Bernie Sanders Rips Jeb Bush A New One For Saying Americans Need To Work More Hours (Video)

Bernie_Sanders_(I-VT)
Image Via Wikimedia

You may recall that earlier this week GOP Presidential candidate Jeb Bush got into hot water when he suggested that in order for the American economy to grow and expand properly, American workers needed to work longer hours. Bush said:

?My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see. Which means we have to be a lot more productive, workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours and, through their productivity, gain more income for their families. That’s the only way we’re going to get out of this rut that we’re in.?

My one personal ambition for the country is that we never ever ever elect another member of the Bush family. But I digress.

On Friday, while appearing on MSNBC’s “The Ed Show,” Vermont Senator and 2016 candidate Bernie Sanders was asked what he thought of Bush’s statement. Sanders, with his characteristic honesty replied:

?I don’t think much of Mr. Bush’s comments.”

But Senator Sanders was far from finished ripping into Bush and pointing out the numerous flaws in what Bush said. He added:

?And criticizing Obama after his brother left us an economy in which we were hemorrhaging 800,000 jobs a month when President Obama took office, does not make a lot of sense to me. The truth is that Governor Bush is wrong on a number of counts. First of all, the American people already work the longest hours of any people in a major country on earth.”

Not to mention that workers in the United States are also the most productive in the world. Senator Sanders noted:

“Ironically, today, we have 85 percent of male workers working more than 40 hours a week, 66 percent of women workers are working more than 40 hours a week, I’m not quite sure how much more Governor Bush wants our people to be working.”

And then Sanders completely demolished the proposed Bush economic policies with this:

“Needless to say, he is opposed to the overtime rule that would allow millions of workers who are working long hours to finally get time-and-a-half, I’ve not heard him support raising the minimum wage to a living wage or pay equity for women workers.?So it sounds to me like it’s the same old, same old trickle down economics which benefits the wealthy and large corporations.?

Yep, the rich get richer and everyone else gets the shaft. No doubt the Koch brothers were cheering when they heard what Jeb said.

Watch Senator Sanders Respond To Jeb Bush