Post by Logan on Feb 22, 2016 2:16:55 GMT -6
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders came to Washington as an activist, not a legislator.
The Democratic presidential candidate has preferred rabble-rousing to the schmoozing required to get bills passed. So it's not surprising that his 25-year congressional career is defined by what he's opposed — big banks, the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, tax cuts for the wealthy — rather than what he's accomplished.
But he has chalked up his share of victories as a congressman and senator. His successes in shepherding legislation into law involve less sexy stuff such as emergency funding for veterans' health care, help for dairy farmers and securing money for community health centers after giving up on his "single payer" health care plan.
A Vermont Independent who says he's a democratic socialist, Sanders often has found himself on the outside looking in. Republicans controlling the House set the agenda for 12 of his 16 years there. He did, however, display a knack for prevailing, albeit temporarily, on floor votes despite the odds.
Read more: www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/sanders-in-congress-a-mix-of-victories-quixotic-efforts/article_1001d7b7-1a89-5984-8251-7e2049f61a54.html
The Democratic presidential candidate has preferred rabble-rousing to the schmoozing required to get bills passed. So it's not surprising that his 25-year congressional career is defined by what he's opposed — big banks, the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, tax cuts for the wealthy — rather than what he's accomplished.
But he has chalked up his share of victories as a congressman and senator. His successes in shepherding legislation into law involve less sexy stuff such as emergency funding for veterans' health care, help for dairy farmers and securing money for community health centers after giving up on his "single payer" health care plan.
A Vermont Independent who says he's a democratic socialist, Sanders often has found himself on the outside looking in. Republicans controlling the House set the agenda for 12 of his 16 years there. He did, however, display a knack for prevailing, albeit temporarily, on floor votes despite the odds.
Read more: www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/sanders-in-congress-a-mix-of-victories-quixotic-efforts/article_1001d7b7-1a89-5984-8251-7e2049f61a54.html