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Friends -

Jane and I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a safe and happy new year.

What a year 2022 was!

It was a year of struggle. A year with a number of hard-fought victories; a year of missed opportunities; and a year of difficult defeats.

It was a year where, despite dire predictions, the American people rebuffed Trumpism and American style fascism, retained Democratic control over the Senate and exceeded expectations in the House. To a significant degree, these results occurred because voter turnout among young people under 30 was higher than almost any time in the last three decades. Thank you young people for helping to save American democracy.

It was a year that saw the election of more strong progressives to the House of Representatives than at any time in modern history.

It was a year that saw workers at Starbucks, Amazon, hospitals, factories and college campuses continue to fight and win at the workplace. Today, national approval of labor unions is higher than at any point since 1965 as workers all across the country fight back against corporate greed and organize unions.

It was a year that saw voters in red states like Nebraska and Nevada raise their minimum wage. Maryland and Missouri voted to legalize marijuana and a number of states, led by Kansas, told the Supreme Court that women, not politicians, have the right to control their own bodies.

And while many of us had very ambivalent feelings about the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act" that passed, it was legislation that invested more heavily in sustainable energy and energy efficiency than any bill in history. It was a small but important step forward in fighting climate change.

It was a year that showed, in poll after poll, that the American people want Congress to do something BOLD for working families.

In other words, it was a year that showed — time and time again — that the American people are with us and share our values. They want change, transformational change.

But today in America, what the American people want is not what they are getting.

So our job in 2023 is to convert the support for the issues we care about into historic levels of participation. Think about what is possible if we are able to rally our people on behalf of a progressive agenda and a government that represents all of us, not just the 1%.

Are the people of this country deeply concerned about the obscene and unprecedented levels of income and wealth inequality? You bet they are.

Do they think it is absolutely absurd that we pay more per capita for health care than any other developed nation, yet get worse outcomes? You better believe it.

Do they want to raise the minimum wage to a living wage? Sure do. Do they want the very rich and large corporations to pay their fair share in taxes? No doubt about it. Do they think it should be easier to vote? Of course. Do they believe climate change is real? You’ve got to be kidding.

Unfortunately, a number of conservative Democrats, virtually the entire Republican Party and an increasingly reactionary and out-of-touch Supreme Court have turned their backs on ordinary Americans and are working overtime to represent the interests and extremist ideology of wealthy campaign contributors.

So instead of getting environmental policies that will allow our kids to live on a healthy and habitable planet, they are getting rules that limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to curb carbon emissions.

Instead of ensuring women have the ability to make the health care decisions they need, they are getting extreme laws that limit the right to abortion.

Instead of getting a reconciliation bill that stood up boldly for working families and restored faith in government, we got a bill that did very modest things.

So I can understand why many people give into hopelessness and cynicism and believe that change is not possible — especially now that Republicans control the House for the next two years.

But let us be clear, despair is not an option. Not today, not tomorrow, not anytime. We have got to remember that reality not only for ourselves but, more importantly, for our kids, grandchildren and future generations.

This next election cycle may be one of the most important in modern American history. Not only is control of the House and Senate razor thin. Not only do a number of state legislatures hang in the balance. But there is the not-so-small matter of another presidential election, and the potential for a number of Supreme Court nominees over the next six years.

So here is a New Year’s Resolution I hope you will share with me.

In the year ahead, we must increase our efforts to spread the progressive vision for America in every corner of the land. Trust me. I have been to every state in the country. Our ideas, when we get a chance to articulate them, resonate in red states as well as blue states. But we can’t get the message out unless we show up. And that’s what, together, we must do.

We must bring new people into the political process and encourage them to participate as well. In the last few months I have been on college campuses across the country and I can tell you that young people are determined to help shape the future of this nation. I have stood with workers on strike, and I am confident that they will continue to fight back against economic injustice and corporate greed.

In the year ahead we must redouble our efforts to create a vibrant democracy where the voices of all people are heard.

We must fight harder than ever to create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace, and for economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

I commit to doing my part. Can I count on your support?

Please consider making a contribution of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford today. We’re in this together and it will all add up when we are all chipping in.

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Please let us never forget that the struggle we are engaged in is not just for us. It is for our kids and our grandchildren. It is for the future of the planet. It is for justice and democracy.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders


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