WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Thursday that economic security is essential to Americans achieving true freedom, a central tenet in his political philosophy of “democratic socialism.”
The Vermont senator said the idea has roots in the legacies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Real freedom must include economic security. That was Roosevelt’s vision 70 years ago. It is my vision today,” Sanders said in a speech at Georgetown University. “It is a vision that we have not yet achieved and it is time that we did.”
Sanders’ comments came during a defining speech about his views as he seeks to challenge front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party’s nomination. Clinton has built a large lead over Sanders in national polls and has an edge in Iowa, the first presidential caucus. Sanders hopes victories in Iowa and in the New Hampshire primary will help him undermine Clinton’s dominance and create momentum in a lengthy fight for delegates.
Clinton in recent days has offered a veiled critique of Sanders for his support of a single-payer health care system, which she says will require middle-class Americans to pay higher taxes. Much of Sanders’ agenda would be paid for by steep tax increases on the wealthy and Wall Street transactions. He has said his health care proposal would save families significant amounts of money by eliminating waste in the system.