By Colin Gurney
Senator Bernie Sanders visited Council Bluffs for one of the first of many rally stops. The politician hopes to gather support in the early caucuses for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential campaign.
At the Mid-America Center, Bernie Sanders picked up where he left off in 2015, proposing many of the same ideas from his last presidential run: free healthcare, free college, and a 15 dollar minimum wage. The senator took a “we not me” approach in his speech.
“When we, you and I, are in the White House — although I do admit it will be a little bit crowded in the Oval Office,” Sanders said, “we will enact a federal jobs program to guarantee that everyone in this country gets a stable job.”
Sanders also spoke about the effects of the Trump administration on states like Iowa and Nebraska. He cited the negative impact on agriculture and called for reforms that would help independent farmers and small towns.
“The United States Congress, has, for too long – for far too long – ignored the many crises facing rural America,” Sanders said, “and that has got to change.”
Heather Pearson, an Iowa resident and guest speaker at the rally, said that the Bernie 2020 campaign supports many of the same issues that matter the most to her.
“I believe in the power of grassroots movements,” Pearson said. “I believe that the people have the power, and we need to own that power, and we need to own our own futures.”
