Sanders, Khanna Unveil $4.4 Trillion Tax Increase
Washington Free Beacon,
by
Ira Stoll
Original Article
Posted By: ConservativeYankee,
3/2/2026 7:31:02 PM
Sen. Bernie Sanders, socialist of Vermont, and Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California best known for trafficking in Epstein-related conspiracy theories, are pushing legislation that would impose a new 5 percent annual wealth tax on billionaires and use the revenue to give money to everyone earning less than $150,000 a year.
The bill, which the politicians are calling the Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act, would raise $4.4 trillion over a decade, according to a letter from Emanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, economists at the University of California, Berkeley, that was released by the leftist politicians. The March 2, 2026, letter from the two economists,
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
earlybird 3/2/2026 7:42:34 PM (No. 2075273)
Ro Khanna has lofty amiions. This doesn't sound like jhe way to go. Nor is being joined at the hip to frol Tom Massie. Not a dynamic duo.
28 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 3/2/2026 7:44:55 PM (No. 2075275)
Taxation eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns. Maybe they should cut spending! What?!? They had deals! They won't get their kickbacks!
49 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 3/2/2026 7:49:41 PM (No. 2075276)
These kinds of dreams require a changing of the sheets.
31 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
sw penn 3/2/2026 7:57:54 PM (No. 2075280)
Next up, for your amusement,
Jealousy and The Seven Deadly Somethings...
30 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Kate318 3/2/2026 8:12:57 PM (No. 2075284)
Give it to people who make less than 150K/yr? Did I read that right??
25 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
cor-vet 3/2/2026 8:26:39 PM (No. 2075289)
Most of those billionaires earned their money, with the exception of some Soros type sons and daughters that inherited, so let them keep their money. I am fine with what I have, and it's a long, long way from a billion. Democrats have a decidedly unhealthy lust for other peoples money and young girls. Maybe a bill to strip these politicians of all but one house and a couple of hundred thousand a year, and give it back to tax paying Americans would be better!
49 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
DVC 3/2/2026 8:40:06 PM (No. 2075290)
It is a good lesson in "How to Create a Depression".
37 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
WI Cynic 3/2/2026 8:51:02 PM (No. 2075293)
It won't raise a nickel. The targeted people didn't get to where they are by paying taxes that can be avoided.
32 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
stablemoney 3/2/2026 8:51:49 PM (No. 2075294)
Trump has already raised tariffs on the rest of the world, and given tax credits to seniors, no tax on tips, and no tax on overtime.
26 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
jeffkinnh 3/2/2026 8:54:30 PM (No. 2075295)
Everytime the Socialist dems roll out their tax-the-rich policies in practice, it collapses the economy of the area impacted. The "billionaires" are already paying more than their fair share. Here's a reality check: The top 1% of taxpayers often pay more in federal income taxes than the bottom 90% combined. That sounds grossly unfair to the people at the top of the earning scale.
It isn't surprising that Sanders wants a money grab since he has never worked successfully for anything in his life. He is a tick on the body politic.
51 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
3XALADY 3/2/2026 9:04:14 PM (No. 2075297)
I think ole Bern has moved on past his sell date. Retirement won't be anything new for him. He's been retired for years while drawing a paycheck from the taxpayers.
39 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
chumley 3/2/2026 9:41:30 PM (No. 2075307)
Why is it always someone who didnt earn their money deciding what someone else's "fair share" is?
48 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
john56 3/2/2026 9:47:56 PM (No. 2075309)
Yeah. The "rebate" will be about $7.56 per family of 4. And taxable.
31 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
MickTurn 3/2/2026 9:59:36 PM (No. 2075316)
Let's start with Democraps that are RICH but never earned a penny of it!!!!!!!!!!!
33 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
OkieTom 3/2/2026 10:01:26 PM (No. 2075318)
Sanders claims to be an independent but is a true-blue Democrat socialist, as is Khanna.
They are firmly entrenched in the party of the 7 deadly sins, which overtly practices and even cherishes all of them: pride, wrath, envy, greed, lust, sloth, and gluttony.
Take your pick. Democrats have a policy that incorporates each and every one of them, and they also worship murder (abortion) and are absolute expert deceivers and liars.
27 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
PrayerWarrior 3/2/2026 10:02:57 PM (No. 2075319)
This is Bernie's Communist pipe dream. Him and Ro Khanna are idiots lusting over other people's money. sick.
26 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
bpl40 3/2/2026 10:25:22 PM (No. 2075326)
If the money was earned in keeping with laws that were applicable , it is outside the authority of government. Income earned on it is a different issue.
18 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
padiva 3/2/2026 11:04:00 PM (No. 2075335)
Let's reduce the cost of government first.
Remove all fraud, unnecessary bureaucrats/employees, useless/redundant policies/regulations.
The uber-wealthy donate to others as they choose.
24 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Venturer 3/2/2026 11:07:25 PM (No. 2075337)
Of course Bernie and other rich politicians have a loophole to keep them from being taxed.
19 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
DougTN 3/2/2026 11:08:24 PM (No. 2075338)
About nooo…
12 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
MissMann 3/2/2026 11:08:43 PM (No. 2075339)
What harm could taking $4.4T out of the economy do? Haven't the politicians taken enough graft?
