Donnelly was considered a
moderate Democrat who "sometimes bucks his party on issues such as
abortion, defense spending and the environment". According to
Politico, "Donnelly is constantly dogged by Republicans aiming to unseat him" while also facing "disgruntled Democrats who think he's far too conservative". In 2013, the
National Journal gave Donnelly a composite score of 52% conservative and 48% liberal. According to FiveThirtyEight, which tracks Congressional votes, Donnelly voted with President Trump's position 54.5% of the time.
Congressional Quarterly published a study finding that Donnelly voted with Trump's positions 62% of the time. According to
GovTrack, Donnelly was the second most conservative Democrat, after
Joe Manchin, and to the right of moderate Republican Senator
Susan Collins. He supported
progressive taxation and
organized labor, but opposed
same-sex marriage and abortion, even in the case of rape, during his 2012 campaign (though he supported an exception in the case of rape in the 2018 campaign). On April 5, 2013, Donnelly endorsed same-sex marriage on his
Facebook page.
Economic policy Taxes In February 2009, Donnelly voted for the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Donnelly voted against the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (a two-month extension of an expiring provision from the American Recovery Act, forestalling an increase in the
payroll tax from 4.2% to 6.2%); he voted for the
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (a one-year extension of the same provision). In 2012 Donnelly also voted for H.R. 9, the Small Business Tax Cut Act, which would allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to receive a tax deduction equal to 20% of their domestic business income. Donnelly was one of 276 Congress members who voted for the
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, extending the
Bush tax cuts and a 13-month extension of
unemployment benefits. In an interview, Donnelly said that he favored making the tax cuts permanent for middle-class Americans and temporarily extending the cuts for families making at least $250,000. In a speech at the 2012
Indiana Democratic Convention, Donnelly said that he would support a temporary one-year extension of all Bush-era tax cuts. "Given our continued economic challenges," he said, "now is the time to keep tax rates low.... We need to create jobs, we need to help the middle class and support small businesses, and we need to avoid partisan bickering and delay." On September 27, 2013, Donnelly voted for the
Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (H.J.Res 59). In 2016, Donnelly received a rating of 10% from
FreedomWorks and 15% from
Club for Growth; in 2015–16, the
National Tax Limitation Committee gave him a 36% rating. Donnelly opposed the Republican tax reform legislation, the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, saying in October 2017 that he was open to supporting the plan but wanted to see more detail and be assured it would focus on substantial middle-class tax relief.
Financial regulation During his second term, Donnelly voted for the
Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. A March 2012 letter signed by Donnelly and other Democratic members of the House and Senate, urged
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman
Gary Gensler to curb
oil speculation in the
commodity market through new provisions in the
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. In July 2012, Donnelly voted in favor of H.R. 459, the
Federal Reserve Transparency Act, sponsored by
Texas Congressman
Ron Paul. The bill requires a full
audit of the
Federal Reserve,
the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and
Federal reserve banks by the
Comptroller General. He also joined Republicans in writing a bill to
deregulate certain banks. He was one of four Democrats who helped write the bill. In 2018, Donnelly broke with the majority of his party and voted with Republicans to loosen banking regulations.
Labor issues In 2007, Donnelly co-sponsored the
Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. The act allowed Congress to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. Donnelly voted in favor of the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Donnelly has pushed for the passage of the "Forty Hours is Full Time Act" along with Republican senator
Susan Collins, which would define a full-time employment as 40 hours a week rather than 30.
