Senator Bernie Sanders, a former presidential candidate and decades-long leader of the progressive movement in the United States, said in an interview with POLITICO that this would likely be his last term.
Sanders (I-Vt.) was re-elected in November and has six years left in the Senate.
When asked if his fourth term in the Senate would be his last, Sanders replied: “I'm 83 now. I'll be 89 when I get out of here. You can figure it out. I don't know, but I assume it probably is.”
Sanders has been in Congress since 1991. He served eight terms in the House of Representatives before winning election to the Senate in 2006, and while he has long touted his independence from party affiliation, he was a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020. came second both times.
Sanders helped shift the Democratic party in the Senate to the left, but comes at this time in his political career with concerns about the future of progressive ideals in American politics.
After Donald Trump's victory in last month's presidential election, Sanders called out Democrats for abandoning the working class.
He reiterated that assessment today: “The average American is hurting,” he said. 'You have to recognize the reality of what is going on. And I'm not sure enough Democrats do that.”
Sanders added that many Americans appreciate what the Biden administration has done to lower drug prices and improve infrastructure. But he continues to speak out against currents in the party that he believes are out of touch with the American working class.
According to Sanders, not even everyone in the Congressional Progressive Caucus fully understands the vision needed for the party's future.
“Some do and some don't,” he said.
But Sanders said he is heartened that the Progressive Caucus, which Sanders founded with five other members in 1991, has grown to more than 100 members.
“Dozens of them are really strong progressives who share my perspectives,” he said.
Sanders said President Joe Biden, who emerged from the party's centrist wing to win in 2020, has shown how progressive ideas can be central to the Democratic Party, pointing to Biden's work to reduce drug costs and childcare costs.
Sanders will lose his seat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in January, but said he hopes to return to the post if Democrats can regain control of the Senate.
He said his legacy as leader of the commission includes expanding funding to the primary care system and calling out drug company leaders for charging higher prices in the U.S. compared to other countries.
“We are the only major country in the world that does not guarantee health care for all its citizens. And we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” he said. “My vision is pretty clear about where we need to go.”
