The U.S. Congress Votes Database

Members of Congress / Arlen Specter

Biographical Information

SPECTER, 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.
· 111th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 2009, to April 28, 2009.
· 110th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 4, 2007, to Jan. 3, 2011.
· 109th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 2005, to Jan. 3, 2007.
· 108th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 2003, to Jan. 3, 2005.
· 107th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 2001, to Jan. 3, 2003.
· 106th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 1999, to Jan. 3, 2001.
· 105th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 1997, to Jan. 3, 1999.
· 104th Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 1995, to Jan. 3, 1997.
· 103rd Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Republican. Jan. 3, 1993, to Jan. 3, 1995.
· 102nd Congress: Senator, Pennsylvania, Democratic. Jan. 3, 1991, to Jan. 3, 1993.

Key Votes

See 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 Votes

Arlen Specter has missed 17 votes (4.1%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers.

Voting with Party

Arlen Specter has voted with a majority of his Democratic colleagues 94.8% 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.

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State Information

Pennsylvania demographic profile (2000 Census)

Financial Disclosure

View 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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DateVotePositionGOP opinionDEM opinion
2/4/10 Vote 20: On the Nomination: Nomination: Martha N. Johnson, of Maryland, to be Administrator of General Services Yes Yes Yes
2/4/10 Vote 19: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Martha A. Johnson to be Administrator of General Services Administration Yes Yes Yes
2/4/10 Vote 18: On the Nomination: Confirmation M. Patricia Smith, of New York, to be Solicitor for the Department of Labor. Yes No Yes
2/1/10 Vote 17: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of M. Patricia Smith, to be Solicitor for the Department of Labor Yes No Yes
1/28/10 Vote 16: On the Nomination: Confirmation Ben S. Bernanke To Be Chairman Of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System No Yes Yes
1/28/10 Vote 15: On the Cloture Motion: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Ben S. Bernanke, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve No Yes Yes
1/28/10 Vote 14: H J RES 45: H. J. Res. 45 As Amended; A joint resolution increasing the statutory limit on the public debt. Yes No Yes
1/28/10 Vote 13: H J RES 45: Reid Amdt. No. 3299 As Amended; In the nature of a substitute. Yes No Yes
1/28/10 Vote 12: H J RES 45: Reid Amdt. No. 3305; To reimpose statutory pay-as-you-go. Yes No Yes
1/28/10 Vote 11: H J RES 45: Sessions Amdt. No. 3308; To reduce the deficit by establishing 5-year discretionary spending caps. No Yes No
1/28/10 Vote 10: H J RES 45: Brownback Amdt. No. 3309; To establish a Commission on Congressional Budgetary Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies. No Yes No
1/26/10 Vote 9: H J RES 45: Coburn Amdt. No. 3303, Division IV; To rescind $120 billion in Federal spending by consolidating duplicative government programs, cutting wasteful Washington spending, and returning billions of dollars of unspent money. No Yes No
1/26/10 Vote 8: H J RES 45: Coburn Amdt. No. 3303, Division III; To rescind $120 billion in Federal spending by consolidating duplicative government programs, cutting wasteful Washington spending, and returning billions of dollars of unspent money. No Yes No
1/26/10 Vote 7: H J RES 45: Coburn Amdt. No. 3303, Division II; To rescind $120 billion in Federal spending by consolidating duplicative government programs, cutting wasteful Washington spending, and returning billions of dollars of unspent money. No Yes No
1/26/10 Vote 6: H J RES 45: Coburn Amdt. No. 3303, Division I; To rescind $120 billion in Federal spending by consolidating duplicative government programs, cutting wasteful Washington spending, and returning billions of dollars of unspent money. Yes Yes Yes
1/26/10 Vote 5: H J RES 45: Conrad Amdt. No. 3302; To establish a Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action, to assure the long-term fiscal stability and economic security of the Federal Government of the United States, and to expand future prosperity and growth for all Americans. No No Yes
1/26/10 Vote 4: H J RES 45: Baucus Amdt. No. 3300 as Modified; To protect Social Security. Yes Yes Yes
1/25/10 Vote 3: On the Nomination: Confirmation Rosanna Malouf Peterson, of Washington, to be U.S. District Judge Yes Yes Yes
1/21/10 Vote 2: H J RES 45: Thune Amdt. No. 3301; To terminate authority under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and for other purposes. No Yes No
1/20/10 Vote 1: On the Nomination: Confirmation Beverly Baldwin Martin, of Georgia, to be U.S. Circuit Judge Yes Yes Yes

Full list of votes by Arlen Specter

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