[CAPTURE PORTAL] 119TH CONGRESS
Legislative Integrity Monitor
Goblin House Intelligence
Congress → Officials → Bernard Sanders

Bernard Sanders

Independent · Senator, VT

Bernard Sanders is the Independent U.S. Senator (VT). The platform has 8 voting records on file (2021-2025) and 47 verified facts on file covering this member's voting positions, financial disclosures, and stated platform commitments.

Score Components
50 MODERATE
Connection Density 20%
90 → 18
Donor Influence 15%
5 → 1
Silence Risk 25%
31 → 8
Contradiction Risk 25%
59 → 15
Intelligence Volume 15%
57 → 9
Constituency Deviation 0%
12 → 0
Voting Misalignment 0%
0 → 0
% = weight in composite score · Raw component 0–100 × weight = weighted contribution (→) · Sum of contributions = overall score. Hover a row for details.
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Bachelor's degree or higher: 43.8%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Homeownership rate: 72.5%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 92.6%
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Population (2023 est.): 648,493
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Demographic anchor: Median household income (2024): $82,730
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Proposition 4 — Equal Rights Amendment (race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity) (2024) — passed, margin majority yes
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Proposition 2 — Prohibit Slavery and Indentured Servitude Amendment (2022) — passed, margin 89.0% yes to 11.0% no
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Ballot measure: Proposition 5 — Reproductive Liberty Amendment (Article 22) (2022) — passed, margin 76.8% yes to 23.2% no
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 72 (share 0.11)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 44-45 (share 0.13)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Dominant industry: NAICS 62 (share 0.16)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: GlobalFoundries (semiconductor manufacturing, Essex Junction) (2200 employees)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: State of Vermont Government (7500 employees)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] Top employer: University of Vermont Medical Center (8000 employees)
secondary ✓ Verified
[constituency_baseline] District summary: Vermont is the second-least populous state in the U.S. with approximately 648,493 residents (2023 est.) and is represented in the Senate by two members elected statewide. It is predominantly White (92.6%), with a median household income of approximately $82,730 (2024). The state has a Cook PVI of D+13 and leans Democratic in federal elections. Major economic sectors include…
[ Show full fact ]
[constituency_baseline] District summary: Vermont is the second-least populous state in the U.S. with approximately 648,493 residents (2023 est.) and is represented in the Senate by two members elected statewide. It is predominantly White (92.6%), with a median household income of approximately $82,730 (2024). The state has a Cook PVI of D+13 and leans Democratic in federal elections. Major economic sectors include healthcare, education, tourism, advanced manufacturing (semiconductors at GlobalFoundries), and agriculture (dairy, maple syrup). Vermont has a strong progressive tradition with particular focus on environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture, and social welfare. It was the first state to legalize civil unions (2000) and among the first to pass marriage equality legislatively. The population skews older (median age 43.1) with high educational attainment (43.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher).
secondary ✓ Verified
Voted nay on H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) on 2025-07-01: Opposed Trump's signature tax and spending bill as 'the most dangerous piece of legislation in modern history — a gift to the billionaire class causing massive pain for working families,' and called for every member who voted for it to be ousted.
primary · 2025-07-01 ✓ Verified
Voted nay on S. 5 / H.R. 29 (Laken Riley Act) on 2025-01-20: One of only 9 senators to oppose the Laken Riley Act mandating ICE detention for undocumented immigrants accused of theft offenses, breaking from the 12 Senate Democrats who voted for final passage.
primary · 2025-01-20 ✓ Verified
Voted nay on S. 6 (Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (Cloture)) on 2025-01-22: Voted against cloture on legislation requiring medical care for infants born alive after failed abortions, aligning with all 47 Senate Democrats in opposition, consistent with his strong pro-choice record.
primary · 2025-01-22 ✓ Verified
Voted nay on H.R. 815 (National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid)) on 2024-02-13: One of only two Democratic caucus members to vote against $95 billion in foreign aid including $60 billion for Ukraine, citing opposition to '$10 billion in unrestricted military aid for Netanyahu's horrific war against the Palestinian people' — prioritizing Gaza civilian protection over…
[ Show full fact ]
Voted nay on H.R. 815 (National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid)) on 2024-02-13: One of only two Democratic caucus members to vote against $95 billion in foreign aid including $60 billion for Ukraine, citing opposition to '$10 billion in unrestricted military aid for Netanyahu's horrific war against the Palestinian people' — prioritizing Gaza civilian protection over Ukraine defense in a bundled vote.
primary · 2024-02-13 ✓ Verified
Voted nay on H.R. 3746 (Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Debt Ceiling Suspension)) on 2023-06-01: Only member of the Democratic caucus to vote against the debt ceiling deal, citing opposition to SNAP work requirements and student loan changes — calling it a 'completely unnecessary' deal where 'the best thing about the bill is it could have been worse.'
