January 15, 2026

ICYMI: Sen. Bernie Sanders And Analilia Mejia Launch 3-Part Video Series to Discuss Mejia’s Background and the Issues Facing the Nation

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — This week, Analilia Mejia, candidate for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, launched a three-part video series alongside Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to discuss Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Analilia Mejia’s heritage, healthcare, and the issues facing the nation. On Monday, she released part one of the series to discuss ICE and the killing of Renee Good, which garnered over 500K views across social media. On Wednesday, Analilia Mejia released part two, which focuses on her mother’s struggle with dementia and the challenges of accessing healthcare. Part three of the video will be released later this week ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy’ tour stop in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District on January 19th, 2026.

For the full video of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Analilia Mejia discussing healthcare, click here.

Video Transcript of Healthcare Video:

Sen. Bernie Sanders: In terms of health care. I don’t have to –

Analilia Mejia: Oh, no.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: It’s an issue you’ve been talking about for a long time.

Analilia Mejia: And struggling through, honestly. My mom has dementia. She was diagnosed after the campaign and we had to literally spend down everything she had so that she could qualify for Medicaid, because I couldn’t work if she wasn’t eligible to go to a daycare center, but I couldn’t afford a daycare center without her being eligible for Medicaid. And so everything, it almost makes me so emotional because my mom came to this country and worked so hard to build a little something to give me, my sister, her grandkids.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: That’s horrible. It is so unspeakable that just as you’ve said, people have worked their whole lives to want to leave a little bit to their kids, to their grandchildren, and after deplete all of that in order to get Medicaid. And I’ll tell you something else. We’ve studied this in my committee: nursing homes are a disaster in America. They’re understaffed. I’ve talked to some nursing homes in New Jersey, by the way

Analilia Mejia: Yes.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: Grossly understaffed.

Analilia Mejia: Shout out to SEIU 1199 who endorsed me.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: But, you know, people are trying, but they don’t have the staffing that they need there or the quality food that they need there or the quality food that they need in these nursing homes. And again, this is not a poor third world country, we’re the wealthiest country on earth. Do you think our elderly people deserve to retire with dignity, not have to deplete their savings? If you go to a nursing home to be treated with the kind of dignity that you’re entitled to? I think so. You think so.

Analilia Mejia: Yes.

Sen. Bernie Sanders: You think so? Yes. Most Americans think so.