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The Vote Ledger
EK

Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy

Senator from Massachusetts
SENATEDEMOCRAT1963–2011ID K000105
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
94%with Dems
of 7,544 votes
Nominations
98%with Dems
of 97 · confirmations only
All contested
94%with Dems
of 7,641 · both combined
Steepest move
+9 pts
1967 → 1969
still a Democrat

Career arc

Legislation leads. Each point is one Congress: how often they sided with the Democratic majority on contested bills, resolutions and amendments.

100%75%50%25%0%sides with Democrats ↑sides with Republicans ↓19631969197519811987199319992005
2009–10111th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
100%with Democrats
of 6 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1967 → 1969, +9 pts — while still a Democrat.
Sat as a DemocratSat as a RepublicanVotes available below

Votes

DateBillVoteTypeCastSided with
Apr 27, 2009S. 386A bill to improve enforcement of mortgage fraud, securities fraud, financial institution fraud, and other frauds related to federal assistance and relief programs, for the recovery of funds lost to these frauds, and for other purposes.LEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Apr 2, 2009S.Con.Res. 13An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2010, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2009, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.LEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Apr 2, 2009S.Con.Res. 13To provide that no additional estate tax relief beyone that which is already assumed in this resolution, which protects over 99.7 percent of estates from the estate tax, shall be allowed under any deficit-neutral reserve fund unless an equal amount of aggregate tax relief is also provided to Americans earning less than $100,000 per year.LEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Full textTo provide that no additional estate tax relief beyone that which is already assumed in this resolution, which protects over 99.7 percent of estates from the estate tax, shall be allowed under any deficit-neutral reserve fund unless an equal amount of aggregate tax relief is also provided to Americans earning less than $100,000 per year.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans NayCounts toward scoreYes — the parties split.
Where this lands
YEASided with the Democratic majority
Apr 2, 2009S.Con.Res. 13To create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for estate tax relief.LEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Mar 26, 2009H.R. 1388A bill entitled "The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws."LEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Mar 23, 2009H.R. 1388A bill to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.LEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Feb 10, 2009H.R. 1A bill making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.LEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Feb 10, 2009H.R. 1In the nature of a substitute.LEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Feb 9, 2009H.R. 1In the nature of a substitute.LEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
9 most recent roll calls shown · 6 contested votes scored in the 111th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance95.2% · 1,899 votes
Armed Forces and National Security94.3% · 583 votes
Government Operations and Politics96.2% · 471 votes
Taxation93.5% · 432 votes
International Affairs93.7% · 301 votes
Energy93.1% · 218 votes
Agriculture and Food88.2% · 187 votes
Labor and Employment99.4% · 175 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance87.7% · 163 votes
Health92% · 162 votes
Education97.5% · 161 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement95.4% · 152 votes
Transportation and Public Works94% · 150 votes
Finance and Financial Sector95.2% · 146 votes
Immigration88.1% · 134 votes
Congress95.2% · 125 votes
Social Welfare91.1% · 101 votes
Law100% · 96 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources97.9% · 96 votes
Environmental Protection98.6% · 71 votes
Commerce100% · 70 votes
Science, Technology, Communications85.2% · 61 votes
Emergency Management97.6% · 41 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 33 votes
Animals100% · 28 votes
Housing and Community Development100% · 27 votes
Water Resources Development96% · 25 votes
Sports and Recreation95.7% · 23 votes
Income tax88.9% · 18 votes
Depletion allowances80% · 15 votes
Independent regulatory commissions92.3% · 13 votes
Families100% · 12 votes
Power resources100% · 11 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations100% · 10 votes
Political participation100% · 10 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Commemorations— · 9 votes
Native Americans— · 9 votes
Political representation— · 9 votes
Public works— · 8 votes
Amnesties— · 7 votes
Economic stabilization— · 7 votes
Solar heating and cooling— · 7 votes
Age and employment— · 6 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 5 votes
Day care— · 5 votes
Industrial relations— · 5 votes
Automobile insurance— · 4 votes
Credit— · 4 votes
Intergovernmental relations— · 4 votes
Petroleum industry— · 4 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 4 votes
Embargo— · 3 votes
International monetary system— · 3 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 3 votes
Mortgages— · 3 votes
Range management— · 3 votes
District of Columbia— · 2 votes
Government corporations— · 2 votes
Government securities— · 2 votes
Motor vehicles— · 2 votes
Congressional oversight— · 1 vote
Conservation of natural resources— · 1 vote
Dairy industry— · 1 vote
Disaster relief— · 1 vote
Federal advisory bodies— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1 vote
Lobbying— · 1 vote
Monuments and memorials— · 1 vote
Ships and shipping— · 1 vote
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1 vote

