Under Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the Constitution of the United States, the vice president of the United States is the ex officio president of the Senate but may only cast a vote in the Senate to break a tie. As of December 5, 2023, vice presidents have cast a total of 301 tie-breaking votes in the Senate.[1] There are also two tie-breaking votes cast by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase during the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, although it is still debated whether he had the authority to do so.[2]
Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the Constitution of the United States states:
John Adams, the first vice president of the United States, cast 29 tie-breaking votes during his tenure. His first vote was on July 18, 1789.[3] He used his votes to preserve the president's sole authority over the removal of appointees,[4] influence the location of the national capital,[5] and prevent war with Great Britain.[6] At times, he even convinced senators to vote against legislation that he opposed and often provided guidance on procedural and policy matters. Adams' political views and active role in the Senate made him a target for critics of the Washington administration. Toward the end of his first term, threatened by a resolution that would have silenced him on all but procedural and policy matters, he exercised more restraint, hoping to be elected president of the United States in his own right.
John C. Calhoun was the only vice president to cast tie-breaking votes against his own president, Andrew Jackson. In 1832, Calhoun cast a tie-breaking vote to delay and later defeat the nomination of Martin Van Buren as United States Minister to the United Kingdom. Calhoun's supporters in the Senate allowed him to defy Jackson, where just enough of Calhoun's faction abstained to create a tie that he then broke.[7]
In the early 21st century, the threat of a filibuster increased the use of cloture to end debate in the Senate, especially on highly divisive issues,[8] [9] making it rare for the vice president to have the opportunity to cast a decisive vote, as cloture requires a three-fifths majority. However, rules changes in 2013 and 2017 reduced the requirement for cloture on nominations to a simple majority, which led to the first use of a tie-breaking vote to confirm a Cabinet member when Vice President Mike Pence confirmed Betsy DeVos as secretary of education in 2017.[10] In 2018, Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to confirm Jonathan A. Kobes to the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the first such vote to confirm a judicial nominee in U.S. history.[11]
Following the 2020 Senate elections, the Senate was divided 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats in the 117th Congress. Votes by Vice President Kamala Harris played a critical role in passing Democratic legislation, including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. In addition, Harris gave the Democratic Party majority-control of the Senate.[12] On July 20, 2021, Harris broke Pence's record for the most tie-breaking votes in the first year of a vice presidency, casting seven tie-breaking votes in her first six months.[13] She cast a total of 15 tie-breaking votes in her first year, setting a new record for the most tie-breaking votes in a single year in U.S. history, surpassing the 12 votes cast by John Adams in 1790.[14] On May 11, 2022, Harris set a new record for tie-breaking votes in a single day, casting four votes.[15] On July 13, 2023, Harris matched Calhoun's record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a vice president in U.S history at 31 votes.[16] On December 5, 2023, Harris broke Calhoun's record.[17]
The recent dramatic rise in the frequency of vice presidential votes is due in part to the Senate often being equally divided on procedural votes, such as on invoking cloture, in addition to final votes on divisive issues, resulting in the vice president needing to vote multiple times on the same nominee or resolution.[18]
, there have been 301 tie-breaking votes cast by vice presidents.[14]
| Rank | Number cast | Name | Party | Order in office | Term of office | President(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Democratic | 49 | – Incumbent | ||||
| 2 | 31 | Democratic-Republican | 7 | – | / Andrew Jackson | |||
| 3 | 29 | Federalist | 1 | – | ||||
| 4 | 19 | Democratic | 11 | – | ||||
