Democrat Who Voted 100% With Biden Says Voting 100% With One Party Threatens Democracy
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), who has voted with his own party’s leadership 100% of the time, asserted that lawmakers who always vote in line with their party are a “huge threat to democracy.”
During a debate on Monday evening between Ryan and his Republican opponent for Ohio’s open Senate seat, J.D. Vance, the Democrat congressman said that “politically,” a “huge threat to democracy” is the “guys who don’t have the guts to stand up to their own party.”
Ryan went on to claim that he had opposed his own party’s leaders — including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and President Joe Biden — on various occasions while claiming that he had agreed with former President Trump numerous times. He made these claims in an attempt to portray himself as a moderate.
“I’ve run against Nancy Pelosi, I have taken on Bernie Sanders, I have opposed Joe Biden on numerous pieces of legislation that he wants to try to promote and push, and I have agreed with Donald Trump on trade, renegotiating NAFTA, being firmer on China, defense, General Mattis being secretary of defense, and all the rest,” Ryan said.
“We need leaders who have the courage to take on their own party. And I’ve proven that, and he was called an ass-kisser by the former president,” he added, referring to Vance.
Despite Ryan’s assertions about his record and his argument that politicians voting 100% with their own party is a “huge threat to democracy,” the Democrat congressman has voted with Pelosi 100% of the time, according to ProPublica. Information from FiveThirtyEight shows that Ryan also voted with Biden 100% of the time, while he only voted with Trump 16% of the time.
Vance, responding to Ryan’s claims, stated that the Ohio Democrat has been “caught on video kissing up to Chuck Schumer and begging him for a promotion to his next job.”
“That’s the kind of guy that Tim Ryan is now… Tim Ryan is put on a costume where he pretends to be a reasonable moderate, but in fact, he’s said he stands up to his own party,” the Republican candidate added. “The last few congresses, Tim, you voted for Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. 100 percent. You consistently tow the party line on every single issue.”
