Members of Congress / Arlen Specter
Biographical InformationSPECTER, Arlen, a Senator from Pennsylvania; born in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kans., February 12, 1930; attended the public schools; graduated, University of Pennsylvania 1951; graduated, Yale University Law School 1956; served in the United States Air Force 1951-1953; admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1956 and commenced practice in Philadelphia; assistant district attorney of Philadelphia 1959-1964; assistant counsel, President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (Warren Commission) 1964; district attorney of Philadelphia 1966-1974; resumed the practice of law 1974-1980; admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1979 and to the District of Columbia bar in 1983; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1980; reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998 and in 2004 for the term ending January 3, 2011; changed party affiliation, becoming a Democrat on April 30, 2009; chair, Select Committee on Intelligence (One Hundred Fourth Congress), Committee on Veterans Affairs (One Hundred Fifth and One Hundred Sixth Congresses, One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 20, 2001-June 6, 2001], One Hundred Eighth Congress), Committee on the Judiciary (One Hundred Ninth Congress). (Source.) More coverage of Arlen Specter on washingtonpost.com Roles in Congress
· 111th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Democratic.
Jan. 3, 2009, to Jan. 3, 2011. Key VotesSee how Arlen Specter voted on key votes -- the most important bills, nominations and resolutions that have come before Congress, as determined by washingtonpost.com. Missed VotesArlen Specter has missed 16 votes (4.5%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers. Voting with PartyArlen Specter has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 95.2% of the time during the current Congress. This percentage does not include votes in which Specter 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. |  State InformationPennsylvania demographic profile (2000 Census) Financial DisclosureView Arlen Specter'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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| Date | Vote | Position | GOP opinion | DEM opinion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote 353: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3590; Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 352: S 1963: S. 1963; Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 351: S 1963: Coburn Amdt. No. 2785; To transfer funding for the United Nations contributions to offset costs of providing assistance to family caregivers of disabled veterans. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 350: On the Nomination: Confirmation David F. Hamilton, of Indiana, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 349: On the Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of David F. Hamilton, of Indiana, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 348: H R 3082: H.R. 3082 As Amended; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 347: H R 3082: Motion to Table Inhofe Amdt. No 2774; To prohibit the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to construct or modify a facility in the United States or its territories to permanently or temporarily hold any individual held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 346: H R 3082: Johnson Amdt. No. 2733; To increase by $50,000,000 the amount available for the Department of Veterans Affairs for minor construction projects for the purpose of converting unused Department of Veterans Affairs structures into housing with supportive services for homeless veterans, and to provide an offset. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 345: On the Motion: Coburn Motion to Commit H.R. 3082 to the Committee on Appropriations; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 344: H R 3082: Coburn Amdt. No. 2757; To require public disclosure of certain reports. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 343: On the Nomination: Confirmation Charlene Edwards Honeywell, of Florida, to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 342: On the Nomination: Confirmation Andre M. Davis, of Maryland, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit | Yes | None | Yes | |
| Vote 341: On the Nomination: Confirmation Ignacia S. Moreno, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General. | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vote 340: H R 2847: H.R. 2847 As Amended.; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 339: On the Motion: Motion to Waive Sec. 302(F) of CBA Ensign Amdt. No. 2648 as modified.; To provide additional funds for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program by reducing corporate welfare programs. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 338: H R 2847: Motion to Table Graham Amdt. No. 2669; To prohibit the use of funds for the prosecution in Article III courts of the United States of individuals involved in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 337: On the Motion: Motion to Waive Section 302(F) of CBA re: Coburn Amdt. No. 2667; To reduce waste and abuse at the Department of Commerce. | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 336: H R 2847: Coburn Amdt. No 2631.; To redirect funding of the National Science Foundation toward practical scientific research | No | Yes | No | |
| Vote 335: On the Motion: Upon Reconsideration Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Reported Committee Substitute to H.R. 2847.; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Vote 334: H R 3548: H.R. 3548 as amended.; Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Full list of votes by Arlen Specter
