Vitter's Ideology and Voting Record

Let the Tempest Come

On his campaign for governor website, Vitter describes himself as "a bold, conservative reformer who's tackling our most significant problems with Louisiana common sense." As far as one can tell, Vitter has presented himself as the typical "head-banging conservative" from a red state and while managing to rise steadily within the Senatorial hierarchy. Now in the middle of a run for governor, the positions taken and credits claimed by Vitter while in Congress have become a valuable asset on the trail.

DW-Nominate Scores

The DW-Nominate Score for the 1st Session of the 113th Congress, as tabulated by admittedly liberal weblog with political analysis on US current events Daily Kos, had Vitter at 0.749 points away from the Center, making him the 6th most conservative Republican senator in the chamber. It is worth noting that, but for Mike Lee of Utah, the 6 most conservative senators on the list all hail from Southern states, which are overwhelmingly red in their ideological orientation.

Party Vote

All the evidence purports to show that Vitter has usually toed the party line when it comes to votes on the Senate floor. And why should he do otherwise. Voting with the Republican Party on issues such as immigration, Obamacare, and the Keystone XL Pipeline plays well back home.

ADA and Interest Group Scores

The Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 2014 Voting Records gave Vitter a score of 5 percent, meaning that Vitter did not vote with the organization on all but one of the 20 salient issues they focused on.

As can be seen on his votesmart.com, Vitter's standing with interest groups are not in the least surprising. The more conservative groups such as the NRA, the National Right to Life Committee, and Americans for Legal Immigration give him top marks, while liberal interest groups such as NARAL-Pro-choice America rate him in the single digits.

Crossing the Aisle

As announced by The Advocate, a leading Baton Rouge-based political media house, on March 14, 2015, Vitter joined Democratic counterpart Tom Udall to oversee the rollout of a chemical regulation bill they cosponsored. The bill, saluted by the Environmental Protection Fund, is a sharp about-turn for Vitter who has a hard-earned pro-business reputation. His support was perhaps made less problematic when Lousiana's chemical companies came out in support of the bill. Louisiana is home to the country's second-largest chemical industry, second only to Texas.

The chemical regulation bill highlights a certain Vitter proclivity to make overtures to the left of the aisle so long as they do not antagonize his base and they help advance his standing in the Senate. His staunch support for former Senator Mary Landrieu's last-minute push for the Keystone XL Pipeline is a case in point.

However, according to govtrack.us, Vitter was one of the least bipartisan senators in the 113th Congress. Only 8% of the 85 bills and resolutions he introduced had both a Democratic and a Republican cosponsor.

COMMITTEE MAN

Vitter

Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

With the swearing in of the 114th Congress, Vitter assumed chairmanship of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Founded in 1940 as the Special Committee to Study Problems of American Small Business, the committee oversees all legislation, petitions, and other matters relating to the Small Business Administration (SBA).

As chairman, Vitter "advocates for Louisiana's small businesses by shaping policy that will reinvigorate small business growth by freeing them from unnecessary impediments from the federal government." Just two weeks ago, on March , the Senate passed Vitter's "No Washington Exemption from ObamaCare" bill (S.16). The bill aims to plug a loophole in the Affordable Care Act that allows Congress to designate itself as a "small business" so members of Congress can procure a taxpayer-funded subsidy for ObamaCare.

Vitter has also used his position atop the committee to bolster his small business credentials back home in Louisiana. The very first committee hearing Vitter chaired this year was held - not in Washington, D.C., but in Bossier City, Louisiana. The last field hearing on April 2 was hosted in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the Small Business of the Week for the week of March 27 was Marucci Sports in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Committee on the Judiciary

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, founded in 1816, is one of the original standing committees in the Senate. Its broad legislative jurisdiction has assured its primary role as a forum fro the public discussion of social and constitutional issues. The Committee also has oversight of key activities of the executive branch, and is responsible for the initial stages of the confirmation process of all judicial nominations for the federal judiciary. This Committee is in Vitter's area of expertise as he is a lawyer by profession. He traded a spot on the Armed Forces Committee for the more prestigious Judicial Committee. Announcing his appointment to this Committe, the Washington Times, a daily renowned for its extensive access to conservative politicians, wrote that "Vitter promised to use his position on the Judiciary Committee to launch attacks on the Obama administration's agenda." 

Vitter hasn't had to wait long. The Judiciary Committee has been preoccupied with hearings for Loretta Lynch, the President's nominee for Attorney General. Vitter has come out publicly to express his reservations to seeing Ms. Lynch as the next A-G. In his February 2015 Newsletter to supporters, Vitter wrote:

I've been working tirelessly to block . . . Loretta Lynch. Her record shows she's in lockstep with his illegal executive actions, especially in regard to amnesty for those who have unlawfully entered the country. Moreover, Ms. Lynch is suspected of playing a role in mega-bank HSBC's money-laundering scheme. She's simply unfit to be Attorney-General.

As can be gleaned from this statement, a hard-line stance toward Lynch's nomination allows Vitter to take positions on various issues. He gets to beef up on his anti-Obama Amnesty bona fides, even as he positions himself as an anti-corruption sheriff. This plays well back home in Louisiana where the President's immigration measure is wildly unpopular and where graft plagues the state government.

Committee on Environment and Public Works

First established in 1837 to oversee the construction of Federal buildings in the fledgling National capital, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has seen its jurisdiction extend to cover legislation pertaining to the interstate highway system, flood control, air and water pollution, and endangered species.

Vitter has sought to use his seat on the Committee to push for more accountability by the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies. Louisiana has a bountiful ecosystem, especially in the Bayou region. Vitter has worked to protect the natural heritage of his state, while ensuring that regulation does not thwart business, state or local interests.

On March 10, 2015, Vitter partnered with Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to introduce The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act aimed at protecting "Americans from toxic chemicals by enacting common-sense and necessary reforms to update United States' ineffective, outdated chemical regulatory program."

Subcommittees: Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, Oversight, Transportation and Infrastructure.

Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was established in 1913 to oversee issues including, but not limited to: banking, insurance, financial markets, securities, housing, urban development and mass transit, international trade and finance, and economic policy.

The Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee helps Vitter to blaze a populist streak on a number of issues, allowing him to follow in the tradition of great Louisiana populists such as Huey Long. Consider, for instance, Vitters op-ed piece in The Hill calling for a repeal of the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act: "Dodd-Frank actually establishes a permanent mechanism for government help for large failed banks" to the chagrin of many in the investing public who saw their live savings disappear in the 2008 crash.

The Committee also enables Vitter to cater to the needs of the big metropolitan areas in the state, including New Orleans with a population of almost 400,000.

Subcommittees: Housing, Transportation and Community Development, and Securities, Insurance and Investment.