Vermont senator Sanders returning to Iowa

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is considering a 2016 presidential bid, will return to Iowa next month.

Sanders, a Vermont independent, will be the featured speaker at the holiday party for Progress Iowa on Dec. 16. The 6 p.m. event will be held in Altoona at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.

'We're excited that Sen. Sanders will join us and speak at our holiday party,” Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa, said in a statement. 'He has been an outspoken advocate on behalf of middle and working class families, and we are excited for him to bring that message to Iowa.”

Sanders, who served 16 years in the House of Representatives, was elected to the Senate in 2006. He also has been a frequent visitor to Iowa.

He was in Davenport last month and drew a big crowd, arguing for an increase in the minimum wage, an expansion of Social Security benefits and a revamped trade policy that would press U.S.-based multinational corporations to invest more at home.

Earlier in the year, he made a stop in Clinton.

Tickets to the Progress Iowa holiday party are $50. Those interested can go to progressiowa.org/holiday2014.