Congressional Roll Call and Other Record Votes: First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

Congressional Roll Call and Other Record Votes: First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

Congressional Roll Call and Other Record Votes: First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

March 3, 2005 (RL30562)

Contents

Roll Call and Record Votes

Figures

Figure 1. Total Number of Record Votes, House of Representatives and Senate, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Figure 2. Total Number of Record Votes (Yea/Nay and Recorded), House of Representatives, by Session, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Figure 3. Total Number of Record Votes, Senate, by Session, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Tables

Table 1. Record Votes in Congress, First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

Summary

This compilation provides information on roll call and other record votes taken in the House of Representatives and Senate from the first Congress through the 108th Congress, 1789 through 2004.

Table 1 provides data for the House, the Senate, and both chambers together. Data provided include total record votes taken during each Congress, and the cumulative total record votes taken from the first Congress through the end of each subsequent Congress. The data for each Congress are also broken down by session, from the 80th Congress through the 108th Congress, 1947 through 2004.

Figures 1 through 3 display the number of record votes in each chamber for each session from the 92nd Congress through 108th Congress, 1971 through 2004. They begin with 1971, the first year for which the House authorized record votes in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970.

In the 108th Congress, there were 1,218 record votes in the House of Representatives and 675 record votes in the Senate. From 1789 through 2004, there were 92,206 such votes—46,017 votes in the House, and 46,189 votes in the Senate.

This report will be updated following the conclusion of the 109th Congress, first session.

Congressional Roll Call and Other Record Votes: First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

Roll Call and Record Votes

This compilation provides information on record votes taken in the House of Representatives and Senate from the first Congress through the 108th Congress, 1789 through 2004. For purposes of this compilation, a "record vote" is defined as any vote for which public record is made of the votes cast by individual Members.

In the Senate, all record votes are taken by a call of the roll,¹ in which Members state their preference to a clerk. In the House, record votes are normally taken by electronic device, with Members inserting voting cards into a machine and pressing a button to record their preference. Before this system was installed in 1972 (and since, when the system has been unavailable), clerks recorded Members' votes on the basis of the call of the roll, similarly to the Senate.

Table 1 provides data on the record votes of the House and Senate, and both chambers together, from the first Congress through the 108h Congress, 1789 through 2004. It gives both the total number in, and the cumulative total through, each Congress. For example, in the first Congress (1789 through1790), there were 109 votes in the House and 100 in the Senate. In the 108th Congress, there were 1,218 record votes in the House of Representatives and 675 record votes in the Senate. From 1789 through 2004, there were 92,206 such votes—46,017 votes in the House, and 46,189 votes in the Senate.

Following Table 1, three graphs display data on record votes in each chamber for each session of Congress from the 92nd through 108th Congress, 1971 through 2004. They begin with 1971, the first year for which the House authorized record votes in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970. The first graph shows the total number of record votes for each Congress. The second and third graphs show, for the House and Senate respectively, the total number of record votes for each session of Congress.

For the 80th Congress through the 108th Congress, 1947 through 2004, the period usually designated the "modern Congress," the table also gives the total number of record votes in each chamber during each session of Congress. These data are not readily available for earlier Congresses.² Thus, corresponding cells of the table for Congresses before the 80th Congress carry the notation "na."

For the House from the 92nd Congress through the 108th Congress, 1971 through 2004, the table also breaks down the record votes during each session into roll call votes (yea and nay votes) and recorded votes. For the earlier years, in which this distinction was not applicable, corresponding cells of the table carry the notation "n/a."

Table 1. Record Votes in Congress, First Congress Through 108th Congress, 1789 Through 2004

