The U.S. Congress Votes Database

Members of Congress / Bill Nelson

Biographical Information

NELSON, Clarence William (Bill), a Representative and a Senator from Florida; born in Miami, Dade County, Fla., September 29, 1942; attended the Brevard County public schools; graduated from Melbourne High School 1960; B.A., Yale University 1965; J.D., University of Virginia School of Law 1968; admitted to the Florida bar in 1968 and commenced practice in Melbourne in 1970; served in United States Army Reserve 1965-1971; United States Army, active duty, 1968-1970, achieving rank of captain; legislative assistant to Governor Reubin Askew 1971; elected to Florida State house of representatives in 1972 and reelected in 1974 and 1976; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-sixth and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1979-January 3, 1991); was not a candidate for reelection in 1990 to the House of Representatives, but was a candidate for nomination for governor of Florida; crewmember on the twenty-fourth flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia, January 12-18, 1986; Florida treasurer and insurance commissioner 1995-2000; elected to the United States Senate in 2000, and again in 2006 for the term ending January 3, 2013. (Source.)

More coverage of Bill Nelson on washingtonpost.com

Roles in Congress

· 111th Congress: Senator, Florida, Democratic. Jan. 3, 2009, to Jan. 3, 2011.
· 110th Congress: Senator, Florida, Democratic. Jan. 4, 2007, to Jan. 3, 2011.
· 109th Congress: Senator, Florida, Democratic. Jan. 3, 2005, to Jan. 3, 2007.
· 108th Congress: Senator, Florida, Democratic. Jan. 3, 2003, to Jan. 3, 2005.
· 107th Congress: Senator, Florida, Democratic. Jan. 3, 2001, to Jan. 3, 2003.

Key Votes

See how Bill Nelson voted on key votes -- the most important bills, nominations and resolutions that have come before Congress, as determined by washingtonpost.com.

Missed Votes

Bill Nelson has missed 1 vote (0.5%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers.

Voting with Party

Bill Nelson has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 93.0% of the time during the current Congress. This percentage does not include votes in which Nelson did not vote. See a list of his votes against his party since 1991, a list of all Senators in the 111th Congress with a similar score, or a full list of party voters.

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State Information

Florida demographic profile (2000 Census)

Financial Disclosure

View Bill Nelson's official financial disclosure statements, which describe the sources, types and amounts of income earned in a given year. (See more disclosure reports.)

Latest Votes

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DateVotePositionGOP opinionDEM opinion
6/25/09 Vote 214: On the Motion: Motion to Table Motion to Commit H.R. 2918 to the Committee on Appropriations with Instructions; Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010 Yes No Yes
6/25/09 Vote 213: On the Nomination: Nomination of Harold Hongju Koh, of Connecticut, to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State Yes No Yes
6/24/09 Vote 212: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Harold Hongju Koh, of Connecticut, to be Legal Counsel of the Department of State Yes No Yes
6/22/09 Vote 211: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on Dorgan Amendment No. 1347; Of a perfecting nature. Yes No Yes
6/18/09 Vote 210: H R 2346: Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2346; Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
6/18/09 Vote 209: On the Motion: Motion to Waive All Applicable Points of Order Under Rule 44 on Conference Report on H.R. 2346; Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 Yes No Yes
6/16/09 Vote 208: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on Motion to Proceed to S.1023; Travel Promotion Act of 2009 Yes Yes Yes
6/11/09 Vote 207: H R 1256: H.R. 1256 As Amended; Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Yes Yes Yes
6/10/09 Vote 206: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R. 1256; Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Yes No Yes
6/9/09 Vote 205: H R 1256: Burr Amdt. No. 1246; In the nature of a substitute. No Yes No
6/8/09 Vote 204: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. 1247 ; In the nature of a substitute. Yes No Yes
6/2/09 Vote 203: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 1256; Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Yes Yes Yes
5/21/09 Vote 202: H R 2346: HR 2346 As Amended ; Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
5/21/09 Vote 201: H R 2346: DeMint Amdt. No. 1138; To strike the provisions relating to increased funding for the International Monetary Fund. No Yes No
5/21/09 Vote 200: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R. 2346; Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 Yes Yes Yes
5/20/09 Vote 199: H R 2346: Brownback Amdt. No. 1140 As Modified; To express the sense of the Senate on consultation with State and local governments in the transfer to the United States of detainees at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Yes Yes Yes
5/20/09 Vote 198: H R 2346: McConnell Amdt. No. 1136 As Modified; To limit the release of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, pending a report on the prisoner population at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. Yes Yes Yes
5/20/09 Vote 197: S 454: Conference Report to Accompany S. 454; Weapons Acquisition System Reform Through Enhancing Technical Knowledge and Oversight Act of 2009 Yes Yes Yes
5/20/09 Vote 196: H R 2346: Inouye Amdt. No. 1133; To prohibit funding to transfer, release, or incarcerate detainees detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to or within the United States. Yes Yes Yes
5/19/09 Vote 195: On the Nomination: Confirmation of Gary Gensler, of Maryland, to be Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Yes Yes Yes

Full list of votes by Bill Nelson

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