Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Bernie Gets It Done: Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms
Will Surprise You
________________________________________
Bernie Gets It Done: Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms Will
Surprise You
By Zaid Jilani [1] / AlterNet [2]
October 16, 2015
"I'm a progressive, but I'm a progressive who likes to get things done,"
Hillary Clinton [3] said at the first Democratic debate, in response to a
question from moderator Anderson Cooper about whether she defines herself as
a moderate or a progressive.
The implication was that progressive Bernie Sanders is too far to the left
to accomplish anything-all of his ideas are pie-in-the-sky. You have to be
able to find the bipartisan, "warm, purple space [4]" as Clinton said
earlier this year, to get anything done. Slate's Jamelle Bouie was
super-impressed by this rationale, saying [5] Clinton has "skilled use of
bureaucratic power."
The problem with this narrative is that it is completely false. Not only has
Sanders gotten a lot more things done than Clinton did in her own short
legislative career, he's actually one of the most effective members of
Congress, passing bills, both big and small, that have reshaped American
policy on key issues like poverty, the environment and health care.
The Amendment King
Congress is not known to be a progressive institution lately, to say the
least. Over the past few decades, the House of Representatives was only
controlled by the Democrats from 2007 to 2010, and a flood of corporate
money has quieted the once-powerful progressive movement that passed
legislation moving the country forward between the New Deal era and the
Great Society. Yet, as difficult as it may be to believe, a socialist from
Vermont is one of its most accomplished members.
Bernie Sanders was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1990,
and many immediately doubted his efficacy [6]. "It is virtually impossible
for an independent to be effective in the House," said then-Congressman Bill
Richardson (D-NM). "As an independent you are kind of a homeless waif." Rep.
Barney Frank (D-MA), today an outspoken advocate for Hillary Clinton, said
Bernie's "holier-than-thou attitude-saying in a very loud voice he is
smarter than everyone else and purer than everyone else-really undercuts his
effectiveness."
As if things didn't look bad enough, in 1994 the Republicans swept into
power in the House of Representatives, dashing the hopes of many that
Congress could do anything progressive whatsoever. But Sanders was not
content with tilting at windmills. He didn't want to just take a stand, he
wanted to pass legislation that improved the United States of America. He
found his vehicle in legislative amendments.
Amendments in the House of Representatives are often seen as secondary
vehicles to legislation that individual members sponsor, but they are an
important way to move resources and build bipartisan coalitions to change
the direction of the law. Despite the fact that the most right-wing
Republicans in a generation controlled the House of Representatives between
1994 and 2006, the member who passed the most amendments during that time
was not a right-winger like Bob Barr or John Boehner. The amendment king
was, instead, Bernie Sanders.
Sanders did something particularly original, which was that he passed
amendments that were exclusively progressive, advancing goals such as
reducing poverty and helping the environment, and he was able to get
bipartisan coalitions of Republicans who wanted to shrink government or hold
it accountable and progressives who wanted to use it to empower Americans.
Here are a few examples of the amendments Sanders passed by building unusual
but effective coalitions:
. Corporate Crime Accountability (February 1995): A Sanders amendment
[7] to the Victims Justice Act of 1995 required "offenders who are convicted
of fraud and other white-collar crimes to give notice to victims and other
persons in cases where there are multiple victims eligible to receive
restitution."
. Saving Money, for Colleges and Taxpayers (April 1998): In an
amendment to H.R. 6 [8], the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Sanders
made a change to the law that allowed the Fund for the Improvement of
Postsecondary Education to make competitive grants available to colleges and
universities that cooperated to reduce costs through joint purchases of
goods and services.
. Holding IRS Accountable, Protecting Pensions (July 2002): Sanders'
amendment to the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 2003
stopped the IRS from being able to use funds that "violate current pension
age discrimination laws." Although he faced stiff GOP opposition, his
amendment still succeeded along a 308 to 121 vote [9].
. Expanding Free Health Care (November 2001): You wouldn't think
Republicans would agree to an expansion of funds for community health
centers, which provide some free services. But Sanders was able to win a
$100 million increase in funding [10] with an amendment.
. Getting Tough On Child Labor (July 2001): A Sanders amendment [11]
to the general appropriations bill prohibited the importation of goods made
with child labor.
. Increasing Funding for Heating for the Poor (September 2004):
Sanders won a $22 million increase [12] for the low-income home energy
assistance program and related weatherization assistance program.
. Fighting Corporate Welfare and Protecting Against Nuclear Disasters
(June 2005): A Sanders amendment [13] brought together a bipartisan
coalition that outnumbered a bipartisan coalition on the other side to
successfully prohibit the Export-Import Bank from providing loans for
nuclear projects in China.
Once Sanders made it to the Senate in 2006, his ability to use amendments to
advance a progressive agenda was empowered. Here are some of the amendments
he passed in the Senate:
. Greening the U.S. Government (June 2007): A Sanders amendment [14]
made a change to the law so at least 30 percent of the hot water demand in
newer federal buildings is provided through solar water heaters.
. Protecting Our Troops (October 2007): Sanders used an amendment [15]
to win $10 million for operation and maintenance of the Army National Guard,
which had been stretched thin and overextended by the war in Iraq.
. Restricting the Bailout to Protect U.S. Workers (Feburary 2009): A
Sanders amendment [16] required the banking bailout to utilize stricter H-1B
hiring standards to ensure bailout funds weren't used to displace American
workers.
. Helping Veterans' Kids (July 2009): A Sanders amendment [17]
required the Comptroller General to put together comprehensive reporting on
financial assistance for child care available to parents in the Armed
Forces.
. Exposing Corruption in the Military-Industrial Complex (November
2012): A Sanders amendment [18] required "public availability of the
database of senior Department officials seeking employment with defense
contractors" - an important step toward transparency that revealed the
corruption of the revolving door in action.
. Support for Treating Autism in Military Health Care: Sanders worked
with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to pass an amendment by a vote of 66-29
[19] ensuring that the military's TRICARE system would be able to treat
autism.
Using the Power of a Senator
While Sanders was an amendment king who was able to bring bipartisan
coalitions together to make serious changes to laws, he also knew how to be
a thorn in the side of the establishment until it offered up something in
return. Sanders was able to get the first-ever audit [20] of funds given out
by the Federal Reserve, which made transparent over $2 trillion of funds
handed out by the secretive organization. This was a cause that Republican
congressman Ron Paul (TX) had been pursuing for decades, but Sanders was
able to get the votes to do it by forging a compromise that required an
audit for the bailout period alone.
When the Affordable Care Act was in danger of not having the votes to pass,
Sanders used his leverage to win enough funding for free health treatment
for 10 million Americans through Community Health Centers. This gutsy
move-holding out until the funds were put into the bill-has even Republican
members of Congress requesting the funds [21], which have helped millions of
Americans who otherwise would not have access.
Another moment came when Sanders, who was then chair of the Veterans
committee, worked with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), to overhaul the Veterans
Administration. McCain praised Sanders' work on the bill in an interview
with National Journal [22]. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) even went so far as to say
the bill would never have passed without Sanders' ability to bring the
parties to a deal.
His Theory of Change, From Burlington to the White House
The big question is, can Sanders translate his time as an effective senator
into an effective president? After all, a legislative job is different than
an executive job.
But Sanders has a theory of change, in order to be an executive who can pass
progressive policy even in the face of a recalcitrant Congress. He
frequently talks about a "political revolution" that means vastly increasing
voter turnout and participation in political activities so conservative
lawmakers and Big Money are unable to overwhelm public opinion. During the
Democratic debate, this line had its doubters [3], from former Sen. Jim Webb
(D-VA) to a skeptical Anderson Cooper.
Sanders is probably not so unsure of himself. After all, he's done it
before. When Sanders was mayor of Burlington, Vermont, one of his big
accomplishments was to increase civic life in the city. During the course of
his terms, voter turnout doubled [23]. In his eight years as mayor, he
rejuvenated [24] a city that was considered by many to be dying, laying out
progressive policies that cities around the country later adopted, and he
did all this without particularly alienating Republicans. As one former GOP
Alderman noted [25], he implemented ideas from the Republican party that he
felt were not particularly harmful to working people, such as more efficient
accounting practices.
It's easy for the establishment media and politicians to make the assumption
that Bernie Sanders is not an effective lawmaker or executive. He has strong
convictions and he stands by them, and we're often told that makes one a
gadfly-someone who is out to make a point rather than make an actual change.
But with Sanders we have the fusion of strong principles and the ability to
forge odd bedfellow coalitions that accomplish historic things, like the
audit of the Federal Reserve or the rejuvenation of Burlington that has
served as a model for cities around the country. "Don't underestimate me,"
Sanders [26] said at the beginning of the race, words that anyone who knows
his political and policy history take to heart.
Zaid Jilani is an AlterNet staff writer. Follow @zaidjilani [27] on Twitter.
Share on Facebook Share
Share on Twitter Tweet
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [28]
[29]
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pus
hing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/zaid-jilani-0
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/13/the-oct-13-democra
tic-debate-who-said-what-and-what-it-means/
[4]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/hillary-clintons-warm-pu
rple-space/386288/
[5]
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/10/hillary_cli
nton_would_make_a_better_president_than_bernie_sanders_the_democratic.html
[6] http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-08/news/mn-2854_1_major-party
[7]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/104th-congress/house-amendment/98?q=%7B
[8]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/105th-congress/house-amendment/569?q=%7B
[9]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/562?q=%7B
[10]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/404?q=%7B
[11]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/238?q=%7B
[12]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/108th-congress/house-amendment/721?q=%7B
[13]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/109th-congress/house-amendment/381?q=%7B
[14]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/110th-congress/senate-amendment/1525?q=%7
B
[15]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/110th-congress/senate-amendment/3130?q=%7
B
[16]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/306?q=%7B
[17]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/1658?q=%7
B
[18]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/112th-congress/senate-amendment/3183?q=%7
B
[19]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/112th-congress/senate-amendment/3058?q=%7
B
[20]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/3738?q=%7
B
[21]
https://theintercept.com/2015/07/06/gop-senators-support-sanders-obamacare-e
xpansion/
[22]
http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/71225/bernie-sanders-is-loud-stubborn-socia
list-republicans-like-him-anyway
[23]
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/events/2015/02/09-economic-agenda-sanders/2
0150210_sanders_economic_agenda_transcript.pdf
[24]
http://www.thenation.com/article/bernies-burlington-city-sustainable-future/
[25]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/bernie-sanders-mayor/407
413/
[26]
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/243069-sanders-dont-u
nderestimate-me
[27] https://twitter.com/zaidjilani
[28] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Bernie Gets It Done:
Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms Will Surprise You
[29] http://www.alternet.org/
[30] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Bernie Gets It Done: Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms
Will Surprise You
Bernie Gets It Done: Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms Will
Surprise You
By Zaid Jilani [1] / AlterNet [2]
October 16, 2015
"I'm a progressive, but I'm a progressive who likes to get things done,"
Hillary Clinton [3] said at the first Democratic debate, in response to a
question from moderator Anderson Cooper about whether she defines herself as
a moderate or a progressive.
The implication was that progressive Bernie Sanders is too far to the left
to accomplish anything-all of his ideas are pie-in-the-sky. You have to be
able to find the bipartisan, "warm, purple space [4]" as Clinton said
earlier this year, to get anything done. Slate's Jamelle Bouie was
super-impressed by this rationale, saying [5] Clinton has "skilled use of
bureaucratic power."
The problem with this narrative is that it is completely false. Not only has
Sanders gotten a lot more things done than Clinton did in her own short
legislative career, he's actually one of the most effective members of
Congress, passing bills, both big and small, that have reshaped American
policy on key issues like poverty, the environment and health care.
The Amendment King
Congress is not known to be a progressive institution lately, to say the
least. Over the past few decades, the House of Representatives was only
controlled by the Democrats from 2007 to 2010, and a flood of corporate
money has quieted the once-powerful progressive movement that passed
legislation moving the country forward between the New Deal era and the
Great Society. Yet, as difficult as it may be to believe, a socialist from
Vermont is one of its most accomplished members.
Bernie Sanders was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1990,
and many immediately doubted his efficacy [6]. "It is virtually impossible
for an independent to be effective in the House," said then-Congressman Bill
Richardson (D-NM). "As an independent you are kind of a homeless waif." Rep.
Barney Frank (D-MA), today an outspoken advocate for Hillary Clinton, said
Bernie's "holier-than-thou attitude-saying in a very loud voice he is
smarter than everyone else and purer than everyone else-really undercuts his
effectiveness."
As if things didn't look bad enough, in 1994 the Republicans swept into
power in the House of Representatives, dashing the hopes of many that
Congress could do anything progressive whatsoever. But Sanders was not
content with tilting at windmills. He didn't want to just take a stand, he
wanted to pass legislation that improved the United States of America. He
found his vehicle in legislative amendments.
