Bernie Sanders to US Senate: Let Americans go on dates again

“You’ve got young people who want to go to school, who want to socialize, want to date, want to do things that young people do,” Sanders said.

MARCH 7, 2021 06:38

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders announces introduction of public housing legislation as part of the Green New Deal in Washington, U.S. November 14, 2019 (photo credit: ERIN SCOTT/REUTERS) — Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders announces introduction of public housing legislation as part of the Green New Deal in Washington, U.S. November 14, 2019

(photo credit: ERIN SCOTT/REUTERS)

Senator Bernie Sanders wants to pass a COVID-19 relief bill to help America’s youth get back to being able to date, among other concerns he addressed on the Senate floor, the Huffington Post reported on Friday.

“You’ve got young people who want to go to school, who want to socialize, want to date, want to do things that young people do,” Sanders said during the Senate session, which was broadcast on C-SPAN 2.

“And they can’t do it and have been unable to do that for the last year," he added, noting that this "has resulted in a very sharp increase in mental illness in this country.”

The 79-year-old senator’s concern for the romantic prospects of America’s youth struck a chord across social media, according to the Huffington Post.

Many reacted to the senator's idea on Twitter. Among them, Tara Golshan, a reporter for the above-mentioned website, who humorously mentioned that Sanders was "watching out for the interests of [her] grandmother" with the suggestion.

Bernie Sanders really watching out for the interests of my grandmother, who is very adamant I have a baby in her lifetime.
— Tara Golshan (@taragolshan) March 5, 2021

While the tweet was made in jest, the plight of the elderly was one of the issues Sanders addressed on the Senate floor, expressing how COVID-19 restrictions have kept elderly Americans from seeing their grandchildren and other extended family members. He emphasized that regardless of one's age, COVID-19 has made this an "awful year" for everyone.

Earlier this year, Sanders went viral on social media when his now-iconic outfit worn at President Joe Biden's inauguration became a popular meme.

The meme in question shows the two-time Democratic presidential candidate sitting on a chair at the inauguration clad in a parka, blue face mask and very prominent wool mittens with distinctive patterns, his arms and legs both folded. According to reports, the photo was taken by AFP photographer Brendan Smialowski, who thought it was a nice moment and represented a good slice of life.

Aaron Reich contributed to this report.