In 2005, Rolling Stone magazine called Sanders “The Amendment King”. He could get more roll-call amendments passed than any other congressman during the period since 1995.
As an independent, Sanders could form coalitions across party lines.
As a member of the Congress, Sanders sponsored 15 concurrent resolutions and 15 Senate resolutions. Of the ones he co-sponsored, 218 made it into law.
Doesn’t seem like he has been totally ineffectual.
"Bernie Sanders has a low success rate in passing sponsored legislation, with only 3 of his 421 sponsored bills (0.7%) becoming law during his career. While he has a high volume of cosponsored bills, indicating a willingness to work with others, his legislative record is often described as having minimal impact on Capitol Hill compared to his peers.
Key details regarding Sanders’ legislative record and success rate:
Low Passing Rate: As of early 2020, only 0.7% of his sponsored bills became law, which is the second-lowest ratio for any current senator who has served across 10 or more sessions.
Average Passage Rate: His average for passing sponsored legislation through at least one chamber is 1.9%, the third-lowest overall among senators with 10+ sessions.
Cosponsorship Activity: Despite low passage rates for his own bills, Sanders has heavily cosponsored legislation, ranking in the 78th percentile for senators with over 10 years of service.
High Missed Vote Rate: From 1991 to 2026, GovTrack.us reports that Sanders missed 12.9% of roll call votes, significantly higher than the 2.8% median for senators.
Committee Action: In the 118th Congress, 9 of his bills made it past the committee stage for consideration.
Alternative Success Metrics: Some analysis, such as that from Brookings, suggests that while his direct legislative impact is low, he has been a strong proponent of reform, often acting as a “reform warrior” in his political career.
While he has not been highly successful in passing his own, original legislation into law, his career has been marked by a high volume of cosponsorships."
Doesn’t seem like he has been totally ineffectual.
I’m just going to point to the AI here.
"Bernie Sanders has a low success rate in passing sponsored legislation, with only 3 of his 421 sponsored bills (0.7%) becoming law during his career. While he has a high volume of cosponsored bills, indicating a willingness to work with others, his legislative record is often described as having minimal impact on Capitol Hill compared to his peers. Key details regarding Sanders’ legislative record and success rate:
Low Passing Rate: As of early 2020, only 0.7% of his sponsored bills became law, which is the second-lowest ratio for any current senator who has served across 10 or more sessions.
Average Passage Rate: His average for passing sponsored legislation through at least one chamber is 1.9%, the third-lowest overall among senators with 10+ sessions.
Cosponsorship Activity: Despite low passage rates for his own bills, Sanders has heavily cosponsored legislation, ranking in the 78th percentile for senators with over 10 years of service.
High Missed Vote Rate: From 1991 to 2026, GovTrack.us reports that Sanders missed 12.9% of roll call votes, significantly higher than the 2.8% median for senators.
Committee Action: In the 118th Congress, 9 of his bills made it past the committee stage for consideration.
Alternative Success Metrics: Some analysis, such as that from Brookings, suggests that while his direct legislative impact is low, he has been a strong proponent of reform, often acting as a “reform warrior” in his political career.
While he has not been highly successful in passing his own, original legislation into law, his career has been marked by a high volume of cosponsorships."