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The Vote Ledger
WP

William Proxmire

Senator from Wisconsin
SENATEDEMOCRAT1957–1989ID P000553
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
73%with Dems
of 5,161 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
73%with Dems
of 5,161 · both combined
Steepest move
+24 pts
1963 → 1965
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 ↓195719631969197519811987
1987–88100th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
73.6%with Democrats
of 333 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1963 → 1965, +24 pts — while still a Democrat.
Sat as a DemocratSat as a RepublicanVotes available below

Votes

9 of these 9 roll calls have no description. About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank in the source too. Some also lack a bill number.

DateBillVoteTypeCastSided with
Oct 18, 1988S. 2011No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEAREP MAJORITY
Oct 18, 1988S. 2751No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEANEITHER · NOT SCORED
Oct 18, 1988S. 2751No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Full textNo description in the source record. What survives: the date, the bill number (S. 2751), how they voted and which side that matched.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans YeaCounts toward scoreNo — both party majorities voted Yea.
Where this lands
YEAVoted with both majorities — not scored
Oct 14, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Oct 13, 1988H.R. 5210No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
9 most recent roll calls shown · 333 contested votes scored in the 100th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance53.2% · 731 votes
Armed Forces and National Security78.1% · 324 votes
Government Operations and Politics74.1% · 278 votes
International Affairs68.1% · 191 votes
Energy83.7% · 184 votes
Taxation76.3% · 177 votes
Agriculture and Food57.7% · 163 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance67.2% · 122 votes
Transportation and Public Works69.3% · 101 votes
Labor and Employment84.1% · 88 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources75% · 84 votes
Law90.9% · 77 votes
Congress80% · 75 votes
Education49.3% · 69 votes
Social Welfare71.2% · 52 votes
Immigration50% · 48 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues72.7% · 44 votes
Commerce74.4% · 43 votes
Environmental Protection86.8% · 38 votes
Finance and Financial Sector78.4% · 37 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement77.1% · 35 votes
Animals100% · 31 votes
Housing and Community Development70% · 30 votes
Sports and Recreation45.8% · 24 votes
Depletion allowances87% · 23 votes
Health60.9% · 23 votes
Income tax75% · 20 votes
Power resources94.1% · 17 votes
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 16 votes
Science, Technology, Communications80% · 15 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations90.9% · 11 votes
Political participation40% · 10 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Political representation— · 9 votes
Automobile insurance— · 8 votes
Economic stabilization— · 8 votes
Public works— · 8 votes
Solar heating and cooling— · 8 votes
Amnesties— · 7 votes
Age and employment— · 6 votes
Intergovernmental relations— · 6 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 5 votes
Day care— · 5 votes
Embargo— · 5 votes
Industrial relations— · 5 votes
Mortgages— · 5 votes
Petroleum industry— · 5 votes
Credit— · 4 votes
Native Americans— · 4 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 4 votes
Families— · 3 votes
Heating— · 3 votes
International monetary system— · 3 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 3 votes
Motor vehicles— · 3 votes
Range management— · 3 votes
Water Resources Development— · 3 votes
District of Columbia— · 2 votes
Government corporations— · 2 votes
Government publications— · 2 votes
Government securities— · 2 votes
Private Legislation— · 2 votes
Commemorations— · 1 vote
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 39 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, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, 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, 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

16 Congresses
85th · 1957100th · 1987
Democrat · Senate · WI85th–100th
Term datesexact
Members · Wisconsin
WP

William Proxmire

Senator from Wisconsin
SENATED1957–198916 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
72.8%with Democrats
of 5,161 votes · 27.2% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested73%of 5,161 · combined
Steepest move+24 pts1963→65, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019571987
1987–88 · 100th · Democrat · of 333 votes73.6%

Legislation leads. Tap a point to read that Congress.

Votes

About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank too. These rows carry a date, a bill number where one exists, how they voted and which side that matched.
Democratic majorityYea
Republican majorityYea
Counts toward scoreNo
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 333 contested votes scored in the 100th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance53.2% · 731
Armed Forces and National Security78.1% · 324
Government Operations and Politics74.1% · 278
International Affairs68.1% · 191
Energy83.7% · 184
Taxation76.3% · 177
Agriculture and Food57.7% · 163
Foreign Trade and International Finance67.2% · 122
Transportation and Public Works69.3% · 101
Labor and Employment84.1% · 88
Public Lands and Natural Resources75% · 84
Law90.9% · 77
Congress80% · 75
Education49.3% · 69
Social Welfare71.2% · 52
Immigration50% · 48
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues72.7% · 44
Commerce74.4% · 43
Environmental Protection86.8% · 38
Finance and Financial Sector78.4% · 37
Crime and Law Enforcement77.1% · 35
Animals100% · 31
Housing and Community Development70% · 30
Sports and Recreation45.8% · 24
Depletion allowances87% · 23
Health60.9% · 23
Income tax75% · 20
Power resources94.1% · 17
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 16
Science, Technology, Communications80% · 15
Congressional-Presidential relations90.9% · 11
Political participation40% · 10
Political representation— · 9
Automobile insurance— · 8
Economic stabilization— · 8
Public works— · 8
Solar heating and cooling— · 8
Amnesties— · 7
Age and employment— · 6
Intergovernmental relations— · 6
Black lung— · 5
Constitutional amendments— · 5
Day care— · 5
Embargo— · 5
Industrial relations— · 5
Mortgages— · 5
Petroleum industry— · 5
Credit— · 4
Native Americans— · 4
Territories (U.S.)— · 4
Families— · 3
Heating— · 3
International monetary system— · 3
Mines and mineral resources— · 3
Motor vehicles— · 3
Range management— · 3
Water Resources Development— · 3
District of Columbia— · 2
Government corporations— · 2
Government publications— · 2
Government securities— · 2
Private Legislation— · 2
Commemorations— · 1
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 39 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, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, 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, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Social Sciences and History, Strategic materials, Terrorism.

Service record

85th · 1957100th · 1987
Democrat85th–100th

Party switchers

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