Editorial: If Trump loses, Paul Ryan could be out and Bernie Sanders in

Bernie Sanders addresses a Clinton-Kaine rally inside the Prochnow Auditorium at Northern Arizona University, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. Many political observers believe that traditionally Republican Arizona is in play for this election. (Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic via AP)
AP
Bernie Sanders addresses a Clinton-Kaine rally inside the Prochnow Auditorium at Northern Arizona University, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016. Many political observers believe that traditionally Republican Arizona is in play for this election. (Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic via AP)

House speaker Paul Ryan has been trying to distance himself from the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, like a dog; well-aware that it’s about to be brought to the vet and neutered. Although Ryan seems to be scared of the possibilities of a Trump presidency, he is still staying loyal and promoting a Republican led house, urging young conservatives to get out and vote for their local representatives in November.

But Ryan let one thing slip; if Republicans and Ryan lose the Senate, in Ryan’s words, “a guy named Bernie Sanders” will take over as the chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

The chair is responsible for drafting a budget for Congress, as well as looking over the budget and budget related actions for the federal government. For instance, as chair, Sanders could actively adjust budget levels and other items regarding budget resolution, according to documents on the United States House of Representatives Budget Committee website. This essentially means that Sanders could rearrange budgets at pretty much anytime.

Daily KOS staff member and author Kerry Eleveld wrote with enthusiasm about the prospect, “Good god, people! Sanders might try to expand Social Security. He might look for ways to ease the burden of college debt. By god, he had a ‘Medicare for All’ platform. Just think of it: insured people everywhere! Talk about an apocalypse!”

This really could be a way for Sanders supporters to re-ignite the spark that was mostly lost when Hillary Clinton won the presidential nomination for the Democratic party. Sanders got young people into politics almost effortlessly. His policies match up a lot with what our peers want, or think is necessary for the U.S.

The entire Budget Committee sets up the annual budget resolution, which lays out levels of spending, revenue, deficit or surplus and the public debt. Sanders is a strong advocate for lowering student loan interest rates and eliminating the aspect of student debt altogether, something most people in college are consistently talking about; student debt looms over students like a cloud of noxious gas.

Through a chair spot in the Budget Committee, Sanders could work on exonerating the debt of millions of Americans. “The Huffington Post” reported that more than 40 million Americans had some form of student debt as of 2014 and that at least seven million of those Americans have defaulted on those loans, which is a terrifying realization.

It is due time a politician like Sanders jumps into a position where he can absolutely change things for the better, as opposed to his money grubbing peers, who most likely swim around in giant piles of gold coins, akin to a Mr. Scrooge McDuck.

Now it is more important than ever to review the Democratic candidates in your local areas in hopes of getting Sanders into this position.