Senate Key Votes 1-5 By the CQ Staff
Following are Senate votes from 1996 selected by Congressional Quarterly as key votes. Original vote number is provided in parentheses.
1. S652. Telecommunications Overhaul/Conference Report. Adoption of the conference report to promote competition and deregulation in the broadcasting, cable and telephone industries by requiring local phone companies to open their networks to competitors, allowing those companies to offer cable service, permitting the regional Bell operating companies to enter the long-distance and manufacturing markets, easing ownership requirements on broadcasters, and deregulating cable rates for small cable TV systems. The bill also would require most televisions sold in the United States to be equipped with a device that would allow parents to block TV shows rated inappropriate for children and would bar the dissemination of "inDecent" material on the Internet and online computer services. Adopted (thus cleared for the president) 91-5: R 51-1; D 40-4 (ND 30-4, SD 10-0), Feb. 1, 1996. A "yea" was a vote in support of the president's position. (Senate vote 8)
2. S1541. Farm Bill/Passage. Passage of the bill to reauthorize for seven years, through 2002, all major federal farm programs, overhauling certain programs to give farmers a fixed, Declining payment regardless of market conditions rather than traditional subsidies and to give farmers more flexibility in Deciding what to plant. The bill reauthorizes the food stamp program for seven years and expands conservation and rural development programs. Passed 64-32: R 44-6; D 20-26 (ND 13-23, SD 7-3), Feb. 7, 1996. (Senate vote 19)
3. HR927. Cuba Sanctions/Conference Report. Adoption of the conference report on the bill to strengthen the trade embargo against Cuba, to discourage foreign investment in Cuba and to direct the president to prepare to support a transition to democracy in Cuba. The bill would allow U.S. nationals to bring lawsuits against entities that traffic in confiscated Cuban property; it would codify all existing Cuban economic sanctions dating back to 1962; it would deny entry into the United States to foreigners who traffic in confiscated Cuban property; and it would proportionally reduce U.S. foreign aid to countries that support Cuba. Adopted (thus sent to the House) 74-22: R 47-4; D 27-18 (ND 19-17, SD 8-1), March 5, 1996. A "yea" was a vote in support of the president's position. (Senate vote 22)
4. HR956. Product Liability/Conference Report. Adoption of the conference report to limit punitive damages in product liability cases to two times compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater, with lower limits for small businesses. Under the bill, a plaintiff could bring a lawsuit up to two years after discovering both the cause and the injury itself. The bill would limit the time to file a suit to 15 years after the delivery of a product, but the limit would apply only to some types of products. The bill also would abolish joint and several liability for non-economic damages. Adopted (thus sent to the House) 59-40: R 47-6; D 12-34 (ND 9-27, SD 3-7), March 21, 1996. A "nay" was a vote in support of the president's position. (Senate vote 46)
5. S4. Line-Item Veto/Conference Report. Adoption of the conference report to the bill to grant the president on or after Jan. 1, 1997, the authority to cancel individual spending items, limited tax breaks or new entitlement programs from larger bills already signed into law. The proposed cancellations would take effect unless both chambers pass a bill (itself subject to veto) to reverse them. The provisions of the bill would expire on Jan. 1, 2005. Adopted (thus sent to the House) 69-31: R 50-3; D 19-28 (ND 16-21, SD 3-7), March 27, 1996. A "yea" was a vote in support of the president's position. (Senate vote 56)
Note: 1. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was sworn in Feb. 6, replacing Bob Packwood, R-Ore., who resigned Oct. 1, 1995. He was eligible to vote on key votes 2-14.
