Bernie Sanders says he's ready for Democrats to stop being afraid of 'big ideas'


As far as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is concerned, there is no such thing as being too ambitious when it comes to dealing with climate change.
When talk turned to the Green New Deal, some of the more moderate Democratic presidential candidates, like former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, were critical of the plan, calling it unrealistic. Moderator Dana Bash then asked Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio what he thought of Sanders' idea to end new gas-powered car sales by 2040. He explained he wants to create a "chief manufacturing officer" who would work with government departments, the private sector, and investors to "dominate the electric vehicle market."
All this set off Sanders, who responded, "I get a little bit tired of Democrats afraid of big ideas. Republicans are not afraid of big ideas — they could give $1 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires and profitable corporations, they could bail out the crooks on Wall Street, so please don't tell me we cannot take on the fossil fuel industry. Nothing happens unless we do that." Sanders didn't stop there. "We've got to ask ourselves a simple question," he continued. "What do you do with an industry that knowingly, for billions of dollars in short-term profits, is destroying the planet? I say that is criminal activity that cannot be allowed."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I didn't say we couldn't get there 'til 2040, Bernie," Ryan retorted, adding, "You don't have to yell. All I'm saying is we have to invent our way out of this thing, and if we're waiting 'til 2040 for a ban to come in on gasoline vehicles, we're screwed. So, we better get busy now." Sanders agreed that something has to be done, fast. "On this issue, there is no choice: We have got to be super aggressive if we love our children and if we want to leave them a planet that is healthy and is habitable," he said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
Music reviews: Bruce Springsteen and Benson Boone
Feature "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" and "American Heart"
-
Why passkeys are the next frontier in digital security
A disruptive new technology promises to put passwords to bed forever — but not yet
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible