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Democratic control of Senate could lead to big changes in Georgia

Democrats have a good chance of flipping the Senate. Although Clinton and Trump are getting most of the airtime, Senate elections will be held in 34 states and it looks like Dems are pulling ahead. The political analysts at fivethirtyeight.com estimate a 65 percent chance in favor of Democrats.

If things go well, Bernie Sanders will be Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. That powerful position would give Sanders access to congressional spending and also give him a larger platform to share his ideas for dealing with the nation’s issues. As the chair, Sanders could tackle income and wealth disparity, improving safety net policies and creating a fairer tax code.

Democrats could also become chairs of a handful of other committees, including the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, the Finance Committee, the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sanders’ leadership, in addition to Democratic leadership in these committees, would allow progressives to take huge leaps forward toward affordable college and health care coverage for all.

Progress on these critical issues would be especially valuable for Georgians, who are struggling under the pressure of crippling student debt and one of the worst uninsured rates in the United States. At this time, Medicaid Expansion is an imperative for so many Georgians without healthcare and a growing rural hospital crisis. With Georgians still bearing the highest amount of student loan debt in the country, Sanders’ plans to lower students debt would provide greater options for Georgians to invest our future, instead of struggling to stay afloat.

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