{ "name": "Bernard Sanders", "party": "Independent", "role": "U.S. Senator", "state": "Vermont", "district": null, "bio": "Bernie Sanders is the longest-serving Independent in U.S. congressional history, representing Vermont first as a U.S. Representative from 1991 to 2007 and then as a U.S. Senator since 2007. He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, becoming a prominent national figure for democratic socialist policies. Known for his consistent advocacy for Medicare for All, free public college, and aggressive wealth redistribution, Sanders has caucused with Democrats throughout his career. He chaired the Senate Budget Committee from 2021 to 2023 and was instrumental in shaping the reconciliation framework for the Build Back Better Act.", "promises": [ { "type": "promise", "text": "Pledge to enact Medicare for All, replacing private insurance with a single-payer government health system", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders has introduced Medicare for All legislation in every recent Congress but has not secured enough votes for passage. The proposal remains his signature issue and has not advanced to a floor vote in either chamber.", "category": "Healthcare", "year": 2016 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Campaign pledge to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for all students", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders has repeatedly introduced the College for All Act, most recently in 2023, but the legislation has not passed. The Biden administration's more limited student debt relief efforts did not fulfill this specific pledge.", "category": "Education", "year": 2016 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Commitment to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour", "status": "broken", "analysis": "Sanders championed a $15 federal minimum wage and it was included in the American Rescue Plan proposal, but the Senate parliamentarian ruled it could not be included under reconciliation rules in 2021. Sanders failed to secure its passage as standalone legislation, and the federal minimum wage remains $7.25.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2020 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Pledge to break up the big banks and reinstate a modern Glass-Steagall Act separating commercial and investment banking", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders has consistently advocated for breaking up large financial institutions and co-sponsored related legislation, but no such bill has advanced to a floor vote. The major banks have grown larger since 2016.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2016 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Campaign commitment to pursue a Green New Deal and 100% renewable energy transition to address climate change", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders has been a co-sponsor of Green New Deal resolutions and pushed for ambitious climate provisions in budget reconciliation packages. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included significant but less sweeping climate investments than Sanders sought.", "category": "Environment", "year": 2020 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Pledge to impose a wealth tax on the ultra-wealthy to reduce inequality", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders has introduced the 'Tax on Extreme Wealth' legislation multiple times, including in 2021 and 2023, proposing annual taxes on net worth above $32 million. The legislation has not advanced out of committee.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2019 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Commitment to oppose cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders has consistently voted against any legislation that would reduce Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits and has been a vocal opponent of proposed cuts under various budget proposals. His voting record fully aligns with this pledge.", "category": "Healthcare", "year": 2007 }, { "type": "promise", "text": "Pledge to end U.S. involvement in 'endless wars' and reduce the military footprint abroad", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders has consistently voted against military interventions and supported troop withdrawal resolutions, including invoking the War Powers Act regarding Yemen. His voting record on military engagements aligns with his stated anti-interventionist position.", "category": "Foreign Policy", "year": 2016 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the Iraq War", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted against the Iraq War AUMF in October 2002 as a U.S. Representative, consistent with his long-standing anti-interventionist platform. This vote was one of the most consequential foreign policy votes of his congressional career.", "category": "Foreign Policy", "year": 2002 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted against the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders was one of the few members of Congress to vote against the PATRIOT Act in 2001, consistent with his stated civil liberties positions. He cited concerns about government surveillance overreach.", "category": "Civil Rights", "year": 2001 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted for the ACA in the Senate in 2010, viewing it as an incremental step despite preferring single-payer. He secured a commitment for community health center funding in exchange for his vote.", "category": "Healthcare", "year": 2010 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted against the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Republican tax reform)", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, consistent with his platform opposing tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. He argued it disproportionately benefited the top 1% at the expense of working families.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2017 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted for the Inflation Reduction Act despite publicly criticizing it as insufficient on climate and drug pricing, viewing it as a step forward. His vote was consistent with his broader support for progressive legislation even when imperfect.", "category": "Environment", "year": 2022 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted against the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act repealing Glass-Steagall in 1999", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted against the financial deregulation bill as a U.S. Representative in 1999, consistent with his longstanding opposition to Wall Street deregulation. He later cited this vote as evidence of his consistent anti-Wall Street stance.", "category": "Economy", "year": 1999 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted for the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993 but against the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005 after initially supporting it in 2003", "status": "broken", "analysis": "Sanders voted for the Brady Bill in 1993 and initially supported gun manufacturer liability protections in 2003, a position inconsistent with progressive gun control advocacy. He later reversed on the gun liability shield and voted against it in 2005, acknowledging the inconsistency with his platform.", "category": "Criminal Justice", "year": 2005 }, { "type": "vote", "text": "Voted against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) that authorized the War on Terror", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders voted against the broad post-9/11 AUMF, one of only a handful of members to do so, consistent with his anti-interventionist foreign policy positions. He expressed concerns about giving the president a blank check for military action.", "category": "Foreign Policy", "year": 2001 }, { "type": "action", "text": "Sponsored the Medicare for All Act of 2022 (S. 4204) in the Senate", "status": "in_progress", "analysis": "Sanders introduced comprehensive single-payer healthcare legislation in the Senate with 14 co-sponsors, but the bill did not advance to a committee markup. This is the most recent iteration of legislation he has introduced in every Congress since 2013.", "category": "Healthcare", "year": 2022 }, { "type": "action", "text": "Used Senate Budget Committee chairmanship to craft the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better reconciliation framework in 2021", "status": "broken", "analysis": "As Budget Committee chair, Sanders shepherded the $3.5 trillion budget resolution through committee, but the final Build Back Better Act was blocked in the Senate by Joe Manchin and failed to pass. The scaled-back Inflation Reduction Act that eventually passed represented a fraction of the original ambition.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2021 }, { "type": "action", "text": "Invoked the War Powers Act via Senate resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (S.J.Res. 7, 2019)", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders co-sponsored and helped pass the War Powers Resolution in 2019 directing U.S. forces to cease involvement in the Yemen conflict, which passed both chambers. President Trump vetoed the resolution, but it marked a historic bipartisan Congressional assertion of war powers authority.", "category": "Foreign Policy", "year": 2019 }, { "type": "action", "text": "Conducted a nearly 8.5-hour Senate floor speech against the 2010 Obama-Republican tax cut deal extending Bush-era tax cuts", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders held the Senate floor for approximately 8.5 hours in December 2010 opposing the tax deal that extended cuts for the wealthy, fulfilling his commitment to oppose upper-income tax breaks. The speech went viral and was published as a book.", "category": "Economy", "year": 2010 }, { "type": "action", "text": "Authored the veterans healthcare provisions included in the Veterans' Access to Care Act of 2014 (Sanders-McCain bill)", "status": "kept", "analysis": "Sanders worked across the aisle with John McCain to pass major veterans healthcare reform following the VA wait-time scandal, securing a $17 billion bipartisan bill. The legislation expanded veterans' access to private healthcare and addressed systemic VA failures.", "category": "Healthcare", "year": 2014 } ], "score": 80, "scoreBreakdown": { "kept": 12, "broken": 3, "inProgress": 6 }, "startDate": "2007-01-03" }