primary · 2023-06-01 ✓ Verified
Christopher Murphy legislative ally Murphy voted in favor of Sanders' resolutions to block nearly $9 billion in arms sales to Israel in April 2025, one of only 15 senators to do so. Also voted…
John Fetterman former political ally turned critic Fetterman was one of the first elected officials to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016, calling himself a member of 'Bernie's Army.' Later, Sanders called…
Michael Bennet voted_with Bennet joined Sen. Bernie Sanders and the most progressive flank of the Democratic caucus in voting nay on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) on 2025-01-20.
Becca Balint colleague Both are members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont, serving the same at-large district in overlapping periods. Sanders served as the state's…
Sheldon Whitehouse colleague/collaborator Sheldon Whitehouse and Bernie Sanders serve together in the U.S. Senate and have co-sponsored legislation on climate change and financial reform.
Bernie Sanders name_variant The entity name 'Bernard Sanders' appears in the known entities list as a variant of 'Bernie Sanders'
Elizabeth Warren Political ally Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders served together in the U.S. Senate and have been aligned on progressive policy positions.
Linda T. Sánchez voting record (diverged) Voted against Sanders' Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on Israel weapons sales (November 2024), diverging from Sanders' position on the issue.
Hakeem Jeffries no direct connection found No documented connection between Hakeem Jeffries and Bernard Sanders in the provided facts.
Richard J. Durbin vote_alignment Durbin was one of only 19 senators who voted for Bernie Sanders' resolutions to block some arms sales to Israel in November 2024, voting for all three…
Google donor Sanders' campaign received $1,429,422 from Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company) employees, all from individuals.
Angus King colleague Angus King (as 'Angus S., Jr. King') and Bernard Sanders are both listed in the known entities as U.S. Senators who caucus as Independents.
Cory Booker colleague Cory A. Booker and Bernard Sanders are both listed as U.S. Senators within the known entities list, indicating they serve together in the Senate.
Chuck Schumer colleague Both serve in the U.S. Senate. Schumer as Democratic Leader, Sanders as Independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Ron Wyden colleague Both serve in the U.S. Senate; Sanders is also from a neighboring state (Vermont) and shares committee assignments with Wyden as a Democrat/progressive.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez affiliation Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez share progressive policy alignment. Both voted against the Laken Riley Act (S.5/H.R.29) on 2025-01-20; Sanders was one of only 9…
Raphael Warnock Co-sponsor/Co-voter Warnock voted in favor of Sanders' Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block arms sales to Israel in November 2024, and was the only senator to vote for all…
Courage To Change donor $5,000 to Bernard Sanders's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00692202/
End Citizens United donor $5,000 to Bernard Sanders's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (2 contributions), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00573261/
Aksm Urology PAC donor $5,000 to Bernard Sanders's principal committee in the 2024 cycle (1 contribution), FEC Schedule A line 11C. https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00489419/
BillVoteDateAlignment
A bill to amend chapter 131 of title 5 to require certain restrictions on… Nay 2026-09-30 unknown
A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to… Nay 2026-09-30 unknown
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of… Yea 2026-09-29 unknown
A resolution requesting information on Israel's human rights practices… Yea 2026-09-29 unknown
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide… Nay 2026-09-28 unknown
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide… Nay 2026-09-24 unknown
A concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of… Yea 2026-09-24 unknown
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide… Nay 2026-09-17 unknown
To provide for a system of regulation of the offer and sale of digital… Nay 2026-09-15 unknown
A bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide… Nay 2026-09-15 unknown
A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require voters to provide… Nay 2026-08-08 unknown
An act making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2027… Nay 2026-08-08 unknown
An act to impose sanctions and other measures with respect to the Russian… Nay 2026-08-07 unknown
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of… Yea 2026-08-05 unknown
A bill to extend duty-free treatment provided with respect to imports from… Nay 2026-08-03 unknown
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from… Yea 2026-07-30 unknown
An executive resolution authorizing the en bloc consideration in Executive… Nay 2026-07-30 unknown
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of… Yea 2026-07-30 unknown
An executive resolution authorizing the en bloc consideration in Executive… Nay 2026-07-29 unknown
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood… Nay 2026-07-29 unknown
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood… Nay 2026-07-28 unknown
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from… Yea 2026-07-23 unknown
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of… Yea 2026-07-16 unknown
An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military… Nay 2026-07-14 unknown
A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from… Yea 2026-06-24 unknown
A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of… Yea 2026-06-24 unknown
A concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of… Yea 2026-06-23 unknown