Health care Donnelly, along with 197 members of the House, was a cosponsor of the
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007. He voted against the Prescription Drug Imports Act, which would have "allowed funds to be used to prohibit the importation of prescription drugs by anyone who is not a legally sanctioned importer of drugs, a wholesaler, or a pharmacist". In 2007, Donnelly was a co-sponsor of the
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP), which would have added $35 billion and 4 million children to the program over five years by raising the
federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack. After passing the House and Senate, the measure was vetoed by President
George W. Bush. Donnelly joined 217 Democrats and 42 Republicans in a failed effort to override Bush's veto. In March 2010, Donnelly voted for the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act). In 2013, Donnelly proposed changing the Affordable Care Act's definition of full-time work from 30 hours a week to 40. He also supported repealing the medical device excise tax, a 2.3% tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer, producer or importer of the device. In 2012, Donnelly cosponsored the Protect Medical Innovation Act, which would repeal the tax. After Donnelly voted in 2012 to repeal the medical-device tax that is part of Obamacare, his 2012 election opponent,
Richard Mourdock, said: "Joe Donnelly wants to pick apart Obamacare, but that begs the question: Why didn't he just hold out and not vote for it?" In 2017 campaign messages, Donnelly called President Donald Trump's proposed changes to Obamacare "unacceptable and cruel" and "half-baked", asserting that Obamacare "benefits millions of Hoosiers". In January 2018, Donnelly was one of six Democrats to join Republican senators in voting to confirm
Alex Azar, Trump's nominee for Health Secretary.
Education Donnelly opposed Trump's nomination of
Betsy DeVos as
Secretary of Education. "After reviewing her record," he explained, "I share the concerns expressed by many Hoosier educators, students, and families that Betsy DeVos lacks the commitment to public education needed to effectively lead the
Department of Education."
Foreign policy in
Afghanistan Libya In 2011, Donnelly voted to allow
Department of Defense funds to be used for military actions as part of the
NATO Intervention in Libya. He also voted in support of the failed resolution to authorize the President to continue the limited use of U.S. Forces in Libya. The resolution stated that Congress does not support deploying, establishing, or maintaining the presence of units and members of U.S. Armed Forces on the ground in Libya unless the purpose of the presence is limited to the defense of U.S. government officials or NATO member forces from imminent danger.
Iraq Donnelly voted against the
Iraq War troop surge of 2007. In July 2007, he joined 221 other House members in voting for HR 2956, the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act. This legislation contained a deadline for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
Afghanistan In 2011, Donnelly aligned himself with Republicans and seven other members of the
Blue Dog Coalition in a 204–215 House vote against an accelerated withdrawal from the
war in Afghanistan. He reaffirmed opposition to an accelerated withdrawal from
Afghanistan in voting against the
Lee amendment, proposed in H.R. 4310, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. The Lee amendment would have prohibited the military spending any money in Afghanistan except for non-combat humanitarian activities, and on activities leading to the withdrawal of American military forces from the country.
Israel Donnelly supported a Senate resolution condemning the UN Security Council
resolution on
Israeli settlements built on the
occupied Palestinian territories in the
West Bank. In May 2017, Donnelly co-sponsored the
Israel Anti-Boycott Act (s. 720), which would have made it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.
National security In 2011, Donnelly voted against H.R. 2219, which would have cut the
U.S. military budget by $8.5 billion, stipulating that no cuts were to be taken from pay or benefit programs supporting members and veterans of the armed forces. These cuts would have reduced the emphasis of the
U.S. budget on weapons programs. Donnelly also voted against the failed
Polis amendment, which would have cut $640 million in a 2% across-the-board reduction in spending from the 2012
United States Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. He voted for the
2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Civil liberties advocates have criticized Donnelly for voting for Section 1021, expanding the president's authority to detain suspected
al-Qaeda,
Taliban, or associated forces (including U.S. citizens) without a trial. Donnelly has voted to reauthorize the
Patriot Act, and to require
FISA warrants for wiretaps in the U.S., but not abroad.