Amendments in the House of Representatives are often seen as secondary
vehicles to legislation that individual members sponsor, but they are an
important way to move resources and build bipartisan coalitions to change
the direction of the law. Despite the fact that the most right-wing
Republicans in a generation controlled the House of Representatives between
1994 and 2006, the member who passed the most amendments during that time
was not a right-winger like Bob Barr or John Boehner. The amendment king
was, instead, Bernie Sanders.
Sanders did something particularly original, which was that he passed
amendments that were exclusively progressive, advancing goals such as
reducing poverty and helping the environment, and he was able to get
bipartisan coalitions of Republicans who wanted to shrink government or hold
it accountable and progressives who wanted to use it to empower Americans.
Here are a few examples of the amendments Sanders passed by building unusual
but effective coalitions:
. Corporate Crime Accountability (February 1995): A Sanders amendment
[7] to the Victims Justice Act of 1995 required "offenders who are convicted
of fraud and other white-collar crimes to give notice to victims and other
persons in cases where there are multiple victims eligible to receive
restitution."
. Saving Money, for Colleges and Taxpayers (April 1998): In an
amendment to H.R. 6 [8], the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Sanders
made a change to the law that allowed the Fund for the Improvement of
Postsecondary Education to make competitive grants available to colleges and
universities that cooperated to reduce costs through joint purchases of
goods and services.
. Holding IRS Accountable, Protecting Pensions (July 2002): Sanders'
amendment to the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 2003
stopped the IRS from being able to use funds that "violate current pension
age discrimination laws." Although he faced stiff GOP opposition, his
amendment still succeeded along a 308 to 121 vote [9].
. Expanding Free Health Care (November 2001): You wouldn't think
Republicans would agree to an expansion of funds for community health
centers, which provide some free services. But Sanders was able to win a
$100 million increase in funding [10] with an amendment.
. Getting Tough On Child Labor (July 2001): A Sanders amendment [11]
to the general appropriations bill prohibited the importation of goods made
with child labor.
. Increasing Funding for Heating for the Poor (September 2004):
Sanders won a $22 million increase [12] for the low-income home energy
assistance program and related weatherization assistance program.
. Fighting Corporate Welfare and Protecting Against Nuclear Disasters
(June 2005): A Sanders amendment [13] brought together a bipartisan
coalition that outnumbered a bipartisan coalition on the other side to
successfully prohibit the Export-Import Bank from providing loans for
nuclear projects in China.
Once Sanders made it to the Senate in 2006, his ability to use amendments to
advance a progressive agenda was empowered. Here are some of the amendments
he passed in the Senate:
. Greening the U.S. Government (June 2007): A Sanders amendment [14]
made a change to the law so at least 30 percent of the hot water demand in
newer federal buildings is provided through solar water heaters.
. Protecting Our Troops (October 2007): Sanders used an amendment [15]
to win $10 million for operation and maintenance of the Army National Guard,
which had been stretched thin and overextended by the war in Iraq.
. Restricting the Bailout to Protect U.S. Workers (Feburary 2009): A
Sanders amendment [16] required the banking bailout to utilize stricter H-1B
hiring standards to ensure bailout funds weren't used to displace American
workers.
. Helping Veterans' Kids (July 2009): A Sanders amendment [17]
required the Comptroller General to put together comprehensive reporting on
financial assistance for child care available to parents in the Armed
Forces.
. Exposing Corruption in the Military-Industrial Complex (November
2012): A Sanders amendment [18] required "public availability of the
database of senior Department officials seeking employment with defense
contractors" - an important step toward transparency that revealed the
corruption of the revolving door in action.
. Support for Treating Autism in Military Health Care: Sanders worked
with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to pass an amendment by a vote of 66-29
[19] ensuring that the military's TRICARE system would be able to treat
autism.
Using the Power of a Senator
While Sanders was an amendment king who was able to bring bipartisan
coalitions together to make serious changes to laws, he also knew how to be
a thorn in the side of the establishment until it offered up something in
return. Sanders was able to get the first-ever audit [20] of funds given out
by the Federal Reserve, which made transparent over $2 trillion of funds
handed out by the secretive organization. This was a cause that Republican
congressman Ron Paul (TX) had been pursuing for decades, but Sanders was
able to get the votes to do it by forging a compromise that required an
audit for the bailout period alone.
