Rep. Mark Takano Mark Allan TakanoCongress missed the point when it came to helping veterans During Suicide Prevention Month, Trump needs to do more for troops' mental health The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Fauci says focus should be on pausing reopenings rather than reverting to shutdowns; WHO director pleads for international unity in pandemic response MORE (D-Calif.) has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Why Democrats must confront extreme left wing incitement to violence MORE (I-Vt.) for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Sanders campaign announced Tuesday.

Takano, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and member of the Progressive Caucus, is one of fewer than 10 members of Congress to throw their support behind the Vermont senator.

“I’ve always admired Bernie Sanders for the courageous leadership that he has displayed over his life in Congress,” Takano said in a statement. “I think about him standing up against the Defense of Marriage Act. Very few members of Congress actually stood up for marriage equality in the 1990s. I think he’s got the clearest history of protecting Medicare and Social Security.”

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“Bernie has a bold vision. Young people feel that sincerity, and I feel it, too. Bernie has got a vision, he’s got an agenda, and Bernie has the skillset to get things done.”



Thank you Rep. @MarkTakano for your support! pic.twitter.com/7ZqCqkKLHr — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 10, 2020

Far more lawmakers have backed former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenCast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response Biden tells CNN town hall that he has benefited from white privilege MORE, who is the current delegate leader following a strong showing in last week's Super Tuesday contests.

Sanders did capture Takano's home state of California last week, but the party establishment has increasingly fallen behind Biden, who is looking strong in all six of the states set to hold their primaries on Tuesday.