Dole’s Legacy

Sen. Bob Dole resigned after eight years in the House, 27 in the Senate, with a record 11 years as Senate GOP leader. His stances over the years:

CIVIL RIGHTS

1964: Voted for the Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination in voting, employment and housing.

1979 and 1982: Voted to block implementation and enforcement of court-ordered busing as a means of desegregating public schools.

1982: Authored an amendment to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which led to the 25-year extension of the law guaranteeing minority voting rights.

1983: Voted to create a federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

1985: Voted to impose sanctions of South Africa for its system of apartheid. The following year, however, he supported President Reagan’s veto of the sanctions.

ENTITLEMENTS

1965: Voted against the creation of Medicare, the health care program for the elderly.

1977: Helped defeat a requirement that recipients pay for a portion of their food stamps.

1995: Voted to cut federal support for Medicaid by $163 billion and eliminate the guarantee of coverage.

1996: Voted to slow the growth of Medicare spending by $270 billion.

FOREIGN POLICY

1964: Voted for the Gulf of Tonkin resolution authorizing U.S. retaliation against North Vietnam. Consistently supported the military action.

1985 and 1986: Voted for $114 million in aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.

1991: Supported President Bush’s Operation Desert Storm.

SOCIAL PROGRAMS

1988: Voted against Family and Medical Leave Act, requiring most employers to provide unpaid, job-protected leave for workers who need to care for newborn children, ailing family members.

TAXES

1981: Voted for Reagan’s tax-cut package, including a 22% reduction in income taxes over three years.

1982: Led deficit hawks in passing Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which raised taxes on cigarettes, travel and telephone calls.

1993: Voted against President Clinton’s deficit package and its $241-billion tax increase.