ON THE ROAD: Buenas Tardes (video)
Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday addressed an afternoon crowd under a warm September sun at a bustling Latino Heritage Festival on the streets of downtown Des Moines, Iowa.
He spoke about jobs and economic justice, protecting the planet from climate change, the need for comprehensive immigration reform and this week’s historic visit of Pope Francis to the United States.
The pope, meanwhile, addressed those same issues during his three-city tour of the United States. Francis spent Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, the third and final city of his trip, speaking to an outdoor audience on Independence Mall and delivering a message of hope to immigrants to keep their spirits high and overcome resistance.
In Iowa’s capital city, the very mention of the pope drew applause from the Hispanic festival goers. “He appealed to world leaders to seek a new economic model to help the poor,” the senator said as he recalled being in the audience for Francis’ appearances earlier in the week at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
Sanders also drew cheers when he spoke about the need for immigration reform to provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. “We have got to bring them out of the shadows,” the senator said.
Sanders voted for an immigration reform that passed the Senate with bipartisan backing but never got a vote in the House of Representatives. He pledged to push for even stronger legislation if he is elected president. “We’re not going to be breaking up families. We’re going to be uniting families,” he said.
Watch the video:
= new reply since forum marked as read
