Joseph Lieberman in Almanac of American Politics


On Energy & Oil: Kyoto Protocol should include China

On environmental issues, Lieberman supported the Clinton position at the Kyoto air pollution conference but said China has to be part of the solution. He co-sponored the Clean Air Act of 1990 and supports an EPA project to allow companies greater flexibility to achieve specific pollution control goals.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

On Health Care: Limited lawsuits against HMOs and automakers

On HMO regulation, he co-sponsored a compromise that omits Medical Savings Accounts and would allow lawsuits against HMOs, but limit them to economic recovery and attorneys’ fees only. He is a sponsor of Auto Choice reform, which would allow car owners to opt out of pain and suffering damages and get much cheaper insurance premiums.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

On Principles & Values: Senate status: influential & non-partisan

Lieberman has come to occupy a unique place in the Senate, exerting influence out of proportion to his seniority, an influence that comes from respect for his independence of mind, civility of spirit and fidelity to causes in which he believes. In a bitterly partisan time he is one of the least partisan Democrats on Capitol Hill, one of the very few Democrats not to engage in lockstep White House defense in the Clinton scandals. Yet Lieberman is anything but a political innocent.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

On Principles & Values: Rebuked Clinton for Monica; but against impeachment

Lieberman was dismayed by Clinton’s lying about the Lewinsky affair. He said, “Such behavior is wrong and unacceptable and should be followed by some measure of public rebuke and accountablity.” But he was persuaded not to call for censure, and he stopped well short of backing impeachment. The speech clearly changed the tenor of the public dialogue. Clinton accepted this rebuke, and it may have helped him, by showing other Democrats how to criticize his conduct while still not calling for removal.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

On War & Peace: Supported NATO expansion; arms to Israel & Saudis

Lieberman was one of the leaders in the fight for the Gulf war resolution in January 1991. Presciently, he called for “final victory” over Saddam Hussein. He is a strong supporter of Israel but favored F-15 sales to Saudi Arabia in 1992; in spring 1998 he spoke against an American ultimatum to Israel. He favored US ground troops in Bosnia. He backed NATO expansion in Eastern Europe. In 1998 he successfully led a fight for sanctions to stop Russia from exporting missile technology to Iran.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

On Welfare & Poverty: Supported 1996 welfare reform

On economic issues, he has backed capital gains tax cuts for small business (“you can’t be pro-jobs and anti-business”) and urged President Clinton to sign the 1996 welfare reform bill--both stands opposed by many Democrats.
Source: Almanac of American Politics 2000 (Barone & Ujifusa) Jan 1, 2000

The above quotations are from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
Click here for other excerpts from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
Click here for other excerpts by Joseph Lieberman.
Click here for a profile of Joseph Lieberman.
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2021