Immigration Donnelly voted against the
DREAM Act on December 8, 2010. In 2018, Donnelly voted in favor of the McCain-Coons comprehensive immigration bill, which would have provided a pathway to citizenship but did not include any funding for a border wall; he also voted to withhold funds from
sanctuary cities, in favor of
Susan Collins's bipartisan proposal that included both a pathway to citizenship for
Dreamers and funding for border security, and in support of Trump's proposal to allow a pathway to citizenship while funding a border wall and reducing legal immigration. Donnelly said that he supports more funding for the
border wall proposed by Trump. In 2017,
NumbersUSA, which seeks to reduce both legal and illegal immigration, gave him a 0% score; in 2015–16, the
Federation for American Immigration Reform, which also supports immigration controls, gave him a 25% rating. Donnelly was previously one of the few Senate Democrats who had received an "A" rating from the NRA-PVF for his consistent support of policies that the NRA supports. He has commended the NRA for its work with children on
gun safety. In 2007, he co-sponsored a bill that repealed the requirement in Washington, D.C. to have guns registered. The bill also repealed the ban on
semi-automatic firearms and
trigger locks. Two years later, Donnelly supported a law that would enact concealed carry reciprocity across state lines. He also voted to support expanded background checks that same year. In 2017, he participated in the
Chris Murphy gun control filibuster that was intended to persuade Republicans to support legislation that would have barred suspected terrorists and convicted criminals from purchasing guns. "I am a supporter of the Second Amendment," he said. "I'm also someone who believes it's reasonable for all of us to consider smart and responsible ways to reduce gun violence. Those things are not in opposition to each other." Despite Donnelly's participation in the filibuster, a liberal Donnelly supporter,
Indianapolis Star columnist Matthew Tully, complained on June 15, 2016, that "Donnelly's overall record on gun policies, first in the House and now in the Senate, and his general avoidance of taking a leadership position on the issue, seems much less tolerable than it did four years ago." He has described himself as "committed to protecting the sanctity of life". He has mixed ratings from
pro-choice and
anti-abortion political action committees.
Planned Parenthood, which supports legal abortion, has given him a lifetime score of 67% in line with their positions.
NARAL Pro-Choice America gave him a 0% score based on their 2016 pro-choice positions. He has voted for a 20-week abortion ban and co-sponsored a bill that would prohibit transporting a minor across state lines for an abortion. In 2011, he co-sponsored HR 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. He voted to defund Planned Parenthood before 2015, but has since voted in support of Planned Parenthood. He was one of only two Democratic Senators who voted to defund
Planned Parenthood on this occasion, the other being
Joe Manchin of
West Virginia. On March 30, 2017, Donnelly voted against H.J. Res. 43, which, when signed by President Trump, nullified a pending federal regulation that would have disallowed states to withhold money from abortion providers. In November 2017, Donnelly was criticized by pro-life groups when he did not speak out against the
DNC's presentation of a lifetime achievement award to the CEO of Planned Parenthood. "Donnelly is making it clear that he's willing to get in line with the party on abortion to maintain his support from Washington Democrats," complained the
NRSC. In 2018, he was one of three Democratic Senators who voted to ban abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
LGBT rights Donnelly has an overall mixed voting record on
LGBT rights, receiving a rating of 30% from the
Human Rights Campaign in 2010. In 2007, Donnelly cosponsored the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act, but in 2009, he voted against the
Matthew Shepard Act. In October 2009, Donnelly voted for 2009–2010 Defense Appropriations, which included the
Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded federal hate crimes to include sexual orientation, gender identity and disabilities. On May 27, 2010, Donnelly voted against repealing
Don't Ask, Don't Tell after military review and certification, though the next day, he voted for the 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations bill, which included a provision repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. In December 2010, Donnelly voted for the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. He was one of 17 Democratic Representatives to vote for H Amdt 1416 the Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention of the
Defense of Marriage Act in July 2012. Having opposed same-sex marriage during his 2012 senatorial campaign, Donnelly announced in April 2013, five months after his election, that he had changed his position. Donnelly received a rating of 80% from the Human Rights Campaign in 2017 for his time in the 114th Congress.
Other issues In 2013, Donnelly co-sponsored the Senate bill to reauthorize the
Violence Against Women Act. In 2015, Donnelly voted for
CISPA. Donnelly was one of four Democrats to vote against the
Stream Protection Rule. He was one of three Democrats to vote to confirm President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee,
Neil Gorsuch, and the second Democrat to announce that he would meet with
Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's second Supreme Court nominee. He ultimately voted against confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. ==Post-political career==