| 5 | 18 | Republican | 17 | – | ||||
| 6 (tie) | 14 | Democratic-Republican | 4 | – | / James Madison | |||
| 14 | Democratic | 9 | – | |||||
| 8 | 13 | Republican | 48 | – | ||||
| 9 | 10 | Democratic | 14 | – | ||||
| 10 (tie) | 9 | Democratic-Republican | 5 | – | ||||
| 9 | Democratic | 28 | – | |||||
| 12 (tie) | 8 | Democratic | 35 | – | ||||
| 8 | Republican | 36 | – | |||||
| 8 | Republican | 46 | – | |||||
| 15 (tie) | 7 | Republican | 15 | – | ||||
| 7 | Republican | 43 | – | |||||
| 17 (tie) | 6 | Democratic-Republican | 6 | – | ||||
| 6 | Republican | 19 | – | |||||
| 19 (tie) | 4 | Democratic | 8 | – | ||||
| 4 | Republican | 22 | – | |||||
| 4 | Republican | 27 | – | |||||
| 4 | Democratic | 33 | – | |||||
| 4 | Democratic | 38 | – | |||||
| 4 | Democratic | 45 | – | |||||
| 25 (tie) | 3 | Democratic-Republican | 2 | – | ||||
| 3 | Democratic-Republican | 3 | – | |||||
| 3 | Whig | 12 | – | |||||
| 3 | Republican | 20 | – | |||||
| 3 | Republican | 31 | – | |||||
| 3 | Democratic | 32 | – | |||||
| 31 (tie) | 2 | Democratic | 23 | – | ||||
| 2 | Republican | 30 | – | |||||
| 2 | Republican | 39 | – | |||||
| 34 (tie) | 1 | Republican | 18 | – | ||||
| 1 | Republican | 24 | – | |||||
| 1 | Democratic | 34 | – | |||||
| 1 | Democratic | 42 | – | |||||
| 38 (tie) | 0 | Whig | 10 | – | ||||
| 0 | Democratic | 13 | – | |||||
| 0 | National Union | 16 | – | |||||
| 0 | Democratic | 21 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 25 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 26 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 29 | – | |||||
| 0 | Democratic | 37 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 40 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 41 | – | |||||
| 0 | Republican | 44 | – | |||||
| 0 | Democratic | 47 | – | |||||
| Senate President | Date | Action | Vote | Ultimate result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William R. King | No votes | |||
| John C. Breckinridge | March 15, 1858 | Motion to adjourn.[19] | Nay: 17-18 | Motion defeated. |
| May 12, 1858 | Motion to postpone consideration of S. 10 ("repealing all laws, or parts of laws, allowing bounties to vessels employed in the bank or other cod fisheries").[20] | Nay: 26-27 | Motion defeated. | |
| May 18, 1858 | Motion to postpone the special orders of the day prior to S. 239 (statehood of Oregon).[21] | Yea: 29-28 | Motion agreed to. Bill passed. | |
| June 7, 1858 | Toombs amendment to Seward amendment to H.R. 42 (granting a pension to Mary A. M. Jones) limiting the pension of Myra Clark Gaines to not more than $50 per month.[22] | Yea: 25-24 | Motion agreed to. | |
| December 15, 1858 | Motion to consider H.R. 2 (a version of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts).[23] | Nay: 24-25 | Motion defeated. | |
| February 17, 1859 | Motion to resume consideration of H.R. 666 ("making appropriations for the consular and diplomatic expenses of the government").[24] | Yea: 29-28 | Motion agreed to. Senate resumed consideration of the bill. | |
| April 11, 1860 | Motion to consider S. 10 ("An act to promote the progress of the useful arts").[25] | Nay: 19-20 | Motion defeated. | |
| February 21, 1861 | Motion to consider executive business.[26] | Yea: 27-26 | Motion agreed to. Senate proceeded to consider executive business. | |
| February 28, 1861 | Motion "that the doors be opened."[27] | Nay: 25-26 | Motion defeated. | |
| March 2, 1861 | Pugh amendment to H.R. (proposed constitutional amendment that was part of the Crittenden Compromise).[28] | Yea: 20-19 | Amendment agreed to. The vote was later reconsidered and the amendment defeated. | |
| Hannibal Hamlin | March 12, 1862 | Rice amendment striking out a section of S. 175 ("to define the pay and emoluments of certain officers of the army and for other purposes").[29] | Nay: 20-21 | Amendment defeated. |
| March 17, 1862 | Postponing consideration of the nomination of Edwin D. Morgan as major-general of volunteers.[30] | Yea: 20-19 | Consideration postponed. Morgan's nomination was confirmed on April 15, 1862. | |
| March 24, 1862 | Committee amendment to S. 108 ("for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia").[31] | Nay: 19-20 | Amendment defeated | |
| January 14, 1863 | Fessenden amendment to H.R. 226 (amending "An act to establish a court for the investigation of claims against the United States").[32] | Nay: 20-21 | Amendment defeated | |