CQ VOTE NUMBER 1 2 3 4 5
Alabama
Heflin (D) Y Y Y N N
Shelby (R) Y Y Y N Y
Alaska
Stevens (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Murkowski (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Arizona
McCain (R) N Y Y Y Y
Kyl (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Arkansas
Bumpers (D) Y N N N N
Pryor (D) Y N Y Y N
California
Feinstein (D) Y Y Y N Y
Boxer (D) Y Y N N N
Colorado
Brown (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Campbell (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Connecticut
Dodd (D) ? N N Y N
Lieberman (D) Y Y Y Y Y
Delaware
Roth (R) Y Y ? N Y
Biden (D) Y Y Y N Y
Florida
Graham (D) Y Y Y N Y
Mack (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Georgia
Nunn (D) Y Y ? Y N
Coverdell (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Hawaii
Inouye (D) Y Y ? N N
Akaka (D) Y Y N N N
Idaho
Craig (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Kempthorne (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Illinois
Simon (D) N Y N N Y
Moseley-Braun (D) Y Y N Y N
Indiana
Lugar (R) Y Y ? Y Y
Coats (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Iowa
Grassley (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Harkin (D) Y N N N Y
Kansas
Dole (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Kassebaum Baker (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Kentucky
Ford (D) Y Y Y N N
McConnell (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Louisiana
Johnston (D) Y Y Y Y N
Breaux (D) Y Y Y N Y
Maine
Cohen (R) Y N Y N N
Snowe (R) Y N Y Y Y
Maryland
Sarbanes (D) Y N Y N N
Mikulski (D) Y N Y N N
Massachusetts
Kennedy (D) Y N N N Y
Kerry (D) Y N N N Y
Michigan
Levin (D) Y N N N N
Abraham (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Minnesota
Wellstone (D) N N N N Y
Grams (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Mississippi
Cochran (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Lott (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Missouri
Bond (R) Y Y N Y Y
Ashcroft (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Montana
Baucus (D) Y Y Y N Y
Burns (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Nebraska
Exon (D) Y N Y Y Y
Kerrey (D) Y N N ? N
Nevada
Reid (D) Y N Y N N
Bryan (D) Y N Y N N
New Hampshire
Smith (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Gregg (R) Y N Y Y Y
New Jersey
Bradley (D) Y ? Y N Y
Lautenberg (D) Y N Y N N
New Mexico
Domenici (R) Y ? Y Y Y
Bingaman (D) Y N N N N
New York
Moynihan (D) Y Y N N N
D'Amato (R) Y Y Y N Y
North Carolina
Helms (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Faircloth (R) Y Y Y Y Y
North Dakota
Conrad (D) Y N Y N N
Dorgan (D) Y N Y Y Y
Ohio
Glenn (D) Y N Y Y N
DeWine (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Oklahoma
Nickles (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Inhofe (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Oregon
Hatfield (R) Y ? N Y N
Wyden (D) I Y Y N Y
Pennsylvania
Specter (R) Y Y Y N Y
Santorum (R) Y N Y Y Y
Rhode Island
Pell (D) Y Y N Y N
Chafee (R) Y N N Y Y
South Carolina
Thurmond (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Hollings (D) Y N Y N N
South Dakota
Pressler (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Daschle (D) Y N Y N Y
Tennessee
Thompson (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Frist (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Texas
Gramm (R) ? ? Y Y Y
Hutchison (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Utah
Hatch (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Bennett (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Vermont
Leahy (D) N Y N N N
Jeffords (R) Y N N Y N
Virginia
Warner (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Robb (D) Y Y Y N Y
Washington
Gorton (R) Y Y Y Y Y
Murray (D) Y N N N N
West Virginia
Byrd (D) Y N Y N N
Rockefeller (D) ? N Y Y N
Wisconsin
Kohl (D) Y N Y Y Y
Feingold (D) N N N N Y
Wyoming
Simpson (R) Y Y Y N Y
Thomas (R) Y Y Y Y Y
KEY --
Y YEA
N NAY
# PAIRED FOR
X PAIRED AGAINST
+ ANNOUNCED FOR
- ANNOUNCED AGAINST
P VOTED PRESENT
C VOTES PRESENT TO AVOID
POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST
? DID NOT VOTE OR MAKE POSITION KNOWN
I NOT ELEGIBLE MEMBER