The Need to Make Insulin Affordable for All Americans” on Wednesday, May 10 at 1:00 p.m. ET.The CEOs from the major insulin manufacturers,...

WASHINGTON, April 18 – While 41 Senate Republicans recently introduced legislation to permanently repeal the estate tax – which would provide a $1.8 trillion tax giveaway to billionaires in America and would only provide relief to the top one-tenth of one percent – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health,...

WASHINGTON, April 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today announced that the committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m. ET to consider the nomination of Julie Su to serve as Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor.“I am confident Julie Su...

WASHINGTON, April 5 – Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) on Wednesday requested input from educators, school leaders, local and state educational agencies, education organizations, researchers, families, communities, and other...

WASHINGTON, March 30 – Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) today requested answers from Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. (PSSI) following reports that the company had employed more than 102 children between 13 to 17 years of age in...

WASHINGTON, March 29 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today led the committee in a hearing titled, “No Company Is Above the Law: The Need to End Illegal Union Busting at Starbucks.” Sanders’ opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be...

Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged an aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign. That campaign has been directed and led by Howard Schultz, the multi-billionaire CEO and founder of Starbucks. Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks has adopted an aggressively anti-union stance that is reflected in Schultz’s public...

WASHINGTON, March 22 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today led the committee in a hearing titled, “Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” Sanders’ opening remarks, as prepared for delivery,...

WASHINGTON, March 21 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Tuesday issued the following statement after the administration rejected a march-in rights petition to lower the price of a vital cancer drug: “I am extremely disappointed that the Biden Administration denied a...

WASHINGTON, March 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), today along with Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) requested input from public health officials, health care providers, and other stakeholders on...

WASHINGTON, March 15 – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), will hold a hearing next Wednesday, March 22 at 10 a.m. ET entitled, “Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” Moderna CEO Stéphane...

WASHINGTON, March 9 – As school districts across the country report serious staffing shortages largely due to unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and low pay, Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Thursday introduced essential legislation to begin to address the major teacher pay...

WASHINGTON, March 9 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) on Thursday introduced legislation that would cap the list price of insulin at no more than $20 per vial, substantially reducing the cost of the lifesaving drug for the more than 7 million...

WASHINGTON, March 7 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) issued the following statement after Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz agreed to testify before the committee on Wednesday, March 29: “I’m happy to announce that Howard Schultz, the CEO and founder of...

WASHINGTON, March 6 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), announced Monday that the committee will hold an Executive Session this Wednesday, March 8, at 10:00 a.m. ET to vote on a subpoena for Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, followed by a hearing titled, “Defending...

WASHINGTON, March 2 – Following Starbucks’ response today to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s upcoming vote on a subpoena for CEO Howard Schultz to testify on the coffee giant’s lack of compliance with federal labor law, Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent the following letter to the company...