FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senator Bernie Sanders, NYC-DSA, labor unions rally in the Bronx to Tax the Rich
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2026
CONTACT: ella@nycdsa.org, (929) 359-0917
Senator Sanders, NYC-DSA, labor unions rally in the Bronx to Tax the Rich
The Vermont Senator backed measures to increase taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and corporations in New York State’s budget.
Photos from the event can be found here. Video can be found here.
NEW YORK, NY — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) rallied in the Bronx today with NYC-DSA, labor unions, and advocates to call on Governor Hochul and New York lawmakers to tax the rich and wealthy corporations. The New York State budget is due April 1.
The rally opened with a welcome by Bronx city and state elected officials, including State Senators Gustavo Rivera and Nathalia Fernandez, Assemblymembers George Alvarez and Karines Reyes, and Council Members Althea Stevens and Pierina Sanchez.
Additional speakers included New York State Nurses Association President Nancy Hagans, PSC-CUNY President James Davis, 1199SEIU leader Avia Agababa, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, and Assemblymember Diana Moreno.
Sen. Sanders highlighted the importance of raising taxes on the rich to stand up to Trump’s economic and political agenda. The wealthiest New Yorkers will save $12 billion dollars this year due to Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy.
The rally was MC’d by filmmaker and comedian Julio Torres, and featured musical performances by Cleo Reed, Allegra Krieger, and DJ Saphe.
“What the mayor is proposing is popular; the widely respected pollsters at Siena found that 54% of New York State voters supported Mayor Mamdani’s tax increase, and the numbers were much higher in New York City. Today I would ask Governor Hochul to listen to where people are at,” said Senator Bernie Sanders.
“Senator Sanders’ message to Governor Hochul is clear – we need a united front against Trump and the billionaires he serves. If Bernie can fight Trump in DC, Hochul and the rest of us can fight him from Albany by taxing the rich and funding the services working people rely on,” said NYC-DSA Co-Chair Gustavo Gordillo.
“Senator Sanders’ involvement shows that New York’s budget fight isn’t just a local issue. Governor Hochul has a chance to stand up to Trump while backing the working class, and she can do that by taxing the rich,” said NYC-DSA Co-Chair Grace Mausser.
“I am incredibly grateful to Senator Bernie Sanders for joining us in The Bronx to amplify our call for revenue-raising measures in the final budget that will make the ultra-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorker are on the brink of losing health coverage because of Republicans in Washington. If we want to make New York affordable, we need to stop coddling the ultra-wealthy while leaving working class New Yorkers footing the bill,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.
“Right now, healthcare workers like me are constantly being asked to do more with less, at the expense of our bodies, our backs, and at the expense of our nursing home residents. The problem is about to become so much worse. Trump and the Republicans cut $1 trillion in healthcare to give tax breaks to the ultra-rich and to pump more money into ICE,” said Avia Agababa, an 1199SEIU leader and CNA at a Bronx nursing home. “New York, it is time to do better. We can do better by standing up to the billionaires and oligarchs who believe healthcare workers and our patients are disposable. My nursing home residents, the elders of this neighborhood, need the rich to pay their fair share. By taxing the rich we can help ensure that nursing home residents, other seniors, and all New Yorkers can get the vital services that they need and that they deserve.”