National Nurses United (NNU) has
endorsed Bernie Sanders as its chosen candidate for President of US. Other candidates had sought the Unions endorsement and so it is interesting to hear the back story of how the NNU made its decision.
Emily Atkins at Think Progress has the story.
The endorsement is Sanders’ first from a national union, and while it’s not expected to bring in large amounts of cash to his campaign, it is at least somewhat important. NNU has thousands of members in early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa, and Sanders’ two biggest Democratic rivals — Clinton and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley — had also competed for the endorsement. Nurses are also consistently rated the “most trusted” professionals in the country, with the vast majority of Americans giving them high ratings of honesty and ethics.
But why did Sanders secure union members’ votes over Clinton or O’Malley? In the minutes following the announcement, Buzzfeed News reported that the Keystone XL pipeline was “the deciding factor,” noting Clinton’s now-infamous refusal to say whether she would approve the controversial project. Conversely, Sanders has staunchly opposed the pipeline for the same reasons NNU has, saying a spill would exacerbate health problems like asthma and nosebleeds.
However, NNU spokesperson Martha Wallner said the decision to choose Sanders ran deeper than Keystone XL. In a phone interview, Wallner said all three candidates had competed for the endorsement by filling out a seven-question survey about issues that aligned with NNU’s values — and only Sanders scored a 100 percent. O’Malley scored 86 percent, and Clinton scored just 43 percent, she said.
“We want it all,” Wallner said. “It goes far beyond just Keystone XL.”
Bernie Sanders has been
leading the charge against Keystone XL Pipeline in the senate, and in fact, has called out Hillary Clinton for her refusal to take a stand.
Sanders statement on Keystone Pipeline:
We have to address the planetary crisis of climate change and there is no question that we must move aggressively toward energy efficiency and the development of sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. That is why I have introduced legislation that would create 10 million solar rooftops on homes and businesses in the United States. So I agree with Secretary Clinton about the need for substantial investment in sustainable energy.
But that is not enough. We must make significant reductions in carbon emissions and break our dependency on fossil fuels. That is why I have helped lead the fight in the Senate against the Keystone pipeline which would transport some of the dirtiest fossil fuel in the world.
It is hard for me to understand how one can be concerned about climate change but not vigorously oppose the Keystone pipeline.