Jim Banks
U.S. Senator for IN
RepublicanSenate
Positions last updated Oct 12, 2026
- In Congress since
- 2017
- Years served
- 10
- Age
- 47
- Current term ends
- Jan 3, 2031
Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (via the public congress-legislators dataset). Photo: official congressional portrait.
Where their record lies
Between the typical Democratic and typical Republican record
Close to the typical Republican record
Jim Banks's record sits 113% of the way from the typical Democratic record to the typical Republican record.
Built from 6 topics that divide the parties. It describes a record of votes and statements, not a person. How this is calculated.
Their record by topic
Further from the center means more agreement with the quiz statement
Each point averages how Jim Banks votes and what they say on that topic. A topic with no data is left out, not drawn as neutral. The sources are in the sections below.
Where they stand
Each topic is a statement from the quiz. "Agree" means their votes or words line up with it.
Health care
“The federal government should guarantee health coverage for every American.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: No data
Taxes & spending
“Lowering taxes matters more than expanding government services.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Strongly agree
Immigration
“Border security should be the top priority in immigration policy.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Strongly agree
Climate & energy
“The federal government should require cuts to carbon emissions, even if energy costs rise.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: Neutral or unsure
Guns
“Federal law should require background checks on all gun sales, including private sales.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: No data
Abortion
“Abortion law should be decided by each state, not the federal government.”
Votes: No data|Says: Disagree
Education
“Public school funding should follow students to the school their family chooses, including private schools.”
Votes: Agree|Says: Strongly agree
Foreign policy
“The U.S. should keep providing military aid to its allies abroad.”
Votes: Agree|Says: Agree
Votes on key bills
The final vote on each bill Scope tracks (not every vote they have cast). Newest first.
S. 1071: National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026
Voted yesSenate vote, Dec 17, 2025 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 1: 2025 budget law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act): tax cuts, Medicaid and border spending
Voted yesSenate vote, Jul 1, 2025 · Counts toward: Education, Health care, Taxes & spending, Immigration
S. 5: Laken Riley Act (2025)
Voted yesSenate vote, Jan 20, 2025 · Counts toward: Immigration
H.R. 8035: Ukraine security aid (2024)
Voted noHouse vote, Apr 20, 2024 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 8034: Israel security aid (2024)
Voted yesHouse vote, Apr 20, 2024 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
Show 11 more votes
H.R. 8036: Indo-Pacific security aid (2024)
Voted yesHouse vote, Apr 20, 2024 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 2: Secure the Border Act (2023)
Voted yesHouse vote, May 11, 2023 · Counts toward: Immigration
H.R. 1: Lower Energy Costs Act (2023)
Voted yesHouse vote, Mar 30, 2023 · Counts toward: Climate & energy
H.R. 5: Parents Bill of Rights Act (2023)
Voted yesHouse vote, Mar 24, 2023 · Counts toward: Education
H.R. 5376: Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
Voted noHouse vote, Aug 12, 2022 · Counts toward: Climate & energy, Health care
S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022)
Voted noHouse vote, Jun 24, 2022 · Counts toward: Guns
H.R. 1319: American Rescue Plan Act (2021)
Voted noHouse vote, Mar 10, 2021 · Counts toward: Health care
H.R. 1425: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (2020)
Voted noHouse vote, Jun 29, 2020 · Counts toward: Health care
H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act (2019)
Voted noHouse vote, Feb 27, 2019 · Counts toward: Guns
H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)
Voted yesHouse vote, Dec 20, 2017 · Counts toward: Taxes & spending, Education
H.R. 1628: American Health Care Act (2017)
Voted yesHouse vote, May 4, 2017 · Counts toward: Health care
Source: House Clerk and Senate roll-call records via Congress.gov. For every vote they have cast, see GovTrack.
Words versus votes
Pro preview · free for nowNo topic where votes and statements point in opposite directions (5 topics compared).
A difference is a prompt to look closer, not proof of anything. Votes come from a short list of tracked bills; statements come from speeches, press releases and bills they put their name on. See the evidence for each topic. On 1 more topic one side is neutral, so there is nothing to contrast.
What they work on
72 bills written, 172 signed onto. Top topic: Armed Forces and National Security
In the current Congress they have written 72 bills and signed on to 172 more. A bill someone writes shows what they want to change.
