When it comes to the two remaining Democratic candidates, their voting records aren’t too far apart. Former New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have voted in tandem on 93% of all the votes the made together, disagreeing on only 31 votes. The New York Times recently broke down exactly when they differed on opinion. When they did disagree, it’s clear that Clinton usually voted with the majority opinion, while the independent Sanders voted on his principles.
The two disagreed the most on foreign policy, with Clinton favoring an aggressive deployment of American power across the world while Sanders favored a more isolationist and hands-off role for America in the world. They also clashed on whether or not to approve the 2008 bailout of the Wall Street banks (the Troubled Asset Relief Program or TARP) and the dead-on-arrival 2007 immigration bill, which Sanders opposed over concerns of fraud in the guest visa program that could have hurt Vermont farmers.
It’s a very interesting to see the dichotomy of the two sides laid out side-by-side, highlighting the differences in priority between the two candidates. But the important thing to note is that they agreed on a vast majority of the issues that matter to the American people – and that we are very lucky to have two candidates which such nuanced and intricately designed policy platforms, as opposed to the deluge of barely disguised racism and factually incorrect drivel that spews from the Republican side of the fence.
FINANCIAL CRISIS
Oct. 1, 2008
Issue: Approve comprehensive amendment to bank bailout bill
Outcome:Agreed to, 74-25
Sanders: Opposed the amendment
Clinton: Favored the amendment
Oct. 1, 2008
Issue: Pass bank bailout bill
Outcome:Passed, 74-25
Sanders: Against the bill
Clinton: Supported the bill
Jan. 15, 2009
Issue: Don’t spend final $350 billion in TARP money.
Outcome:Rejected, 42-52
Sanders: Don’t spend the money
Clinton: Continue TARP
FOREIGN POLICY
Feb. 8, 2007
Issue: General George W. Casey nomination as Army Chief of Staff
Outcome: Confirmed, 83-14
Sanders: Supported confirmation
Clinton: Opposed confirmation
March 15, 2007
Issue: Congress should not cut military funding if it would undermine troop safety or mission
Outcome: Agreed to, 82-16
Sanders: No restrictions on cutting military funding
Clinton: Cut military funding only under certain conditions
May 16, 2007
Issue: Set deadline for continued war funding
Outcome: Agreed to, 87-9
Sanders: Opposed deadline
Clinton: Supported deadline
July 12, 2007
Issue: Develop and deploy “effective defense” against Iranian ballistic missiles
Outcome: Agreed to, 90-5
Sanders: Opposed Iranian missile defense development
Clinton: Supported Iranian missile defense development
July 19, 2007
Issue: Bar transfer of Guantanamo detainees to America
Outcome: Agreed to, 94-3
Sanders: Allow transfer of Guantanamo detainees
Clinton: Block transfer of Guantanamo detainees
Sept. 26, 2007
Issue: Set policy to “combat, contain, and roll back” violent Iranian activities in Iraq
Outcome: Agreed to, 76-22
Sanders: Opposed policy
Clinton: Supported policy
Sept. 17, 2008
Issue: Defense budget bill
Outcome: Passed, 88-8
Sanders: Opposed defense budget
Clinton: Approved defense budget
Oct. 1, 2008
Issue: Approve U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal
Outcome:Passed, 86-13
Sanders: Opposed nuclear deal
Clinton: Supported nuclear deal
IMMIGRATION
June 6, 2007
Issue: Remove requirement that Y-1 immigration visa holders leave U.S. before renewal
Outcome:Rejected, 41-57
Sanders: Favored removing requirement
Clinton: Opposed removing requirement
June 7, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Rejected, 33-63
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
June 7, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Rejected, 34-61
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
June 7, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Rejected, 45-50
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
June 26, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Agreed to, 64-35
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
June 27, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Rejected, 45-52
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
June 28, 2007
Issue: End debate on immigration reform legislation
Outcome:Rejected, 46-53
Sanders: Prevent vote on bill
Clinton: Move to vote on bill
ENERGY
June 19, 2007
Issue: Provide loans to produce synthesis gas from coal.
Outcome:Rejected, 33-61
Sanders: Opposed
Clinton: Favored
June 20, 2007
Issue: Balance corn use between agriculture and ethanol production in case of lost crop
Outcome:Rejected, 31-63
Sanders: Supported agricultural interests
Clinton: Supported ethanol producers
June 20, 2007
Issue: End tax credit for renewable diesel fuels made through petroleum co-processing
Outcome:Rejected, 45-49
Sanders: Maintain tax credit
Clinton: End tax credit
Sept. 23, 2008
Issue: Waive budget restrictions on legislation extending tax deductions and alternative minimum tax
Outcome:Agreed to, 84-11
Sanders: Opposed waiving restrictions
Clinton: Favored waiving restrictions
HOMELAND SECURITY
March 6, 2007
Issue: Allocate Homeland Security grants based on risk
Outcome:Agreed to, 56-43
Sanders: Opposed risk-based allocation
Clinton: Favored risk-based allocation
March 6, 2007
Issue: Set minimum level of Homeland Security grant allocation for states and territories
Outcome:Agreed to, 58-41
Sanders: Favored minimum level
Clinton: Opposed minimum level
March 6, 2007
Issue: Increase minimum allocation for states for Homeland Security grants
Outcome:Rejected, 49-50
Sanders: Favored increasing minimum
Clinton: Opposed increasing minimum
July 19, 2007
Issue: Immunity for reporting suspicious behavior
Outcome:Rejected, 57-39
Sanders: Opposed granting immunity
Clinton: Favored granting immunity
OTHER ISSUES
April 25, 2007
Issue: Eliminate National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Advanced Technology Program
Outcome:Rejected, 39-57
Sanders: Eliminate A.T.P.
Clinton: Preserve A.T.P.
May 7, 2007
Issue: End debate on amendment to Food and Drug Administration reform bill
Outcome:Agreed to, 82-8
Sanders: Prevent vote on amendment
Clinton: Move to vote on amendment
May 9, 2007
Issue: Food and Drug Administration reform bill
Outcome:Passed, 93-1
Sanders: Against passage
Clinton: For passage
March 13, 2008
Issue: Place moratorium on congressional earmarks
Outcome:Rejected, 29-71
Sanders: Against earmark moratorium
Clinton: For earmark moratorium
March 13, 2008
Issue: Add up to $45 billion in estate tax exemptions over five-year period
Outcome:Rejected, 38-62
Sanders: Against estate tax changes
Clinton: For estate tax changes
COMMENTS