Clyburn is regarded as liberal in his political stances, actions and votes. In 2007 the
National Journal ranked him the 77th most liberal U.S. representative, with a score of 81, indicating that the conductors of this study found his voting record to be more liberal than 81% of other House members, based on their recent voting records. Clyburn identifies as a
progressive, but thinks the Democratic Party's more
liberal wing should be "practical," and that liberalism and conservatism have to be balanced out. Various progressives have called him "conservative" and "centrist". Clyburn has established liberal stances on health care, education,
organized labor and environmental conservation issues, based on his legislative actions as well as evaluations and ratings by pertinent interest groups.
Healthcare In 2009, Clyburn introduced the Access for All Americans Act. The $26 billion sought by the Act would provide funding to quadruple the number of community health centers in the US that provide medical care to uninsured and low-income citizens. The
American Public Health Association, the
American Academy of Family Physicians, The Children’s Health Fund, and other health care interest groups rate Clyburn highly based on his voting record on pertinent issues. Other groups in this field, such as the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, gave Clyburn a rating of zero in 2014. Despite his opposition to
partial-birth abortion, Clyburn is regarded as
pro-abortion rights, as shown by his high ratings from
Planned Parenthood and
NARAL Pro-Choice America and low rating from the
National Right to Life Committee. But at the height of national polarization after the
Supreme Court's intention to overturn
Roe v. Wade had been
leaked, Clyburn controversially campaigned on behalf of anti-abortion incumbent Representative
Henry Cuellar, who faced a pro-choice
primary challenger.
Education with President
Joe Biden in 2021 Clyburn has continuously sought new and additional funding for education. He has gained additional funding for special education and lower interest rates on federal student loans. In many sessions Clyburn has sought, sponsored and/or voted for improvements in
Pell Grant funding for college loans. The
National Education Association and the National Association of Elementary School Principals rate Clyburn very highly, as do other education interest groups.
Ports Although he was criticized for a previous expenditure of 160 million dollars to expand South Carolina's ports, Clyburn said he would continue to make funding available for further expansions. The plan is to deepen the ports to allow for larger commercial ships to arrive from the Panama Canal, which is being expanded to allow for larger ships to pass through. This is primarily because of larger commercial ships from China, and China's extremely high demand for soybeans, which are produced in South Carolina but must be sent to larger ports for exporting. This measure will benefit South Carolina business and farmers and is thus heavily backed by these groups.
Labor Clyburn has consistently voted for increases in
minimum wage income and to restrict employer interference with labor union organization. Many national labor unions, including the
AFL–CIO, the
United Auto Workers, the Communication Workers Association, and the
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, give Clyburn outstanding ratings based on his voting record on issues that pertain to labor and employment.
Environment in 2006 Clyburn has opposed legislation to increase
offshore drilling for
oil or natural gas. Instead, he has promoted use of
nuclear energy as a cheaper alternative to
fossil fuels than
wind and
solar energy. Members of the nuclear power industry have said that there is mutual respect between Clyburn and themselves. Clyburn pushed for a 2010 contract to convert plutonium from old weapons into nuclear fuel. Organizations such as the
League of Conservation Voters and
Defenders of Wildlife have viewed Clyburn favorably, but he angered environmentalists when he proposed building a $150 million bridge across a swampy area of Lake Marion in Calhoun County.
Objection to the 2004 presidential election Clyburn was one of 31 House Democrats who voted not to count Ohio's 20
electoral votes in the
2004 presidential election.
George W. Bush won Ohio by 118,457 votes. Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with the
Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
War in Iraq On July 31, 2007, Clyburn said in a broadcast interview that it would be a "real big problem" for the Democratic Party if General
David Petraeus issued a positive report in September, as it would split the Democratic caucus on whether to continue to fund the
Iraq War. While this soundbite caused some controversy, the full quote was, in reference to the 47-member
Blue Dog caucus, "I think there would be enough support in that group to want to stay the course and if the
Republicans were to stay united as they have been, then it would be a problem for us."
Bill Clinton comments Clyburn was officially neutral during the 2008 primary battle between
Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama, but former President
Bill Clinton blamed Clyburn for Hillary's 29-point defeat in the South Carolina primary and the two of them had a heated telephone conversation. Clyburn had voted for Obama, saying, "How could I ever look in the faces of our children and grandchildren had I not voted for Barack Obama?" He negatively viewed
Bill Clinton's remarks about Obama winning the South Carolina primary. Clinton had compared Obama's victory to
Jesse Jackson's win in the
1988 primary. "Black people are incensed all over this", Clyburn said. Clinton responded that the campaign "played the
race card on me", denying any racial tone in the comment. Speaking to
The New York Times, Clyburn said such actions could lead to a longtime division between Clinton and his once most reliable constituency. "When he was going through his
impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar", Clyburn said. "I think black folks feel strongly that this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation." On January 13, 2021, one week after the
January 6 United States Capitol attack, Clyburn voted for the single article of impeachment against Trump.
Israel–Palestine conflict In January 2017, Clyburn voted against a House resolution condemning the
UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which called
Israeli settlement building in the occupied
Palestinian territories in the
West Bank a "flagrant violation" of international law and a major obstacle to peace. He voted to provide Israel with support following
October 7 attacks.
Homosexuality and same-sex marriage In 1996, Clyburn voted in favor of the
Defense of Marriage Act. The act restricted federal recognition of marriage to the union of a man and a woman, and explicitly granted states the power not to introduce same-sex marriage and refuse to acknowledge same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states. The
House Judiciary Committee had explicitly said the act was meant to "express moral disapproval of homosexuality". The act passed by an 85-vote majority in the Senate and was signed into law by
President Bill Clinton. Clyburn said in an interview that he too supported same-sex marriage. In the interview, he said his former disapproval was rooted in his Christian faith, but that he had since "evolved". Clyburn called for nationwide legislation of marriage equality, opposing Obama's state-by-state approach, saying, "if you consider this to be a civil right—and I do—I don't think civil rights ought to be left up to a state-by-state approach". Clyburn added, "I'm not going to sit here and tell you otherwise, because I think everybody knows that's an issue." In the wake of his comments, then-candidate
Kamala Harris dismissed his comments as "nonsense" and "a trope" of the African American community, but the Benson Strategy Group reported that "being gay was a barrier for these voters, particularly for the men who seemed uncomfortable discussing it."
Committee assignments For the
119th Congress: •
Committee on Appropriations •
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies •
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies •
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
Caucus memberships •
Black Maternal Health Caucus • House Democratic Caucus •
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus •
Congressional Arts Caucus • Congressional Cement Caucus •
United States–China Working Group ==Presidential endorsements==