A bill a bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other… Yea 2026-06-22 unknown
A bill a bill to increase the supply of housing in America, and for other… Yea 2026-06-18 unknown
A resolution requesting information on Honduras's human rights practices… Yea 2026-06-17 unknown
Last contradiction analysis: Never
statement_vs_disclosure 60/100
Platform: "Sanders was harshly critical of Hillary Clinton over the Clinton Foundation in 2016, saying: 'Do I have a problem when a sitting secretary of state and a foundation run by her husband collects many millions of dollars…
[ Show full platform position ]
Sanders was harshly critical of Hillary Clinton over the Clinton Foundation in 2016, saying: 'Do I have a problem when a sitting secretary of state and a foundation run by her husband collects many millions of dollars from foreign governments, governments which are dictatorships?'
"
Vote: on "Sanders' campaign committee, Friends of Bernie Sanders, wired $200,000 in two installments of…"
Sanders criticized the Clinton Foundation as a vehicle for foreign influence-peddling, yet his own campaign directed $275,000 in donor funds to a family-run nonprofit, the Sanders Institute, where his stepson drew a six-figure salary — raising questions about a double standard on family-linked foundations.
platform_vs_vote 60/100
Platform: "Sanders voted against the $95 billion national security supplemental (H.R.815) on February 13, 2024, stating his opposition was due to '$10 billion more in unrestricted military aid for Netanyahu's horrific war against…
[ Show full platform position ]
Sanders voted against the $95 billion national security supplemental (H.R.815) on February 13, 2024, stating his opposition was due to '$10 billion more in unrestricted military aid for Netanyahu's horrific war against the Palestinian people.'
"
Vote: on "Sanders has repeatedly and unequivocally declared support for Ukraine's defense against Russian…"
Sanders declared unequivocal support for Ukraine aid but voted against the $95 billion supplemental that contained $60 billion for Ukraine — because the bill also included unrestricted military aid to Israel for the Gaza war. The practical effect of his 'no' vote was to oppose the largest Ukraine aid package in U.S…
[ Show full analysis ]
Sanders declared unequivocal support for Ukraine aid but voted against the $95 billion supplemental that contained $60 billion for Ukraine — because the bill also included unrestricted military aid to Israel for the Gaza war. The practical effect of his 'no' vote was to oppose the largest Ukraine aid package in U.S. history.
statement_vs_disclosure 30/100
Platform: "Sanders stated at RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing: 'I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical…
[ Show full platform position ]
Sanders stated at RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing: 'I ran for president like you. I got millions and millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives, not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry. They came from the workers.'
"
Vote: on "OpenSecrets data shows Sanders received $1,417,633 in contributions from the…"
Sanders denied taking pharmaceutical industry money, but OpenSecrets data shows $1.4M from the pharma/health products industry in 2020 alone — though nearly all from rank-and-file employees rather than PACs or executives, making the claim technically defensible but rhetorically incomplete.
Last silence detection: Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:33:07 GMT (via scheduled run)
Biden administration's resumption of border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2023-2024
131d silent
Expected position: As a longtime and vocal critic of Trump's border wall as wasteful, ineffective, and xenophobic, Sanders would be expected to publicly condemn the Biden administration's decision to resume border wall construction in Starr County, Texas…
[ Show full donor-interest summary ]
Expected position: As a longtime and vocal critic of Trump's border wall as wasteful, ineffective, and xenophobic, Sanders would be expected to publicly condemn the Biden administration's decision to resume border wall construction in Starr County, Texas, and waive environmental regulations to expedite it. Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: During this period, Sanders was actively issuing statements and conducting Senate hearings on healthcare costs, pharmaceutical pricing (grilling Moderna's CEO in March 2023), the war in Gaza, income inequality, and the 2024 election. He held multiple HELP Committee hearings and issued regular press statements. However, his public record contains no specific condemnation of the Biden administration's October 2023 decision to resume border wall construction — a notable silence given his repeated and forceful criticism of the same policy under Trump. Primary URL: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/
colleagues' leadership pacs
Courage To Change (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: colleagues' leadership pacs
ideological & single-issue
End Citizens United (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: ideological & single-issue
other / unclassified
Aksm Urology PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: other / unclassified
TopicPriorityAlignmentDeviation
Immigration and Border Policy 70 65 25
National Security and Foreign Aid 65 70 20
Gun Safety and Firearm Regulation 72 75 15
Rural Economic Development and Agriculture 85 78 15
Healthcare Access and Prescription Drug Pricing 92 88 12
Tax Policy and Economic Fairness 78 80 12
Climate Change and Energy Policy 82 85 10
Social Security and Medicare Solvency 90 85 10
Education and Student Loan Debt 80 90 8
Infrastructure and Broadband Expansion 83 92 5
Reproductive Rights and Abortion Access 88 95 5
Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ Equality 75 95 3
No platform commitments archived
No committee memberships recorded
Scoring Methodology

