Bernie Sanders celebrates raising $1.8m for charity with meme but says its ‘no substitute for action by Congress’

Vermont senator is making the case for Congress to use reconciliation to pass a sweeping coronavirus relief bill

Never let a good meme go to waste, as Senator Bernie Sanders might say.

The Vermont senator and his team successfully raised $1.8 million for national charities after selling sweatshirts and other merchandise based on the “Chairman Sanders” meme that went viral on Inauguration Day.

The meme is a photo from the inaugural ceremonies of the senator sitting alone on a chair with his arms crossed over his body in wool mittens. It exploded online in the days after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, with users superimposing the photo of Mr Sanders into images from historic moments of pop culture, TV and politics.

“Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people over the last week, and we're glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need," Mr Sanders said in a statement on Thursday. “But even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we've faced since the Great Depression."

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The senator’s campaign store remains sold out of the “Chairman Sanders Crewneck,” which sells for $45, with the website noting an “overwhelming demand” was causing delay in shipment for some recipients.

Mr Sanders’ campaign merchandise is made in the USA, union printed and 100 per cent of the proceeds benefit the Meals on Wheels charity in Vermont, according to the website.

His campaign has continued adding a range of merchandise featuring the “Chairman Sanders” meme after the popularity of the crewneck sweatshirt, with a T-shirt and stickers going live for sale on the site during the weekend.

By Monday, those items had also been sold out entirely.

As the incoming Senate Budget chairman, Mr Sanders has been making the case for Congress to use reconciliation in order to pass a sweeping coronavirus relief package like the $1.9 trillion proposal Mr Biden put forward, designed to address the Covid-19 crisis at a national level.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated he will work to pass a bill through reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority vote in the Senate.

"We're keeping all options open on the table, including using budget reconciliation,” Mr Schumer told reporters. "I informed senators to be prepared that a vote on a budget resolution could come as early as next week."