16 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
JimBob 3/3/2026 12:31:03 AM (No. 2075349)
Article Correction:
"Sen. Bernie Sanders, socialist of Vermont"
should read
"Sen. Bernie Sanders, Communist of Vermont"
17 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
mifla 3/3/2026 4:35:54 AM (No. 2075370)
How about a Make Politicians Pay Their Fair Share Act?
Tax them on all their benefits and gold plated medical insurance plans.
22 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
BirdsNest 3/3/2026 5:56:04 AM (No. 2075374)
As it always ends up the money will find its way to THEIR pockets.
11 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
5 handicap 3/3/2026 6:19:06 AM (No. 2075381)
How many Billions of investment do you suppose would leave the country thus eliminating the jobs and fortunes of those who once worked the companies those investments supported?
6 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
billa57 3/3/2026 6:54:59 AM (No. 2075397)
If you can get these billionaires to voluntarily contribute an extra 5% to pay down the national debt, and ONLY the national debt, its OK with me.
7 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
LanceLink1 3/3/2026 7:31:01 AM (No. 2075415)
I'm sure they believe they are modern day Robin Hoods, stealing from the rich and giving it back to the poor and what not, but one does not multiply wealth by dividing it.
Commie Sanders got kicked out of a commune (communes are for communists) back in the day because he was lazy and contributing nothing. He gets elected and been living off the government teat, spending other peoples money ever since. Again being lazy and contributing nothing. Dirt bag loser.
15 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
Strike3 3/3/2026 7:32:38 AM (No. 2075416)
The socialist Left is already unpopular and America's "poor" are already getting too much free money. This will not fly.
10 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
mobyclik 3/3/2026 7:35:49 AM (No. 2075417)
Rats doing what they always do...BUY VOTES!
11 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Hazymac 3/3/2026 7:36:22 AM (No. 2075418)
#27 has got it right. Sanders is a lazy bum who DID get kicked out of a collectivist commune for not contributing to the collective. He's always been all about himself, nothing else. Typical useless commie.
15 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
WinterParker 3/3/2026 8:23:11 AM (No. 2075436)
"Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act" is a laugher. If passed, the "Billies" will simply go to Plan B or C. Democrat pols know this, but it sounds good to the layabout class that votes.
7 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
janjan 3/3/2026 8:37:09 AM (No. 2075440)
Democrats have long used class envy and the promise of income redistribution to suck in ignorant Americans resentful of other people’s success. What they are proposing is unconstitutional and would never get through the courts. In the meantime Congress continues to use insider trading to enrich themselves. Idiot liberals are happy to play along.
7 people like this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
Kafka2 3/3/2026 9:31:09 AM (No. 2075460)
A strange thing happens when a city or a state decide to levy unfair taxes the very wealthy so they can use it to buy the votes of the poor. They move to a more responsible state and the place they left looses the tax money they would have gotten from those wealthy people. The Democrats use hate to promote such taxes, so it is no wonder that they resent them.
6 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
joew9 3/3/2026 2:16:33 PM (No. 2075549)
The tax is unworkable. The taxpayer would have to liquidate stock in order to pay. All the investors would know that ahead of time. That would affect the price of the stock. And the overall value of the company. So the stock value crashes and thus he would have to liquidate even more stock to pay. But the California law does not adjust if the value of the company goes down from the time they calculate it. The deals that the company had with customers and suppliers get cancelled because their assets to continue to operate are in jeopardy. The company could go bankrupt. But the California law says that even if the value decreases so much that the taxpayer no longer qualifies for the tax he still has to pay the tax because it is calculated from the value at a previous time before the crash that they caused.
If they don't like billionaires then they should announce the plan and date it to be carried out in 10 years. I guarantee in 10 years there won't be any billionaires still here for them to tax. And then these leftist could brag about how they got rid of all the billionaires.
1 person likes this.
Reply 35 - Posted by:
ronniethek 3/3/2026 2:29:05 PM (No. 2075558)
The 16th amendment permits taxation of income from whatever source. The left has forever tried to conflate WEALTH with INCOME. They are totally different concepts and WEALTH per se does not constitute a source of income. Especially if NOT REALIZED in cash. We will see if SCOTUS has any brains and understands the difference if this clearly Unconstitutional provision ever passes. Unlikely they may be.
1 person likes this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
snowoutlaw 3/3/2026 3:49:52 PM (No. 2075578)
Since this is not an Income tax how does one figure one's wealth? If stocks are involved the values are always changing. If land like a large farm or ranch it all depends on what someone is willing to pay for it and 5% would have to be sold every year just to pay the tax. Soon there will be no large farms or ranches in private hands.
Sounds like simple solution is to incorporate and put everything into a corporation so there is no evil billionaire, just a INC.
0 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 3/3/2026 4:43:03 PM (No. 2075591)
Stolen from a poster either here or FR from a few days ago:
"Bernie Sanders used to rant against millionaires and billionaires.... Then he became a Millionaire himself (thanks to political payoffs), so now he only rants about billionaires."
0 people like this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 3/3/2026 4:52:19 PM (No. 2075593)
#26: You could confiscate ALL of the wealth from ALL the USA billionaires and it would barely cover Bernie's & Khanna's tax increase scheme; wouldn't come close to paying off the government debt.
0 people like this.
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