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The 2017 Pension Political Power 25: Bernie Sanders
No. 24. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator


A longtime socialist congressman from Vermont, Bernie Sanders catapulted to national fame with his 2016 bid to become the Democratic presidential candidate. He garnered support in the Rust Belt states, which defied their traditional patterns to provide the swing votes that put Donald Trump in power. Sanders’ strength among these Trump backers makes him the most important voice in the populist opposition to the GOP in the Senate, which he joined in 2007. Though Sanders caucuses with the Democrats, his socialist views have often put him at odds with the party’s mainstream — as he was in 2015, when he introduced a bill to reverse the effects of the 2014 Kline–Miller Multiemployer Pension Reform Act, which is set to result in deep pension cuts for retirees and workers in struggling multiemployer corporate pension plans. Sanders, 75, is expected to reintroduce that legislation. In the 2017–’18 Congress, he will be the ranking member of the powerful Senate Committee on the Budget, where the Pension Guaranty Benefit Corp. is likely to be on the chopping block. — Michelle Celarier
![]() 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois ![]() 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education ![]() 4. Laura & John Arnold Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation ![]() 5. Steven Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury |
![]() 6. Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce ![]() 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye California Chief Justice ![]() 8. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House ![]() 9. Anthony Scaramucci Founder, SkyBridge Capital ![]() 10. Kevin de León California State Senator and President Pro Tempore |
![]() 11. Mike Enzi Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security ![]() 12. Steve Sweeney President, New Jersey State Senate ![]() 13. Jerry Brown Governor of California ![]() 14. Corey Lewandowski Co-founder, Avenue Strategies ![]() 15. Paul Singer President, Elliott Management Corp. |
![]() 16. Randel Johnson Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce ![]() 17. Joe Manchin U.S. Senator ![]() 18. Kenneth Feinberg Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen ![]() 19. Scott Walker Governor of Wisconsin ![]() 20. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO |
![]() 21. Mike Rawlings Mayor of Dallas ![]() 22. Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator ![]() 23. Kent Mason Partner, Davis & Harman ![]() 24. Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator ![]() 25. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers |