Briggs' mailbag: Why Mike Braun is a bad senator

I think Sen. Mike Braun is bad at his job.

I've made that point in recent columns because, now that he's running for governor, it's important to consider whether he's performed well enough in his current elected office to deserve another one.

Zacharie Riddle, Braun's press secretary, wrote to me with a question: "I’m curious what metric you’re using when you say he has 'achieved nothing' in five years, or is a 'nonfactor' in the Senate. Is there any metric you have in mind to track efficacy, or is that just a feeling?"

That's a reasonable question and Riddle followed it up by making a vigorous case for Braun, so I'm changing things up and devoting this week's mailbag column to his email.

The case for Mike Braun

Riddle goes on to write: "Sen. Braun had eight bills passed into law in just the last year. Before that, in the 117th Congress, he was No. 10 in the entire Senate for most bills signed into law. In 2021, he had more bills than any other senator signed into law."

He names several pieces of legislation with Braun's name on them, including recent laws that provide benefits to children with spina bifida caused by a parent's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and one that provides easier access to health benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Riddle also notes that the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking named Braun among the 10 most effective Republican senators. Braun "stands apart in being the top performer in agriculture, education, health and welfare policies among Republicans; and he was the most effective lawmaker in the Senate for agriculture policy overall," the organization writes.

Finally, Riddle says, Braun's office has closed 11,000 cases of constituent services, such as recovering $10,000 from the Internal Revenue Service for a Columbus woman.

What Braun wants credit for

Interestingly, when Braun made his own case to voters during a gubernatorial debate last week, he didn't mention any of that. Instead, he talked about what he has opposed.

"I voted against every continuing resolution," Braun said of short-term spending bills to keep the government operating. "And the only time that didn't happen is … the Cares Act (during) the pandemic and President Donald Trump signed that bill. But, through thick and thin, there's been no one there (who) has been a louder voice on fiscal integrity in our U.S. government."

If you listen to Braun's own words, then you get the sense he views his role as a form of protest.

Braun isn't constraining government spending when he votes against continuing resolutions. He's denying reality — that the federal government will continue to operate — and abdicating any role he might otherwise have in guiding spending decisions.

Braun is rich. He doesn't need this.

I'll admit that I'm not basing my judgment of Braun's performance on any advanced metrics. Nonetheless, I have questions about any Senate ranking system that rates Braun among the most effective while leaving out Sen. Todd Young.

Young worked for years on efforts to increase scientific investment in the U.S. to compete with China. He watched his efforts die under the Endless Frontier Act in 2021, stuck with it and played a leading role in passing the Chips and Science Act, which was signed by President Biden in 2022.

The Chips Act puts $52.7 billion into manufacturing chips that are essential to operate cars, iPhones and military equipment — and Indiana stands to benefit from that investment. It's one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in the last several years, all the more remarkable because it required sustained bipartisan support.

The equivalent for Braun might have been legislation on qualified immunity or climate change. He has shown passion for both issues. But he hasn't shown any desire to confront political headwinds.

As I wrote last week, Braun abandoned his qualified immunity bill, which would have enabled lawsuits against police officers, amid attacks from law enforcement groups and Tucker Carlson.

Braun defined his Senate term in 2020 when he played along with Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election and then retreated from his pledge to oppose election certification after Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol.

Braun turns 70 in a few days. He's an accomplished businessman who leveraged his wealth into a Senate seat. At this stage of life, he can do whatever he wants without having to care what Trump or Carlson or anyone else thinks. If he loses an election, he can retire and enjoy being rich.

But that's not how Braun thinks. He has repeatedly sacrificed his own stated priorities, as well as his dignity, to prolong a political career in service of his ego. No matter how many bills Braun puts his name on, he's still leaving the Senate without a signature achievement. He could have stayed another six years and tried to do more. It's apparently easier to walk away and run for governor.

That's the pattern. When the going gets tough, Braun quits.

Thank you for reading! I'll return to regular mailbag programming next week. To send questions for future mailbags, send them through the Google form in the online article page or email [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Briggs' mailbag: Comparing Mike Braun to Todd Young