Bernie Sanders is currently serving his third term in the U.S. Senate, after winning re-election in 2018. He is the longest-serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history, with over 16 years of service in the House of Representatives. Born in 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, Sanders moved to Vermont in 1964 after completing his education. He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 and served for four terms. Sanders was then elected to Congress in 1990 and later to the Senate in 2006. Throughout his political career, Sanders has championed issues of economic inequality, advocating for the American middle class and focusing on reducing the wealth gap. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, he passed significant VA healthcare reforms and has been a leader in fighting corporate greed, promoting renewable energy, and tackling climate change. He also chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and is a member of several other key Senate committees, including Environment and Public Works, Energy and Natural Resources, and the Senate Budget Committee.
