Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, once Hillary Clinton's rival in the Democratic race for president, is prepared to put pressure on her to establish a left-leaning cabinet if she wins the presidency.
According to The Washington Post, Sanders said he'll be a vocal member of the Senate chamber starting next year under a President Clinton.
Sanders told the Post he'll speak up if Clinton nominates the "same old, same old Wall Street guys" to certain positions in her administration.
"I will be vigorously in opposition, and I will make that very clear," said Sanders, who was on Clinton's early list of running mate choices.
Sanders is also in the process of coming up with pieces of legislation that would help some of his campaign promises — a $15 minimum wage and free college tuition, for example — come true.
Sanders said the leverage he has from receiving 13.4 million votes in the primary season, many from young voters, will make him a stronger player in the political arena.
"We won 22 states and 46 percent of the pledged delegates, 13.4 million votes … and a majority of the younger people, the future of the country. … That gives me a lot of leverage, leverage that I intend to use," he said.
Sanders, 75, wants to see Democrats square off with Republicans head-on under the next Congress.
"The Democratic Party, before they start compromising, has got to rally the American people around our ideas and make it clear that if Republicans do not go along with reasonable ideas to benefit the middle class and the working class, they are going to pay a very heavy political price," he told the Post.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said last week he's worried Sanders might become chairman of the House Budget Committee if Democrats gain control of the chamber in two weeks. Sanders said it "sounds like a good idea."
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