When the Affordable Care Act was in danger of not having the votes to pass,
Sanders used his leverage to win enough funding for free health treatment
for 10 million Americans through Community Health Centers. This gutsy
move-holding out until the funds were put into the bill-has even Republican
members of Congress requesting the funds [21], which have helped millions of
Americans who otherwise would not have access.
Another moment came when Sanders, who was then chair of the Veterans
committee, worked with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), to overhaul the Veterans
Administration. McCain praised Sanders' work on the bill in an interview
with National Journal [22]. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) even went so far as to say
the bill would never have passed without Sanders' ability to bring the
parties to a deal.
His Theory of Change, From Burlington to the White House
The big question is, can Sanders translate his time as an effective senator
into an effective president? After all, a legislative job is different than
an executive job.
But Sanders has a theory of change, in order to be an executive who can pass
progressive policy even in the face of a recalcitrant Congress. He
frequently talks about a "political revolution" that means vastly increasing
voter turnout and participation in political activities so conservative
lawmakers and Big Money are unable to overwhelm public opinion. During the
Democratic debate, this line had its doubters [3], from former Sen. Jim Webb
(D-VA) to a skeptical Anderson Cooper.
Sanders is probably not so unsure of himself. After all, he's done it
before. When Sanders was mayor of Burlington, Vermont, one of his big
accomplishments was to increase civic life in the city. During the course of
his terms, voter turnout doubled [23]. In his eight years as mayor, he
rejuvenated [24] a city that was considered by many to be dying, laying out
progressive policies that cities around the country later adopted, and he
did all this without particularly alienating Republicans. As one former GOP
Alderman noted [25], he implemented ideas from the Republican party that he
felt were not particularly harmful to working people, such as more efficient
accounting practices.
It's easy for the establishment media and politicians to make the assumption
that Bernie Sanders is not an effective lawmaker or executive. He has strong
convictions and he stands by them, and we're often told that makes one a
gadfly-someone who is out to make a point rather than make an actual change.
But with Sanders we have the fusion of strong principles and the ability to
forge odd bedfellow coalitions that accomplish historic things, like the
audit of the Federal Reserve or the rejuvenation of Burlington that has
served as a model for cities around the country. "Don't underestimate me,"
Sanders [26] said at the beginning of the race, words that anyone who knows
his political and policy history take to heart.
Zaid Jilani is an AlterNet staff writer. Follow @zaidjilani [27] on Twitter.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [28]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[29]
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pus
hing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/zaid-jilani-0
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/13/the-oct-13-democra
tic-debate-who-said-what-and-what-it-means/
[4]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/hillary-clintons-warm-pu
rple-space/386288/
[5]
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/10/hillary_cli
nton_would_make_a_better_president_than_bernie_sanders_the_democratic.html
[6] http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-08/news/mn-2854_1_major-party
[7]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/104th-congress/house-amendment/98?q=%7B
[8]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/105th-congress/house-amendment/569?q=%7B
[9]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/562?q=%7B
[10]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/404?q=%7B
[11]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/107th-congress/house-amendment/238?q=%7B
[12]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/108th-congress/house-amendment/721?q=%7B
[13]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/109th-congress/house-amendment/381?q=%7B
[14]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/110th-congress/senate-amendment/1525?q=%7
B
[15]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/110th-congress/senate-amendment/3130?q=%7
B
[16]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/306?q=%7B
[17]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/1658?q=%7
B
[18]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/112th-congress/senate-amendment/3183?q=%7
B
[19]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/112th-congress/senate-amendment/3058?q=%7
B
[20]
https://www.congress.gov/amendment/111th-congress/senate-amendment/3738?q=%7
B
[21]
https://theintercept.com/2015/07/06/gop-senators-support-sanders-obamacare-e
xpansion/
[22]
http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/71225/bernie-sanders-is-loud-stubborn-socia
list-republicans-like-him-anyway
[23]
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/events/2015/02/09-economic-agenda-sanders/2
0150210_sanders_economic_agenda_transcript.pdf
[24]
http://www.thenation.com/article/bernies-burlington-city-sustainable-future/
[25]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/bernie-sanders-mayor/407
413/
[26]
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/243069-sanders-dont-u
nderestimate-me
[27] https://twitter.com/zaidjilani
[28] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Bernie Gets It Done:
Sanders' Record of Pushing Through Major Reforms Will Surprise You
[29] http://www.alternet.org/
[30] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