They also voted in 41 areas where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government publications, Heating, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Private Legislation, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Social Sciences and History, Strategic materials, Terrorism.

Blue is the share of votes siding with the Democratic majority; the tick marks 50%.

Service record

24 Congresses
88th · 1963111th · 2009
Democrat · Senate · MA88th–111th
Term datesexact
Members · Massachusetts
EK

Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy

Senator from Massachusetts
SENATED1963–201124 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
94.1%with Democrats
of 7,544 votes · 5.9% with Republicans
Nominations98%of 97 votes
All contested94%of 7,641 · combined
Steepest move+9 pts1967→69, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019632009
2009–10 · 111th · Democrat · of 6 votes100%

Legislation leads. Tap a point to read that Congress.

Votes

Democratic majorityYea
Republican majorityNay
Counts toward scoreYes
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 6 contested votes scored in the 111th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance95.2% · 1,899
Armed Forces and National Security94.3% · 583
Government Operations and Politics96.2% · 471
Taxation93.5% · 432
International Affairs93.7% · 301
Energy93.1% · 218
Agriculture and Food88.2% · 187
Labor and Employment99.4% · 175
Foreign Trade and International Finance87.7% · 163
Health92% · 162
Education97.5% · 161
Crime and Law Enforcement95.4% · 152
Transportation and Public Works94% · 150
Finance and Financial Sector95.2% · 146
Immigration88.1% · 134
Congress95.2% · 125
Social Welfare91.1% · 101
Law100% · 96
Public Lands and Natural Resources97.9% · 96
Environmental Protection98.6% · 71
Commerce100% · 70
Science, Technology, Communications85.2% · 61
Emergency Management97.6% · 41
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 33
Animals100% · 28
Housing and Community Development100% · 27
Water Resources Development96% · 25
Sports and Recreation95.7% · 23
Income tax88.9% · 18
Depletion allowances80% · 15
Independent regulatory commissions92.3% · 13
Families100% · 12
Power resources100% · 11
Congressional-Presidential relations100% · 10
Political participation100% · 10
Commemorations— · 9
Native Americans— · 9
Political representation— · 9
Public works— · 8
Amnesties— · 7
Economic stabilization— · 7
Solar heating and cooling— · 7
Age and employment— · 6
Black lung— · 5
Constitutional amendments— · 5
Day care— · 5
Industrial relations— · 5
Automobile insurance— · 4
Credit— · 4
Intergovernmental relations— · 4
Petroleum industry— · 4
Territories (U.S.)— · 4
Embargo— · 3
International monetary system— · 3
Mines and mineral resources— · 3
Mortgages— · 3
Range management— · 3
District of Columbia— · 2
Government corporations— · 2
Government securities— · 2
Motor vehicles— · 2
Congressional oversight— · 1
Conservation of natural resources— · 1
Dairy industry— · 1
Disaster relief— · 1
Federal advisory bodies— · 1
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1
Lobbying— · 1
Monuments and memorials— · 1
Ships and shipping— · 1
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1

Also voted in 41 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government publications, Heating, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Private Legislation, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Social Sciences and History, Strategic materials, Terrorism.

Service record

88th · 1963111th · 2009
Democrat88th–111th

Party switchers

John Alexander LoganD→R · IL · 40thWesley Wade WatkinsD→R · OK · 105thBen Nighthorse CampbellD→R · CO · 104th
AD320 × 50 · Anchor