Every Senator Who Became President, Ranked by the Presidential Record

Signed the National Security Act of 1947 creating the Defense Department, CIA, and NSC, signed the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 launching the Marshall Plan, brought the United States into NATO in 1949, and desegregated the armed forces by Executive Order 9981 in July 1948 (National Archives; Truman Library).

The receipts: Truman's burst from 1947 to 1949 built the institutional architecture the United States still uses: the Defense Department, CIA, and National Security Council in one statute (National Security Act, 1947), the Marshall Plan (Economic Cooperation Act, 1948), and NATO in 1949, and he desegregated the military by Executive Order 9981 in July 1948; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 6th of 44 (National Archives; Truman Library; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Social Security Amendments of 1965 creating Medicare and Medicaid; the same record includes escalating Vietnam to over 500,000 U.S. troops by 1968, and both facts are scored (National Archives, Milestone Documents; SSA history).

The receipts: Johnson signed the three most consequential domestic statutes of the century's second half within thirteen months: the Civil Rights Act of July 1964, the Voting Rights Act of August 1965, and the Social Security Amendments of 1965 creating Medicare and Medicaid; the same record escalated Vietnam past 500,000 troops by 1968, and C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 11th of 44 (National Archives, Milestone Documents; SSA history; C-SPAN, 2021).

Issued the Monroe Doctrine in his December 1823 annual message, acquired Florida through the Adams-Onis Treaty, and signed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, defining hemispheric policy for a century (National Archives, Milestone Documents).

The receipts: Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine in his December 1823 annual message, which governed hemispheric policy into the twentieth century, acquired Florida through the Adams-Onis Treaty, and signed the Missouri Compromise of 1820; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 12th of 44 (National Archives, Milestone Documents; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, the Dodd-Frank financial reform in July 2010, and the 787 billion dollar Recovery Act of February 2009; uninsured rates fell to record lows in Census data after ACA implementation (Congress.gov; U.S. Census Bureau health insurance reports).

The receipts: Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, the Dodd-Frank financial reform in July 2010, and the 787 billion dollar Recovery Act of February 2009, the largest expansions of health coverage and financial regulation since the 1960s in one two-year window, with Census data showing uninsured rates falling to record lows after ACA implementation; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 10th of 44 (Congress.gov; U.S. Census Bureau; C-SPAN, 2021).

The only president to pay off the national debt, in January 1835, and the author of the Force Bill response that ended nullification; the same pen signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which produced the forced removals and deaths of the Trail of Tears. Both are the record (Treasury Department history; National Archives).

The receipts: Jackson is the only president ever to retire the entire national debt, in January 1835, and faced down nullification with the Force Bill, but the same pen signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, whose documented result was the forced removals and deaths of the Trail of Tears; both are the record, and C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 22nd of 44 (Treasury Department history; National Archives; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the 1.2 trillion dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), the CHIPS and Science Act (2022), the Inflation Reduction Act (2022), and the PACT Act (2022); the record also includes inflation peaking at 9.1 percent in June 2022 and the deaths of 13 service members in the 2021 Kabul withdrawal (Congress.gov; Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI).

The receipts: Biden signed the 1.2 trillion dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), the CHIPS and Science Act (2022), the Inflation Reduction Act (2022), and the PACT Act (2022); the same record includes inflation peaking at 9.1 percent in June 2022 recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and 13 service members killed in the August 2021 Kabul withdrawal; the C-SPAN 2021 survey predated his presidency and is not scored for him (Congress.gov; Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI).

Created the EPA in 1970, signed the Clean Air Act of 1970, OSHA, and Title IX, opened relations with China in 1972, and signed SALT I; he is also the only president to resign, in August 1974, after the documented Watergate obstruction. Both halves are scored (EPA history; National Archives).

The receipts: Nixon created the EPA in 1970, signed the Clean Air Act of 1970, OSHA, and Title IX, opened relations with China in 1972, and signed SALT I, then resigned in August 1974 in the face of documented obstruction of justice, the only resignation in the office's history; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 31st of 44 (EPA history; National Archives; C-SPAN, 2021).

Established the Peace Corps, signed the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, negotiated the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, and resolved the Cuban Missile Crisis without war; assassination cut the record at two years and ten months (National Archives; JFK Library).

The receipts: Kennedy established the Peace Corps, signed the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, negotiated the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, and resolved the Cuban Missile Crisis without war in October 1962; assassination cut the record at two years and ten months, yet C-SPAN's 2021 survey still ranked him 8th of 44 (National Archives; JFK Library; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the foundation of U.S. competition law, and the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, and admitted six states in a single term (National Archives, Milestone Documents).

The receipts: Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the foundation of U.S. competition law still enforced today, and the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, and admitted six states in a single term; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 32nd of 44 (National Archives, Milestone Documents; C-SPAN, 2021).

Won passage of the Independent Treasury Act of 1840, separating federal finances from private banks; the Panic of 1837 and a five-year depression dominated the term, and he lost reelection (Senate Historical Office; Miller Center).

The receipts: Van Buren won passage of the Independent Treasury Act of 1840, separating federal finances from private banks, but the Panic of 1837 and the five-year depression that followed dominated the term and cost him reelection; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 34th of 44 (Senate Historical Office; Miller Center; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, creating the federal budget process and the GAO, and convened the Washington Naval Conference; the Teapot Dome scandal, which put his Interior Secretary in prison, is equally documented (GAO history; National Archives).

The receipts: Harding signed the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, creating the modern federal budget process and the Government Accountability Office, and convened the Washington Naval Conference, but the Teapot Dome scandal made his Interior Secretary the first cabinet officer imprisoned for conduct in office; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 37th of 44 (GAO history; National Archives; C-SPAN, 2021).

Proposed a national program of roads, canals, a university, and an observatory; Congress blocked nearly all of it, and his signed Tariff of 1828 fueled the nullification crisis. His later House heroics earn nothing under this report's presidential-record rule (Miller Center; Senate Historical Office).

The receipts: Adams proposed a national program of roads, canals, a university, and an observatory that Congress blocked nearly entirely, and his signed Tariff of 1828 fueled the nullification crisis; his later House heroics earn nothing under this report's presidential-record rule, though C-SPAN's 2021 survey, which weighs his whole reputation, ranked him 17th of 44 (Miller Center; Senate Historical Office; C-SPAN, 2021).

Set the succession precedent later codified in the 25th Amendment, secured the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, and signed the joint resolution annexing Texas in March 1845; his own party expelled him and his cabinet resigned (Senate Historical Office; National Archives).

The receipts: Tyler set the succession precedent later codified in the 25th Amendment, secured the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, and signed the joint resolution annexing Texas in March 1845, all while his own party expelled him and his cabinet resigned; C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 39th of 44 (Senate Historical Office; National Archives; C-SPAN, 2021).

Died 31 days into the term, the shortest presidency in history, leaving no legislative record to score; he ranks above only the presidents whose records were actively destructive (Senate Historical Office).

The receipts: Harrison died 31 days into the term, the shortest presidency in history, leaving no legislative record to score; he ranks above only the presidents whose records were actively destructive, and C-SPAN's 2021 survey placed him 40th of 44, largely for the absence of any record to rate (Senate Historical Office; C-SPAN, 2021).

Vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction acts, was overridden by Congress at a historic rate, and became the first president impeached, acquitted by a single vote in 1868; the Alaska purchase treaty of 1867 was concluded under his administration (Senate Historical Office; National Archives).

The receipts: Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction framework, was overridden by Congress at a historic rate, and became the first president impeached, acquitted by a single vote in 1868; the Alaska purchase treaty of 1867 was concluded under his administration, and C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 43rd of 44 (Senate Historical Office; National Archives; C-SPAN, 2021).

Signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and produced armed conflict in Kansas within two years; the Gadsden Purchase is the term's durable positive entry. His own party denied him renomination (National Archives; Senate Historical Office).

The receipts: Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and produced armed conflict in Kansas within two years, with the Gadsden Purchase the term's durable positive entry; his own party denied him renomination, and C-SPAN's 2021 survey ranked him 42nd of 44 (National Archives; Senate Historical Office; C-SPAN, 2021).

Declared secession illegal while asserting he lacked power to prevent it; seven states left the Union before he left office. C-SPAN's 2021 Presidential Historians Survey ranked him last of all 44 rated presidents, consistent with every prior edition (C-SPAN, 2021).

The receipts: Buchanan declared secession illegal while asserting he lacked power to prevent it, and seven states left the Union before he left office; C-SPAN's 2021 survey of 142 historians ranked him 44th of 44, last, as every prior C-SPAN edition has (C-SPAN Presidential Historians Survey, 2021; Senate Historical Office).