The Capture Risk Score is a composite 0–100 index measuring potential regulatory capture of elected officials. It is computed from seven weighted components:

ComponentWeightSignal
Contradiction Risk30%Stated positions contradicted by the record (recent findings boosted)
Donor Influence20%Distinct documented donors (FEC Schedule A PACs); inferred donors do not count
Connection Density20%Mapped relationships to lobbyists, contractors, interest groups; donor links excluded
Silence Risk15%Topics where donors have interests but the official is silent
Intelligence Volume15%Documented facts from verified sources
Constituency Deviation0%Shown, not weighted — a model estimate, not a record
Voting Misalignment0%Shown, not weighted — needs platform commitments almost nobody has; the roll-call record on /votes is the vote signal

Each component is the member's standing among all scored members of Congress, and the weighted sum is the overall score. Tiers are ranks: Critical is the top 5%, High the next 10%, Elevated the next 20%, Moderate the next 30%, and Low the rest.

Officials without at least 2 documented facts, 1 contradiction analysis, 1 voting record, or 1 constituency baseline are marked Insufficient Evidence and excluded from numeric ranking.

Contradiction findings from the last 180 days receive a recency boost. High-severity contradictions (score ≥ 70) receive additional weight.

Full methodology: /congress/methodology

[PUBLIC COST ESTIMATE]
Documented financial relationships span 0 money flow chains, while 10 elected officials hold documented connections.
$700.0MDonor Contributions
0Money Chains
0Traced Hops
Connected Officials
Calculation Methodology

Contract values are summed from documented money flow chains where this entity appears as a source or destination node. Amounts are drawn from USASpending.gov, FEC filings, SEC EDGAR, or LD-2 lobbying registrations.

Donor contributions aggregate documented amounts from the donor_interests table, sourced from FEC individual and PAC contribution filings.

Connected officials are elected officials in our database with a mapped relationship (lobbying, board membership, campaign contribution, etc.) to this entity.

Annualised flow represents the total documented dollar amount traced through money flow hops involving this entity. Where hop-level amounts are unavailable, the chain-level documented total is used as a conservative upper bound.

All figures are drawn from public filings. Estimates are conservative — undisclosed transactions, dark money, and vanish-point hops are excluded from totals. This is a minimum documented floor, not a ceiling.

View Full Entity Profile →