National

Senator Bernie Sanders: EPA Administrator at Vermont National Guard Solar Installation 08/23/2012

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson tour a solar power installation at the Vermont National Guard, sharing insights at this press conference.

One of the largest solar projects at any National Guard base in the country was completed in 2011. It was built with $8.5 million that Sanders secured to make the base one of the greenest in the United States. At a time when the U.S. Defense Department is the largest consumer of energy in the world, the Vermont National Guard is a model for what other military institutions can be doing.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Press Conference on the Benefits of the Smart-Grid in Vermont 08/20/2012

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and some of the state's environmental leaders' news conference on the benefits of “smart grid” technology in Vermont.

Vermont is a leader in the nation on development of a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system that promotes renewable energy sources and saves consumers money.The head of the Vermont Electric Cooperative will share what the Johnson, Vt.-based utility learned through its almost universal deployment of the smart grid. Top officials of some of Vermont’s leading nonprofits will also detail the benefits of this new technology.

Who: Sens. Bernie Sanders; Scott Johnstone, executive director of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation; Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group; Brian Shupe, executive director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council; and David Hallquist, CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative.

Senator Patrick Leahy: Peace Corps Director, Aaron Williams 08/16/2012

Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee of Appropriations, hosts Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams. They highlight a business operated by returned Peace Corps volunteer Charles Kerchner, who served in the Dominican Republic 2001-2003. Vermont is nationally ranked on the 2011 Peace Corps Top State list for per-capita volunteer production, with 47 currently-serving Peace Corps volunteers. Historically, Vermont has produced 1,422 Peace Corps volunteers who have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries in which they have served.The University of Vermont ranks No. 5 on the 2012 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the medium size category, with 42 undergraduate alumni currently serving overseas. Since the agency was founded in 1961, 801 UVM alumni have served in the Peace Corps.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Senate Field Hearing - Vermont Gas Prices 08/06/2012

U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a field hearing to explore gasoline prices in northwestern Vermont. Sen. Bernie Sanders chairs the hearing. Witnesses include Ben Brockwell, director of data, pricing and information services for the Oil Price Information Service; Rob Leuck, vice president and regional manager of Costco Whoesale, Jim Coutts, director Franklin County Senior Center; Joe Choquette III of the Vermont Petroleum Association; and Gail Horne, owner of the Keelers Bay Variety Store (and gas station) in South Hero, Vt.

Congressman Peter Welch: House Inaction on New Farm Bill 07/31/2012

With House leaders refusing so far to take up a bipartisan 5-year reauthorization of the Farm Bill, Rep. Peter Welch is joined by Rep. Bill Owens (D, NY-23), Sheldon dairy farmer Bill Rowell, and St. Albans Cooperative Creamery general manager Leon Berthiaume and Bob Wellington, Agri-Mark. The current Farm Bill is set to expire on September 30, 2012. On July 12, the House Agriculture Committee, in a strong bipartisan vote of 35-11, approved a comprehensive 5-year reauthorization of federal agriculture programs that included key new protections for Vermont dairy farmers. In June, the Senate approved its version of a new Farm Bill which includes similar dairy provisions strongly supported by Senator Patrick Leahy, the senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senator Bernie Sanders.

Instead of taking up the bill approved by the Agriculture Committee, the House of Representatives will take up a one-year extension of the existing Farm Bill which will reduce payments to Vermont dairy farmers under the current Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Employee Ownership Bills 07/23/2012

Sen. Sanders announces legislation to provide training, grants, and technical support for programs promoting employee ownership and participation. He will also introduce a bill creating a U.S. Employee Ownership Bank to provide loans and loan guarantees to employees to purchase a business through an employee stock ownership plan.
Sanders is joined by Paul Millman, Co-Founder and CEO of Chroma Technology Corporation, Cindy Turcot, Chief Operating Officer of Gardener’s Supply Company and Mary Steiger, President of PT 360.

Congressman Peter Welch: Small Business Federal Disaster Relief Proposal 07/09/2012

In meetings with small business owners impacted by Irene, Rep. Peter Welch heard one recurring theme about federal disaster relief programs: They did not meet the needs of many small businesses. In the days and weeks following Irene, SBA distributed over 1,900 business disaster loan applications. Only 234 businesses submitted a completed application, of which only 137 loans were approved. In a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA), Welch is asking SBA Administrator Karen Mills to create a new microloan category within the existing SBA disaster loan program. Targeting businesses with fewer than 50 employees, this new loan program would provide smaller, expedited loans with reduced paperwork requirements. He is joined by Skip Hoblin, the owner of Snowfire Auto in Moretown, which sustained damage from Irene.

Community-Engagement Governance - Interview with Judy Freiwirth 06/20/2012

Rika Welsh of Cambridge Community Televition talks with Judy Freiwirth from Nonprofit Solutions Associates about Community-Engagement Governance.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Washington D.C. June Report 06/01/2012

Sen. Bernie Sanders discussed a range of issues in this 30 minute segment recorded in the U.S. Senate studios in Washington D.C.

Senator Patrick Leahy: Importance to Vermont of Violence Against Women Act 05/25/2012

Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congressman Peter Welch speak to reporters about the important work underway in Washington to reauthorize the historic, lifesaving Violence Against Women Act. Leahy and Welch are joined by Karen Tronsgard-Scott of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Featured Story

CCTV Receives NEH Grant to Support Community Archives

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is pleased to announce receipt of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant alongside 32 peer archival institutions across the country. This $49,927 grant award will support efforts to preserve and expand access to audio/visual community history materials in the CCTV Archives. Read more about this opportunity here!