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otohara

(24,135 posts)
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 05:49 PM Mar 2016

Sanders had big ideas but little impact on Capitol Hill

Democrats who worked with the Vermont senator say he contributed to the debate, but rarely forged actual legislation or left a significant imprint on it.


At the heart of Bernie Sanders’ campaign is a promise to bring about sweeping change. But on some of the top issues at the center of Sanders' presidential bid -- health care, taking on the big banks and corporations, fighting for rights, raising attention to income inequality -- the revolution has been slow in the 25 years he's spent in Congress.

Sanders and Clinton both repeatedly turned to his Senate record at the Democratic debate in Miami Wednesday night. Clinton hit him for voting against the TARP II bailout, arguing that “if everyone had voted as he voted, we would not have saved the auto industry,” and attacked him for voting against the 2007 immigration reform bill.


"Madam Secretary, I will match my record against yours any day of the week," Sanders responded, in one of the many moments he brought up his Senate work.

He was on the committee that wrote Obamacare, he said again, and he introduced what he called “the most comprehensive climate change legislation in the history of the Senate.”

“I have been criticized a lot for thinking big, for believing we can do great things as a nation,” Sanders said.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/bernies-record-220508#ixzz42jBbicuz

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Sanders had big ideas but little impact on Capitol Hill (Original Post) otohara Mar 2016 OP
All talk - no action? SharonClark Mar 2016 #1
Thanks for the link! Blue Idaho Mar 2016 #2
Now now Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2016 #3
Yes he loves to think. Maybe he can get a bigger pay for thinking. Maybe the Brookings Institute livetohike Mar 2016 #4
Tried to get Single Pay in Vermont but Her Sister Mar 2016 #5
Yup, VT crunched the ACTUAL numbers and determined a 12% tax on the middle class was needed. SunSeeker Mar 2016 #10
Odd this... Stand and Fight Mar 2016 #6
Nobody remembers him. yallerdawg Mar 2016 #7
I am wondering when we will get the correct numbers on his programs. A plan was revealed Thinkingabout Mar 2016 #8
But apparently he's been really good at photo ops with Hillary. nt SunSeeker Mar 2016 #9
Yeah, not impressed. Mahalo otohara~ Cha Mar 2016 #11

Blue Idaho

(4,988 posts)
2. Thanks for the link!
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 06:01 PM
Mar 2016

A great - but not terribly surprising read. There is a reason why even the Sanders campaign admits people will like him "once they get to know him." Sadly after twenty five years in congress he has precious little to show for his time. Elizabeth Warren on the other hand is a far more recognizable and influential figure with a more substantial record of legislation and she has only been in office for three years.

Perhaps the angry finger wagger is a legend in his own mind more than anywhere else.

livetohike

(22,084 posts)
4. Yes he loves to think. Maybe he can get a bigger pay for thinking. Maybe the Brookings Institute
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 06:05 PM
Mar 2016

would pay him for his big thoughts. He hasn't done much else despite 25 years in Congress. Hope he does match his record to Hillary's. He hasn't had any huge life changing legislation pass. What a joke.

 

Her Sister

(6,444 posts)
5. Tried to get Single Pay in Vermont but
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 06:30 PM
Mar 2016

they had to give up b/c it was toooooooooooo expensive. Remember reading this recently

SunSeeker

(51,369 posts)
10. Yup, VT crunched the ACTUAL numbers and determined a 12% tax on the middle class was needed.
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 08:40 PM
Mar 2016

Bernie went AWOL after that, abandoning Vermont single payer after he had previously touted it as the "model for the nation." Such a tax would have been toxic to his political career, so obviously he chose his political career.

Stand and Fight

(7,480 posts)
6. Odd this...
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 06:48 PM
Mar 2016

This is odd because it's the very thing I was tweeting at Bernie about on Twitter lately:


At the heart of Bernie Sanders’ campaign is a promise to bring about sweeping change. But on some of the top issues at the center of Sanders' presidential bid -- health care, taking on the big banks and corporations, fighting for rights, raising attention to income inequality -- the revolution has been slow in the 25 years he's spent in Congress.


If he's been in Congress 25 years and sees that campaign finance reform, wage issues, and healthcare reform are so important, why hasn't he done anything to spearhead fixing these things in that time? I can recall Hillary Clinton fighting for universal healthcare in 1993. Oddly enough, despite Sanders' proclamations about a problem, I don't recall hearing anything much about him of substance regarding legislation at all and definitely nothing during those turbulent months of the early 90s. He's certainly been in Congress long enough to have done something to bring these issues to the forefront and to the media. The question is, why hasn't he?

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
8. I am wondering when we will get the correct numbers on his programs. A plan was revealed
Sat Mar 12, 2016, 08:29 PM
Mar 2016

and then when those in the know looked at the plan it did not add up. I will stick with Hillary's plan to improve ACA and increase the life of SS. Medicare for all will not answer the needs of our health care without a Medigap which will be expensive. Medicare is not free either with premiums for Part B and Part D, this is the part never mentioned.

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