Sanders, Bernard

Bernard Sanders is an Independent serving as Vermont's at-large Representative in the House. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1941, he moved to Vermont in the 1960s and began a long career in public service, including four terms as the mayor of Burlington. He first entered the House of Representatives in 1991, becoming the longest-serving independent in the history of the U.S. Congress. Throughout his tenure, he has focused on the shrinking middle class and the widening wealth gap in the United States.

His legislative priorities are reflected in his extensive committee work, where he holds leadership roles in several key areas. He serves as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and is a member of the Committees on the Budget, Finance, and Veterans' Affairs. He is also deeply involved in environmental policy through the Committee on Environment and Public Works, focusing on climate change and environmental justice.

In recent years, he has sponsored significant legislation such as the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act of 2026, which seeks to pause the expansion of AI infrastructure until national safeguards are established. Other key bills include the Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act and the Healthy Families Act. He is a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and continues to advocate for working families and corporate accountability.