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Senators and union leaders rally on Capitol Hill to back Sanders' 'Make Billionaires Pay' bill
Summary
Union leaders and U.S. senators endorsed the "Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act" at a Capitol Hill rally, linking recent layoffs and store closures to concentrated corporate power and urging taxes on the very wealthy to fund health care, higher wages and family supports.
Assan Solomon, speaking for the International Association of Machinists, opened a Capitol Hill rally announcing the union's endorsement of the Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act, introduced by Bernie Sanders, and invited Sanders and several U.S. senators to address members.
Senator Bernie Sanders framed the event as a campaign against concentrated wealth and corporate influence. "The United States of America is the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care to all as a human right," Sanders said, and he called for Medicare for All, a $20 federal minimum wage, stronger pension protections and a tax on billionaires to finance those programs. He cited wage stagnation, wealth concentration and corporate influence over Congress as drivers of the current economic strain on working families.
Why it matters: Speakers argued that recent plant layoffs and store closures — described at the rally by affected workers — are symptoms of a broader policy and enforcement gap. Senator Tina Smith, who said she represents Minnesota union members, said she co-sponsors Sanders' measure and described a companion proposal to eliminate federal income tax liability for workers at "living wage" levels by applying additional levies on millionaires. "Working people do need a tax break in the United States of America, and we need to deliver that," Smith said.
Senator Van Holland urged action on campaign finance and transparency, saying secret money enables the wealthy to write the rules. Senator Ed Marky said recent federal tax changes favored millionaires and that the rally reflects a broader movement of workers organizing for change. IM International President Brian Bryant closed by saying a modest wealth tax (Bryant cited a 5% figure) could generate revenue for worker-focused programs and called on reporters to cover the local consequences of corporate decisions.
Speakers repeatedly linked policy demands to concrete worker experiences described later in the program: Boeing mechanics won a 24% raise over five years after a strike, while workers at Whirlpool, Apple and Spirit Airlines described mass layoffs or store closures that disrupted families and local services. Organizers framed support for the Sanders bill as part of a strategy to shift tax and regulatory policy to reduce corporate incentives to outsource jobs or close community-serving operations.
No formal legislative action was taken at the rally. Speakers urged members and the public to press lawmakers and to organize around the proposals presented.
