Sen. Bernie Sanders is now the chair of a key Congressional committee. Here are his priorities
Sen. Bernie Sanders was named as the new chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions last week. It's a position that Sanders requested, because it deals with many of the issues he's worked on during his long political career.
Vermont Public senior political correspondent Bob Kinzel had a chance to speak with Sanders about his priorities for the new session. He joined Morning Edition host Mitch Wertlieb to share what he learned.
Mitch Wertlieb: How did this all come about? How was Sen. Sanders able to secure this leadership position on this important committee?
Bob Kinzel: Mitch, this is a great example of where seniority makes a big difference in the Senate. We've had a lot of focus in recent months about the long career of Sen. Patrick Leahy and his 48 years in the Senate. Bernie Sanders was first elected to the Senate in 2006.