| February 3, 1863 | Wilson amendment to S. 365 ("settlement of the accounts of Isaac R. Diller").[33] | Yea: 33-32 | Amendment agreed to. | |
| February 28, 1865 | Committee amendment to H.R. 744 (to amend the Revenue Act of 1864).[34] | Yea: 21-20 | Amendment agreed to. | |
| March 1, 1865 | Committee amendment to H.R. 744.[35] | Yea: 21-20 | Amendment agreed to. | |
| Andrew Johnson | No votes | |||
| Schuyler Colfax | December 8, 1869 | Motion to reconsider the vote adopting a resolution requiring the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove anyone not entitled to the floor from the chamber prior to the time of meeting.[36] | Yea:27-26 | Motion agreed to. The resolution was amended and adopted. |
| February 14, 1870 | Motion to postpone the consideration of H.R. 1096 (to admit the State of Mississippi to representation in the Congress of the United States) until the next day.[37] | Nay: 24-25 | Motion defeated. | |
| March 11, 1870 | Motion to postpone indefinitely a resolution to appoint "A Joint Special Committee on Indian Affairs."[38] | Nay: 27-28 | Motion defeated. Consideration of the resolution postponed until the next day. | |
| March 15, 1870 | Motion to table the resolution to appoint a Joint Special Committee on Indian Affairs.[39] | Nay: 30-31 | Motion defeated. Consideration of the resolution postponed until the next day. | |
| March 29, 1870 | Motion to pass over the resolution to appoint a Joint Special Committee on Indian Affairs.[40] | Yea: 30-29 | Resolution passed over. | |
| May 23, 1870 | Sumner amendment to H.R. 974 (appropriations bill) to authorize and appropriate up to $100,000 for expeditions toward the North Pole.[41] | Yea: 26-25 | Amendment passed. | |
| June 7, 1870 | Motion to table a resolution to direct the Committee on Foreign Relations to "to inquire into the conduct of certain agents connected with the negotiation of the treaty for the annexation of the Dominican Republic" and the condition of its debt and lands.[42] | Yea: 20-19 | Resolution tabled. | |
| February 17, 1871 | Trumbull amendment, made in Committee of the Whole, to H.R. 2524 (appropriations bill) to repeal an appropriation "for the payment of judgments to be rendered by the Court of Claims."[43] | Yea: 26-25 | Amendment passed. | |
| February 20, 1871 | Concurring with the Trumbull amendment to H.R. 2524.[44] | Yea: 28-27 | Amendment passed. | |
| March 22, 1871 | Casserly amendment adding the words "and also all bills relating to the repeal of the income tax" to Trumbull amendment to a resolution setting "the legislative business to be considered by the Senate during the present session."[45] | Nay: 27-28 | Amendment defeated. Trumbull amendment also defeated. | |
| February 9, 1872 | Sumner amendment adding multiple civil rights provisions to H.R. 380 ("for the removal of legal and political disabilities imposed by" Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment).[46] | Yea: 29-28 | Amendment passed. The bill did not receive the two-thirds majority required for passage. | |
| April 24, 1872 | Motion to table Morill amendment to H.R. 1654 ("making appropriations to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872, and for former years, and for other purposes") regarding the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims.[47] | Nay: 25-26 | Motion defeated. | |
| April 30, 1872 | Motion to reconsider a vote disagreeing with an amendment to H.R 1654 jurisdiction of the Court of Claims.[48] | Yea: 27-26 | Motion to reconsider agreed to. | |
| Agreeing with the proposed amendment to H.R. 1654. | Yea: 27-26 | Amendment passed. | ||
| May 9, 1872 | Trumbull amendment to H.R. 1050 ("for the removal of legal and political disabilities imposed by" Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment).[49] | Nay: 29-30 | Amendment defeated. | |
| Vickers amendment to H.R. 1050. | Yea: 22-21 | Amendment passed. | ||
| Sumner amendment to H.R. 1050. | Yea: 29-28 | Amendment passed. The bill did not receive the two-thirds majority required for passage. | ||
| February 15, 1873 | Thurman amendment to a resolution regarding what motions would be in order during the current session.[50] | Nay: 23-24 | Amendment defeated. | |
| Henry Wilson | March 2, 1875 | H.R. 3341 ("to equalize the bounties of soldiers who served in the late war for the Union.")[51] | Yea: 31-30 | Bill passed, but was pocket-vetoed by President Grant.[52] |
| William A. Wheeler | November 22, 1877 | Motion to adjourn.[53] | Yea: 32-31 | Senate adjourned until the following Monday at noon. |
| November 26, 1877 | Motion to move to executive session.[54] | Yea: 30-29 | Senate went into executive session. | |
| November 28, 1877 | Motion to consider a report from the Committee on Privileges and Elections in the case of William Pitt Kellogg of Louisiana.[55] | Yea: 30-29 | Senate proceeded to discussion of the report. "Although this vote did not directly determine the question of admitting to Senate membership in the matter of a disputed seat, it led the way to an intelligent, though inconclusive, discussion of the question of the Vice-President's right to cast his vote in such an issue" | |
| Thurman amendment to reject Kellogg. | Nay 30-31 | Amendment defeated. Kellogg began his term in the Senate on March 4, 1877[56] | ||
| December 20, 1878 | Motion to move to executive session.[57] | Yea: 26-25 | Senate went into executive session. | |
| January 31, 1879 | Motion to adjourn. This motion was made while in executive session.[58] | Yea: 21-20 | Senate adjourned. | |
| Chester A. Arthur | March 18, 1881 | The Republican minority in the Senate was attempting to secure their slate of standing committees. Senator Anthony moved to indefinitely postpone the resolution of Sen. Pendleton to appoint the Democratic slate standing committees of the Senate.[59] | Yea: 38-37 | Democratic resolution postponed. |
| Resolution to adopt the Republican organization of the standing committees. | Yea: 38-37 | Republican resolution adopted. | ||
| March 24, 1881 | Motion to proceed to executive session.[60] | Nay: 32-33 | Motion defeated. | |
| Thomas A. Hendricks | No votes | |||
| Levi P. Morton | January 14, 1891 | Motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 11045 (the Lodge Bill).[61] [62] | Yea: 34-33 | The bill was laid before the Senate, but it never became law. |
| January 16, 1891 | Motion to table Reagan amendment to H.R. 11045.[63] | Yea: 31-30 | Amendment tabled. | |
| December 15, 1892 | Motion that after adjourning that day, the Senate would meet on the following Monday.[64] | Yea: 28-27 | Motion agreed to. | |
| February 9, 1893 | Motion that after adjourning that day, the Senate would meet at noon the next day.[65] | Yea: 31-30 | Motion agreed to. | |
| February 15, 1894 | Passage of H.R. 3606 ("to require railroad companies operating railroads in the Territories over a right of way granted by the Government to establish stations and depots at all town sites on the lines of said roads established by the Interior Department.")[66] | Yea: 28-27 | Bill passed. | |
| August 11, 1894 | Motion that the Senate proceed to executive session.[67] | Yea: 36-35 | Senate proceeded to executive session. | |
| February 14, 1899 | Bacon amendment to joint resolution S.R. 240 (stating the intentions of the United States toward the Philippine Islands after the ratification of the treaty of peace with Spain) expanding the resolution to disclaim any intention of exercising permanent sovereignty over the islands.[68] | Nay: 29-30 | Amendment defeated. Joint resolution passed. | |
| Theodore Roosevelt | No votes | |||
| Charles W. Fairbanks | No votes | |||
| James S. Sherman | February 2, 1911 | Gallinger amendment to S. 6708 (ocean mail subsidy bill) authorizing the Postmaster General to pay for certain ocean mail services.[69] | Yea: 40-39 | Amendment passed. |
| Passage of S. 6708. | Yea: 40-39 | Passed. | ||
| Adjournment for the day.[70] | Yea: 38-37 | Senate adjourned for the day. | ||
| June 12, 1911 | Bristow amendment to H. J. Res. 39 (the Seventeenth Amendment) removing the "race rider" and retaining the power of the federal government to supervise senatorial elections.[71] [72] [73] | Yea: 45-44 | Amendment passed. | |
| December 19, 1913 | Brandegee amendment to a committee amendment to H.R. 7837 (Federal Reserve Act)[74] | Nay: 43-44 | Amendment defeated. H.R. 7837 passed and enacted. | |
| March 19, 1914 | Motion to consider S. J. Res. 41 ("authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to sell or lease certain public lands to the Republic Coal Co.")[75] | Yea: 28-27 | Motion agreed to. The Senate proceeded to consider S. J. Res. 41. | |
| May 19, 1914 | Motion to adjourn after the Sergeant at Arms was "directed to request the attendance of absent Senators" since a quorum was not present.[76] | Nay: 17-18 | The Senate did not adjourn at that time. A quorum was established when more senators arrived in the chamber. | |
