Washington ( CNN ) If Sen. Bernie Sanders were the director of the Lego Movie , whose catchy song blares , `` Everything is awesome , '' the animated film 's title track would have been decidedly less upbeat . For Sanders , everything in the United States is n't awesome -- far from it , in fact . `` I know that people are n't comfortable when I say this , but I worry very , very much of the future of democracy in our country , '' said the Vermont independent , speaking at the Brookings Institution on Monday . Sanders is known for highlighting what he sees as the ills that plague the United States in speeches and interviews . He regularly decries the amount of money in politics , frets about the growing income inequality gap and attacks the `` greed , recklessness and illegal behavior of Wall Street . '' But Monday 's was down even more dour than usual . Sanders said former President Abraham Lincoln 's vision of `` government of the people , by the people , for the people , '' was not only `` perishing '' but `` coming to an end . '' Instead , Sanders argued the United States was becoming a country `` of the billionaires , by the billionaires , for the billionaires '' who are now able to `` purchase the candidates of their choice . '' `` The most serious problem we face is the grotesque and growing level of wealth and income inequality , '' Sanders said . `` This is a profound moral issue , this is an economic issue and this is a political issue . '' After a 30-minute prepared speech , one questioner joked that Sanders was n't laying out a positive agenda like Ronald Reagan 's `` morning in America . '' Moderator E.J . Dionne quickly joked it was more like `` mourning in America . '' `` I have been trying to be more cheerful , '' he said , adding that his wife jokingly says he should hand out `` tranquilizers and anti-suicide kits , '' after he speaks . The senator , who is entertaining a 2016 presidential run , was n't without ideas to combat these problems , though . Sanders urged breaking up big banks , backed a $ 1 trillion investment in infrastructure and proposed making college free to anyone who wants it . He also urged raising taxes on Wall Street -- whose business is based on `` fraud and deception '' -- and passing `` real tax reform '' to pay for his plans . He also came out against Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu 's upcoming speech to Congress . `` I am not going , '' he said . The speech has rankled some in the White House because it did not follow traditional protocols for foreign leaders visiting the United States . The message , however dour , seemed to connect . After the event , people could be heard asking about the senators presidential aspirations and urging him to run . Sanders will travel to key presidential states like Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming months where he will take this message on the road . If he runs , Sanders will likely face Hillary Clinton , the former secretary of state and frontrunner for the Democratic nomination . Clinton is `` a woman I respect , clearly a very intelligent person who I think is interested in issues , '' Sanders said , adding that if he challenges her , he hopes to have a debate over climate change , the war in Iraq and other issues . `` It is not my style to trash people , '' Sanders said , hinting that he would n't go negative if he runs .
Sen. Bernie Sanders was dour on the state of the United States in a speech on Monday . `` I worry very , very much of the future of democracy in our country , '' he said .