Biden Tells Bernie That Being A Progressive Means Getting Things Done, Not Yelling Policy Ideas

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:13 pm

Former vice president Joe Biden tore into Bernie Sanders on Tuesday night, hammering his record on guns, his criticism of Barack Obama, and the fact that he’s gotten very little done in his career in government.

Biden hit Sanders for repeatedly voting against legislation that would have helped prevent the type of gun massacre that left nine people dead at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, just down the street from where the debate was being held.

“I’m not saying [Sanders is] responsible for the nine deaths, but that man would not have been able to get that weapon with a waiting period of – what I suggest – until you are cleared,” Biden said.

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The former vice president also took a swipe at Sanders for considering a primary challenge against Barack Obama in 2012 and for calling himself a progressive when he hasn’t actually gotten much done during his time in Congress.

“Let’s talk about progressive,” Biden said. “Progressive is getting things done.”

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Biden said:

In walking distance of here is Mother Emanuel Church – nine people shot dead by a white supremacist. Bernie voted five times against the Brady Bill and wanted a waiting period of 12 hours. I’m not saying he’s responsible for the nine deaths, but that man would not have been able to get that weapon with a waiting period of – what I suggest – until you are cleared. In addition to that, being progressive. He thought Barack Obama, he wanted a primary. He said we should primary Barack Obama, someone should. And, in fact, the president was weak and our administration was, in fact, not up to it. Let’s talk about progressive. Progressive is getting things done, and that’s what we got done. We got a lot done. 

Very little of Bernie Sanders’ agenda has ever been enacted

Bernie Sanders likes to act as though he has corned the market on progressive policy ideas, but the truth is that very little of his agenda has actually been implemented.

According to GovTrack, only seven Sanders-sponsored bills have actually been enacted since 1991. Two of those bills were to rename post offices.

Yes, part of being a candidate for president is offering policy prescriptions to the problems facing the country. But it’s also about showing the American people that you can deliver.

Bernie Sanders is good at shouting his policy ideas on the debate stage, but he has little to show for those ideas.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.