Congress/
Years

House of Representatives

Senate

Both Chambers

1st Session

2nd Session

All Sessions

Roll Call (yea/nay) Votesa

Recorded Votesb

Session Total

Roll Call (yea/nay) Votesa

Recorded Votesb

Session Total

All Sessions Total

Cumulative Total

1st Session

2nd Session

All Sessions Total

Cumulative Total

Congress Total

Cumulative Total

1

1789-1790

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

109

109

na

na

100

100

209

209

2

1791-1792

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

102

211

na

na

52

152

154

363

3

1793-1794

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

69

280

na

na

79

231

148

511

4

1795-1796

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

83

363

na

na

86

317

169

680

5

1797-1798

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

155

518

na

na

202

519

357

1,037

6

1799-1800

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

96

614

na

na

120

639

216

1,253

7

1801-1802

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

141

755

na

na

88

727

229

1,482

8

1803-1804

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

132

887

na

na

150

877

282

1,764

9

1805-1806

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

158

1,045

na

na

88

965

246

2,010

10

1807-1808

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

237

1,282

na

na

91

1,056

328

2,338

11

1809-1810

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

293

1,575

na

na

167

1,223

460

2,798

12

1811-1812

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

314

1,889

na

na

204

1,427

518

3,316

13

1813-1814

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

352

2,241

na

na

263

1,690

615

3,931

14

1815-1816

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

113

2,354

na

na

189

1,879

302

4,233

15

1817-1818

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

106

2,460

na

na

132

2,011

238

4,471

16

1819-1820

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

147

2,607

na

na

120

2,131

267

4,738

17

1821-1822

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

95

2,702

na

na

91

2,222

186

4,924

18

1823-1824

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

94

2,796

na

na

178

2,400

272

5,196

19

1825-1826

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

111

2,907

na

na

234

2,634

345

5,541

20

1827-1828

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

233

3,140

na

na

238

2,872

471

6,012

21

1829-1830

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

273

3,413

na

na

277

3,149

550

6,562

22

1831-1832

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

462

3,875

na

na

422

3,571

884

7,446

23

1833-1834

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

327

4,202

na

na

229

3,800

556

8,002

24

1835-1836

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

459

4,661

na

na

439

4,239

898

8,900

25

1837-1838

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

475

5,136

na

na

410

4,649

885

9,785

26

1839-1840

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

751

5,887

na

na

334

4,983

1,085

10,870

27

1841-1842

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

974

6,861

na

na

822

5,805

1,796

12,666

28

1843-1844

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

597

7,458

na

na

305

6,110

902

13,568

29

1845-1846

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

642

8,100

na

na

383

6,493

1,025

14,593

30

1847-1848

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

478

8,578

na

na

344

6,837

822

15,415

31

1849-1850

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

572

9,150

na

na

499

7,336

1,071

16,486

32

1851-1852

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

455

9,605

na

na

358

7,694

813

17,299

33

1853-1854

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

607

10,212

na

na

546

8,240

1,153

18,452

34

1855-1856

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

729

10,941

na

na

449

8,689

1,178

19,630

35

1857-1858

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

548

11,489

na

na

702

9,391

1,250

20,880

36

1859-1860

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

433

11,922

na

na

607

9,998

1,040

21,920

37

1861-1862

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

638

12,560

na

na

801

10,799

1,439

23,359

38

1863-1864

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

600

13,160

na

na

598

11,397

1,198

24,557

39

1865-1866

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

613

13,773

na

na

501

11,898

1,114

25,671

40

1867-1868

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

717

14,490

na

na

716

12,614

1,433

27,104

41

1869-1870

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

634

15,124

na

na

742

13,356

1,376

28,480

42

1871-1872

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

517

15,641

na

na

803

14,159

1,320

29,800

43

1873-1874

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

475

16,116

na

na

420

14,579

895

30,695

44

1875-1876

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

328

16,444

na

na

434

15,013

762

31,457

45

1877-1878

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

377

16,821

na

na

585

15,598

962

32,419

46

1879-1880

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

439

17,260

na

na

570

16,168

1,009

33,428

47

1881-1882

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

349

17,609

na

na

986

17,154

1,335

34,763

48

1883-1884

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

334

17,943

na

na

428

17,582

762

35,525

49

1885-1886

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

306

18,249

na

na

461

18,043

767

36,292

50

1887-1888

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

320

18,569

na

na

389

18,432

709

37,001

51

1889-1890

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

587

19,156

na

na

526

18,958

1,113

38,114

52

1891-1892

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

304

19,460

na

na

209

19,167

513

38,627

53

1893-1894

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

373

19,833

na

na

561

19,728

934

39,561

54

1895-1896

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

162

19,995

na

na

197

19,925

359

39,920

55

1897-1898

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

183

20,178

na

na

381

20,306

564

40,484

56

1899-1900

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

149

20,327

na

na

169

20,475

318

40,802

57

1901-1902

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

185

20,512

na

na

118

20,593

303

41,105

58

1903-1904

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

87

20,599

na

na

92

20,685

179

41,284

59

1905-1906

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

136

20,735

na

na

128

20,813

264

41,548

60

1907-1908

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

312

21,047

na

na

84

20,897

396

41,944

61

1909-1910

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

202

21,249

na

na

268

21,165

470

42,414

62

1911-1912

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

262

21,511

na

na

396

21,561

658

43,072

63

1913-1914

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

282

21,793

na

na

572

22,133

854

43,926

64

1915-1916

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

157

21,950

na

na

406

22,539

563

44,489

65

1917-1918

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

266

22,216

na

na

384

22,923

650

45,139

66

1919-1920

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

339

22,555

na

na

407

23,330

746

45,885

67

1921-1922

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

362

22,917

na

na

751

24,081

1,113

46,998

68

1923-1924

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

179

23,096

na

na

235

24,316

414

47,412

69

1925-1926

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

114

23,210

na

na

236

24,552

350

47,762

70

1927-1928

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

72

23,282

na

na

191

24,743

263

48,025

71

1929-1930

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

103

23,385

na

na

436

25,179

539

48,564

72

1931-1932

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

123

23,508

na

na

280

25,459

403

48,967

73

1933-1934

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

143

23,651

na

na

228

25,687

371

49,338

74

1935-1936

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

212

23,863

na

na

193

25,880

405

49,743

75

1937-1938

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

158

24,021

na

na

174

26,054

332

50,075

76

1939-1940

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

227

24,248

na

na

266

26,320

493

50,568

77

1941-1942

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

152

24,400

na

na

192

26,512

344

50,912

78

1943-1944

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

155

24,555

na

na

220

26,732

375

51,287

79

1945-1946

na

n/a

na

na

n/a

na

249

24,804

na

na

244

26,976

493

51,780

80

1947-1948

84

n/a

84

79

n/a

79

163

24,967

138

110

248

27,224

411

52,191

81

1949-1950

121

n/a

121

154

n/a

154

275

25,242

226

229

455

27,679

730

52,921

82

1951-1952

109

n/a

109

72

n/a

72

181

25,423

202

129

331

28,010

512

53,433

83

1953-1954

71

n/a

71

76

n/a

76

147

25,570

89

181

270

28,280

417

53,850

84

1955-1956

73

n/a

73

74

n/a

74

147

25,717

88

136

224

28,504

371

54,221

85

1957-1958

100

n/a

100

93

n/a

93

193

25,910

111

202

313

28,817

506

54,727

86

1959-1960

87

n/a

87

93

n/a

93

180

26,090

215

207

422

29,239

602

55,329

87

1961-1962

116

n/a

116

124

n/a

124

240

26,330

207

227

434

29,673

674

56,003

88

1963-1964

119

n/a

119

113

n/a

113

232

26,562

229

312

541

30,214

773

56,776

89

1965-1966

201

n/a

201

193

n/a

193

394

26,956

259

238

497

30,711

891

57,667

90

1967-1968

245

n/a

245

233

n/a

233

478

27,434

315

280

595

31,306

1,073

58,740

91

1969-1970

177

n/a

177

266

n/a

266

443

27,877

245

422

667

31,973

1,110

59,850

92

1971-1972

212

108

320

244

85

329

649

28,526

423

532

955

32,928

1,604

61,454

93

1973-1974

307

234

541

325

212

537

1,078

29,604

594

544

1,138

34,066

2,216

63,670

94

1975-1976

362

250

612

448

213

661

1,273

30,877

611

700

1,311

35,377

2,584

66,254

95

1977-1978

471

235

706

564

270

834

1,540

32,417

636

520

1,156

36,533

2,696

68,950

96

1979-1980

359

313

672

420

184

604

1,276

33,693

509

546

1,055

37,588

2,331

71,281

97

1981-1982

224

129

353

295

164

459

812

34,505

497

469

966

38,554

1,778

73,059

98

1983-1984

297

201

498

227

181

408

906

35,411

381

292

673

39,227

1,579

74,638

99

1985-1986

255

184

439

224

227

451

890

36,301

381

359

740

39,967

1,630

76,268

100

1987-1988

234

254

488

308

143

451

939

37,240

420

379

799

40,766

1,738

78,006

101

1989-1990

226

142

368

271

239

510

878

38,118

312

326

638

41,404

1,516

79,522

102

1991-1992

238

190

428

271

202

473

901

39,019

280

270

550

41,954

1,451

80,973

103

1993-1994

266

331

597

205

292

497

1,094

40,113

395

329

724

42,678

1,818

82,791

104

1995-1996

299

568

867

223

231

454

1,321

41,434

613

306

919

43,597

2,240

85,031

105

1997-1998

285

348

633

257

276

533

1,166

42,600

298

314

612

44,209

1,778

86,809

106

1999-2000

320

289

609

359

241

600

1,209

43,809

374

298

672

44,881

1,881

88,690

107

2001-2002

313

194

507

302

181

483

990

44,799

380

253

633

45,514

1,623

90,313

108

2003-2004

417

258

675

313

230

543

1218

46,017

459

216

675

46,189

1,893

92,206

Source: Data were obtained from the following sources: (1) U.S. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Number of Roll Call Votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate, First Through 79th Congresses, by [author name scrubbed], Report unnumbered (Washington: Jan. 16, 1985, out of print); Indicators of House of Representatives Workload and Activity, by Roger H. Davidson and Carol Hardy, CRS Report 87-492 S (Washington: June 8, 1987, out of print); Indicators of Senate Activity and Workload, by Roger H. Davidson and Carol Hardy, CRS Report 87-497 S (Washington: June 8, 1987, out of print); and (2) Congressional Record, Daily Digest, "Resume of Congressional Activity," Dec. 22, 1987, p. D1679; Nov. 10, 1988, p. D1399; Nov. 21, 1989, p. D1431; Nov. 2, 1990, p. D1453; Nov. 27, 1991, p. D1549; Oct. 9, 1992, p. D1332; Nov. 26, 1993, p. D1389; Dec. 1, 1994, p. D1273; Jan. 3, 1996, p. D1535; Oct. 4, 1996, p. D1053; Jan. 19, 1999, p. D29; Jan. 30, 2002, p. D46; Jan. 29, 2002, p. D23; Dec. 16, 2002, p. D1193, Dec. 8, 2003, p. D1349, and Dec 20, 2004, p. D1135.

Notes: For the purposes of this compilation, a record vote is defined as any vote for which public record is made of how individual Members voted (for or against). In the House, record votes include both roll call (yea and nay) and recorded votes. In the Senate, all record votes (yea and nay, and roll call votes) are taken by a call of the roll. See text for definition of terms.

a. Roll call (yea and nay) votes are taken only when the House is sitting as the House and not when in Committee of the Whole (na=not readily available).

b. Recorded votes may be taken when the House sits either as the House or in Committee of the Whole. Because this form of record votes began in 1971 in the House, the table indicates n/a (not applicable) for the period 1789 through 1970.

Figure 1. Total Number of Record Votes, House of Representatives and Senate, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Figure 2. Total Number of Record Votes (Yea/Nay and Recorded), House of Representatives, by Session, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Figure 3. Total Number of Record Votes, Senate, by Session, 92nd Congress-108th Congress, 1971-2004

Footnotes

1.

"A roll call is a call of the roll to determine whether a quorum is present, to establish a quorum, or to vote on a question." Walter Kravitz, Congressional Quarterly's American Congressional Dictionary, Second Edition (Washington: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1997), p. 229. This report is concerned only with record votes and not voice, division, and unrecorded teller votes. See CQ's American Congressional Dictionary for the definitions of the following terms relating to voting: automatic roll call, casting vote, cloture, cluster voting, constitutional votes, division vote, electronic voting, ghost voting, majority vote, proxy voting, Randolph rule, recapitulation of a vote, reconsideration of a vote, recorded vote, recorded vote by clerks, roll call, Speaker's vote, teller vote, tie vote, voice vote, and yeas and nays.

2.

In addition, in some of those earlier Congresses, three and occasionally even four sessions were held.