Topics of the bills they wrote
- Armed Forces and National Security22
- Education16
- Health12
- Immigration6
- International Affairs5
Most recent bills they wrote
- S.Res. 917: A resolution expressing support for the designation of September as "Dystonia Awareness Month" to promote public awar... (Sep 29, 2026)
- S. 1253: College Admissions Accountability Act of 2025 (Sep 29, 2026)
- S. 5127: Harley Jacobsen Clinical Trial Participant Income Exemption Act of 2026 (Sep 29, 2026)
- S. 5451: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require that recipients of Pell Grants be citizens or nationals o... (Sep 22, 2026)
- S. 2821: American Tech Workforce Act of 2025 (Aug 7, 2026)
Source: Sponsorship records from Congress.gov; each bill links to its page there.
Committees
4 committees: Senate Committee on Armed Services; Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs...
Committees study and rewrite bills before the full chamber votes.
Senate Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittees: Personnel; Seapower; Strategic Forces
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Subcommittees: Economic Policy; National Security and International Trade and Finance; Securities, Insurance, and Investment
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Subcommittees: Education and the American Family; Employment and Workplace Safety; Primary Health and Retirement Security
Source: Committee rosters from the congress-legislators dataset (built from the House and Senate committee pages, as of 2026-10-12). Each committee name links to its official page.
Career in Congress
2017 to present
- 2017 to 2025U.S. House, IN, district 3Republican
- 2025 to presentU.S. Senate, INRepublican
Contact and learn more
Office phone, website, message form and where to read more
Contact their office
- Official website
- Phone: 202-224-4814
- Washington office: 303 Hart Senate Office Building
- X (Twitter)
Read more about them
- Official biography (Congress) (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress)
- GovTrack (Votes, bills and ideology scores)
- OpenSecrets (Who funds them)
- Ballotpedia (Background and elections)
- Wikipedia (Encyclopedia article)
Source: Contact details from the member's official pages, via the congress-legislators dataset. Outside sites are not run by Scope.
The evidence, topic by topic
Every position links to the votes, quotes and bills it was built from
Health care
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 5 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.Roll call on American Health Care Act of 2017Roll call on billWhat they say
No data
Taxes & spending
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.What they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 3 cosponsored bills, 1 floor speech related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 213: Main Street Tax Certainty Actcosponsored bill: S 711: Transportation Freedom Actfloor speech: Chicago Bears (Executive Calendar)“a liberal State, a high-tax State, an anti-family State, an anti-business State--it is a State that is destroying itself inside out”
Immigration
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 3 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on Secure the Border Act of 2023Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 9 cosponsored bills, 3 sponsored bills, 2 floor speechs related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
“it is stories like this that show why mass deportations matter and why they are needed now more than ever.”
sponsored bill: S 301: Border Security is National Security Actcosponsored bill: S 84: Sarah's Lawcosponsored bill: S 1151: Accountability Through Electronic Verification Actcosponsored bill: S 707: No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Actfloor speech: STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSfloor speech: Department of Homeland Security (Executive Session)sponsored bill: S 225: End Unaccountable Amnesty Act“none of them agreed that the American Government should prioritize their own people above everyone else, especially those who come here illegally”
Climate & energy
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.Roll call on Lower Energy Costs ActWhat they say
Neutral or unsure (0)
Based on 1 cosponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 711: Transportation Freedom ActGuns
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on Bipartisan Safer Communities ActRoll call on Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019What they say
No data
Abortion
How they vote
No data
What they say
Disagree (-1)
Based on 5 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 205: Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Actcosponsored bill: S 4880: Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026cosponsored bill: S 6: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Actcosponsored bill: SRES 30: A resolution honoring Mississippi's Gestational Age Act.cosponsored bill: S 3667: Life at Conception Act of 2026Education
How they vote
Agree (+1)
Calculated from 3 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.What they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 3 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 1244: Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2025cosponsored bill: SRES 587: A resolution designating the week of January 25 through January 31, 2026, as "National School Choice Week".cosponsored bill: SRES 44: A resolution designating the week of January 26 through February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week".Foreign policy
How they vote
Agree (+1)
Calculated from 4 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024Roll call on Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024Roll call on Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024What they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 2 cosponsored bills, 1 sponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025cosponsored bill: SRES 547: A resolution expressing unwavering support for the United States-Japan alliance in response to political, economic and military pressure by the People's Republic of China.sponsored bill: S 2216: Weapons Resupply, Stockpile, and Alliance–Israel ActRevision history
50 recorded changes
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Abortion (statement): -1 to -1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): 0 to 0Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 1 to 2Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): created at 0Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): created at -1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): 2 to 1Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
