Bernie Sanders Freaks Out On Fox Business Reporter: ‘I Can Yell Louder Than You!’
In a fiery exchange, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) found himself at the center of a heated discussion with Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn over the proposal of a 32-hour workweek. Sanders didn’t shy away from raising his voice, leading to a memorable moment on camera.
Sanders, serving as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and identifying as a democratic socialist, spearheaded a committee hearing on Thursday. The session was dedicated to the theme “Workers Should Benefit from New Technology and Increased Productivity: The Need for a 32-Hour Work Week with No Loss in Pay.”
The confrontation began when Vaughn approached Sanders with a question about his proposed reduction of the standard workweek. “Can I talk to you about the 32-hour work week? It seems like… Democrats want businesses to be taxed more, pay their workers…” Vaughn started, only to be quickly interrupted by Sanders. “Really? Is that what you think?” Sanders retorted.
“We held a hearing on a 32-hour work week because what we have seen is that over the last fifty years despite a huge increase in worker productivity almost all of the wealth has gone to the top one percent while sixty percent of the people living paycheck to paycheck many of our people are exhausted we work the longest hours of any people in the industrialized world,” Sanders said.
WATCH:
“When Mr. Bezos pays an effective tax rate lower than the average worker, I think we have a real problem in our tax system… I think that billionaires have got to start paying their fair share of taxes,” Sanders argued.
The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act is a legislative proposal aimed at reducing the standard workweek from 40 to 32 hours, with the goal of adjusting the balance between work and life for employees without reducing their pay. The initiative reflects changes in worker productivity, which has significantly increased since the original establishment of the 40-hour workweek in 1940, amidst technological advancements and economic shifts.
“Moving to a 32-hour workweek with no loss of pay is not a radical idea,” said Sanders on Thursday. “Today, American workers are over 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change.
“The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street. It is time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life. It is time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay.”
The bill outlined a transition towards a shorter workweek by modifying the overtime compensation threshold for non-exempt employees over four years.
Key provisions of the act include:
Implementing a phased reduction of the workweek hours.
Enforcing overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for workdays longer than eight hours, and double the rate for workdays exceeding 12 hours.
Ensuring that the reduction in work hours does not negatively impact workers’ salaries and benefits.
The proposal is supported by various labor organizations and unions.
