Straightforward.
Bernie:
“Enough is enough,” Sanders said. “Today, almost all of the too-big-to-fail banks are bigger and even more powerful than they were before we bailed them out. The six largest financial institutions have over $9.8 trillion in assets — the equivalent of more than 60 percent of GDP. They issue over half of the mortgages and more than two-thirds of the credit cards in America
“If Congress cannot regulate Wall Street, there is just one alternative. It is time to break these too-big-to-fail banks up so that they can never again destroy the jobs, homes, and life savings of the American people.
“At the beginning of the new Congress, I will be introducing legislation that will break these behemoth banks up once and for all. If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist. I look forward to working with both progressive and conservative Senators who have the courage to stand up to Wall Street and protect the working families of this country,” Sanders said. [emphasis added]
Yes, people will point out that the Democrats will not control the agenda in the Senate beginning in the new session.
BUT...
This is about a public campaign to continue to make the case to the people that banks must be broken up.
It has traction among a broad swath of people, from progressives to the Tea Party. People hate the big banks.
Let Republicans be framed as the protectors of the big banks like Citi...and force the pro-bank Democrats like Chuck Schumer to oppose Sanders' legislation. Get me some popcorn for this.
Hopefully, he will have an ally in Sherrod Brown who, as I wrote the other day, will be the ranking member on the Banking Committee.
Mon Dec 15, 2014 at 1:14 PM PT: Had to add this briefly: regarding the commentary about whether this has a chance of passing. (honest questions as well as the snarky snide pointless...those of the latter should just go over to Red State to amuse themselves). Chances are very slim...today...but the point is to think about this as just one rallying point, political argument to make to the broad group of people who hate banks. Think long-term, people.