The line of the day, surprisingly, didn’t come from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) but from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
“I am not going to vote for $25 billion for a dumb-ass wall!” he thundered, referring to President Donald Trump’s proposed barrier along the United States’ southern border. The crowd leaped to its feet and roared.
It was that kind of an afternoon in the gymnasium at Hardwick’s Hazen Union High School, an unlikely venue for a gathering of Vermont’s entire congressional delegation. After all, we’re talking about a town of 3,000 that’s, honestly, kind of hard to get to. Worth the effort, but an unlikely gathering place for top-shelf national politicos.
The Saturday event was an all-out pep rally for the progressive cause, headlined by Leahy, Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). If there were any Republicans in the audience, they kept it on the down low.
Rowdy progressives and liberals, on the other hand, showered the trio with approval and adoration. The crowd favorite was Sanders, of course; but his two colleagues more than held their own. Welch had the toughest assignment in Vermont politics: following Sanders to the lectern. He was equal to the task, delivering a fiery speech that kept the audience engaged and delighted.
Spirits were high, mainly because of the august company, but also because of congressional Republicans’ epic failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act the day before. “I woke up this morning feeling pretty good” was Sanders’ opening line. The sentiment was clearly shared by everyone on hand.
Welch — a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which had primary jurisdiction over the bill — recalled its curious gestation.
“The Affordable Care Act was published 30 days in advance,” he said. “We held 79 hearings. There were 14 months of debate. Remember when Republicans said ‘Read the bill’? This time, we were saying, ‘Write the bill!’”
It was a moment of well-earned schadenfreude for the delegation. Still, as Leahy noted, “These are scary times. When I talk to people, I can hear the fear and concern in their voices.”
The three laid into the Trump administration and the Republican Congress on every front — including the continuing threat to the ACA, executive actions to strip regulatory protections, and upcoming battles on the budget and tax reform.
Sanders urged a continuing dedication to the cause. “Democracy is not a spectator sport!” he exclaimed. “We have got to be involved as we have never been involved before.”
“It’s not a tactic, it’s a commitment,” Welch said. “We have to be in this for the long haul, and work together.”
All three emphasized the importance of reaching across ideological lines.
“Listen to Trump voters,” said Welch. “They’re not all bad people. They’ve been sold a bill of goods by Trump.”
“Get the word out all over the country,” added Sanders. “When people in Oklahoma and Mississippi understand what Trump’s agenda means, they will oppose it.”
Listening to the three of them, one got the sense that there’s a great deal of ideological unity within the Vermont delegation. But Leahy and Welch were effusive in their praise of Sanders as a unique figure on the national stage — the person who brought “Vermont values” to the entire country.
After the event, hundreds of people approached the speakers, hoping to share a word or get a picture. One woman with a hand-lettered “What Would Bernie Do?” sign got it autographed by all three.
Sanders worked the crowd for a few minutes and departed for more events in a busy schedule. Leahy and Welch lingered, greeting all who wanted a moment of their time, until the gym was practically empty.
This writer is often skeptical of the phrase “Only in Vermont.” Too often, it’s a pretext for exaggerated claims of special virtue or wisdom. But on Saturday in Hardwick … that was 100 percent pure Only In Vermont.
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With a nod to Vermont PBS that broadcast the program live on Saturday afternoon. Thank you.
So Bernie stiff-armed you again? Only in Vermont.
With all due respect to these three representatives, it will be nice when Vermont has some diversity in its congressional delegation.
I attended the rally in Hardwick, and although I clapped along with the speeches and am generally grateful to have such a terrific delegation standing up for Vermont values, I was struck by the response to a question posed by Ebony Nyoni, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Vermont.
Ebony asked a straight-forward question about racial justice in Vermont, pointing to several examples of persistent racial inequity, and urging the delegation to prioritize racial justice initiatives here in the state. Her questions drew applause from the audience, but she was then completely shut down by the folks on stage – first by a defensive and seemingly annoyed Senator Sanders, who briefly rehashed a bit of his national stump speech about mass incarceration without addressing the question as it pertained to Vermont, and then by the moderator, Jane Kitchel, who moved to another question without giving Leahy or Welch time to respond, as she did for every other question asked that day.
Ms. Nyoni left the room after asking her question and the event moved on. The nearly all-white audience soon started clapping again. When asked if she thought her question was answered Ms. Nyoni laughed and said “No.” It was a deeply troubling moment in an otherwise inspiring event, and I hope 7 Days follows up vigorously on the question of why the representatives on stage, and especially Senator Sanders and Senator Kitchel, could respond so callously to a constituent’s heartfelt and deeply serious concerns. A black woman having her voice ignored in a crowd of progressive and oblivious white people…sadly, that also seems to be 100 percent pure Only in Vermont.
To amend my comment above – I just watched the tape of the exchange (thanks, Vermont PBS!) and saw that the moderator, Senator Kitchel, did seem to give Leahy and Welch the opportunity to respond to Ms. Nyoni’s question about racial justice in Vermont. They just didn’t take it. A shame.
Is it so remarkable that the Democratic delegation said “no” to a possibly helpful solution to a problem they helped create?
The entire event is just more proof that the Three Bald Guy’s and anyone else with a D next to their name have no interest in helping real people. The entire democratic agenda is all smoke and mirrors in order to keep themselves in power. I bet if it were still election season the question raised by a black constituent would have been given a response but now they don’t need your vote for a few years and they are hoping you forget this events before they come telling you how they are going to better your loves before the next election. It’s events like this that prove the Democrats true intentions, and none of those intentionsites involve helping working class or poor people. It’s time to wake the fuck up and vote these asses out.
I must say I am grateful to have been a part of the meeting. The house was full and people do not give up hope, however it made me sad to hear how a couple questions were just not answered. I was hoping to hear the answer on what the thought of the panel was on colored equality on all fronts the same as what the plan, if there was one, could be to help the three individuals who were detained to be deported.
It really did not make me feel all that good to hear that those questions were rather dodged..and not answered.
I don’t think anyone was expecting a miracle answer. Rather something more concrete that could show everyone really puts their weight behind these issues that are also present right here among us.
All those people there weren’t all from Harwick..but they were liberals, surprised they weren’t bowing and kissing the big wigs feet.. So much hot air, could had bagged it up and use for heat till summer..2 of these 3 have been in office waaaaaaaaaaay to long…Think the only reason these 3 are having meetings is they want you to think they care..
Leahy and Sanders don’t want a wall because they love illegals..they don’t care that a 9th grader 14 yr old girl got raped in school by a 17 and 18 yr olds illegals, they don’t care that a old man, illegal is in the 9th grade at another school..these guys are with young children..So lets just let all the illegals in the US ..be a different story if one of these 3 democrats (who loves illegals) children or grandchildren were raped or kill by one of these illegals..Food for thought huh….
Glad I’m an Patriot, an American who cares and a REPUBLICAN..and care about our President, He was elected and these idiots should be standing by him to make this country. great not trying to destroy it..