Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, and John Thune introduced legislation early last week to repeal the estate tax, the tax on large inheritances that currently applies to only 1,700 American families per year. Their bill would provide up to $63 billion in tax breaks for the Walton family, which owns Walmart, and $39 billion for the Koch brothers’ brood.

That money could go toward universal health care, tuition-free public college, housing the homeless, paying public school teachers a living wage, or solving any number of social problems faced by the American working-class majority. Instead, Republicans want to put it toward the strengthening of modern dynasties.

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders isn’t just trying to stop them. He’s gone a step further and introduced his own bill to beef up the estate tax. As he unveiled his proposal, Sanders said: