Sanders hinted over the summer that he was considering throwing his hat in the ring to fill a vacant Finance Committee seat that opened after Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) resigned after his conviction on bribery charges.

Sanders would add a deeply progressive voice to the soon-to-be GOP-led finance panel, where he said he plans to prioritize protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, according to a statement posted on the social media platform X.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished during my time as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions,” Sanders said in the statement.  

“As one of the senior members of the Democratic Caucus, I also look forward to serving on the Senate Committee on Finance which now has a number of Democratic vacancies. As a member of that committee, I will prioritize protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from Republican attacks and creating a fair tax system that finally forces the very wealthy to pay their fair share.” 

Of those three entitlements, Medicaid will be top-of-mind for many in Washington in the coming year, with potential reforms on the table during the next Congress as President-elect Trump and fellow Republicans try to offset tax cuts and streamline government spending.