| August 17, 1914 | Thomas amendment to H.R. 15657 (Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914)[77] | Yea: 24-23 | Amendment passed. H.R. 15657 passed and enacted. | |
| February 12, 1915 | Motion to consider the motion from Senator Reed to amend Senate rules to end debate[78] on S. 6856 ("to authorize the United States ... to purchase, construct, equip, maintain, and operate merchant vessels in the foreign trade of the United States"[79]) | Yea: 48-47 | The Senate considered the motion to limit debate. Cloture procedures were eventually established in 1917. | |
| February 15, 1915 | The vice president had ruled that Senator Reed was entitled to move to table a motion to amend Senate Rule XXII regarding limitation of debate and all the amendments to that motion. Senator Lodge appealed the ruling.[80] | Yea: 46-45 | The ruling of the vice president was sustained. The Senate proceeded to consider Senator Reed's motion. | |
| Motion to table the motion to amend Senate Rule XXII regarding limitation of debate and all the amendments to that motion. | Yea: 46-45 | Motion tabled. | ||
| February 2, 1916 | Clarke amendment to S. 381 (Philippine Autonomy Act).[81] | Yea: 42-41 | Amendment passed. S. 381 passed and enacted. | |
| February 14, 1919 | Motion to table the motion from Senator Johnson to suspend consideration of H.R. 13462 ("making appropriations for the construction, repair, and preservation of certain public works on rivers and harbors") to consider S. Res. 411 (regarding withdrawing U.S. soldiers from Russia).[82] | Yea: 34-33 | Motion tabled. The Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 13462. | |
| Calvin Coolidge | No votes | |||
| Charles G. Dawes | May 21, 1928 | Simmons amendment to H.R. 1 (Revenue Act of 1928[83]) "relating to graduated income taxes."[84] | Nay: 33-34 | Amendment defeated. H.R. 1 passed and enacted. |
| May 28, 1928 | Concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 41) "to close the first session of the Seventieth Congress by adjourning" both houses on May 29.[85] | Nay: 40-41 | Resolution defeated. On May 29, the Senate voted on another resolution (S. Con. Res. 22) to adjourn later that day. The resolution passed, and the Senate adjourned at 5:30 pm,[86] ending the session of Congress.[87] | |
| Charles Curtis | March 12, 1930 | Committee amendment to H.R. 2667 (Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act) to reduced proposed tariffs on plate glass.[88] | Nay: 36-37 | Amendment defeated. |
| March 13, 1930 | Committee amendment to H.R. 2667 (Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act) to reduced proposed tariffs on spring clothespins.[89] | Yea: 41-40 | Amendment passed. H.R. 2667 passed and enacted. | |
| May 19, 1930 | On part of resolution S. 270, relieving the majority members of a conference committee of their promise in regard to the flexible provision of the tariff bill H.R. 2667.[90] | Yea: 43-42 | Majority members of the committee relieved of their promise. | |
| John Nance Garner | June 2, 1933 | Trammell amendment, as amended by Sen. Connally, to H.R. 5389 (Independent Offices Appropriations) limiting potential reductions of war veterans' pensions and providing that "Spanish-American War veterans shall not be required to make proof of service-connected disability."[91] | Yea: 43-42 | Amendment passed. |
| April 17, 1934 | Motion to proceed to the consideration of S. 2018 (relative to Members of Congress acting as attorneys in matters where the United States has an interest).[92] | Yea: 32-31 | Motion agreed to. The Senate proceeded to consider the bill. | |
| February 6, 1940 | Committee amendment to H.R. 7922 (Independent Offices Appropriations) to reduce the line item "general administration" for the Civil Aeronautics Authority budget from $1,659,191 to $1,543,932.[93] | Yea: 35-34 | Committee amendment passed. | |
| Henry A. Wallace | June 26, 1942 | McCarran amendment to H.R. 7181 (appropriation bill for the Department of Labor and Federal Security Agency).[94] | Yea: 33-32 | Amendment passed. |
| Motion to table a motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate agreed to the McCarran amendment to H.R. 7181.[95] | Yea: 33-32 | Motion to table agreed to. | ||
| July 16, 1942 | Committee amendment to H. R. 7319 (making supplemental appropriations for the national defense for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1943).[96] | Nay: 30-31 | Committee amendment rejected. | |
| July 17, 1942 | Amendment to H.R. 6999 (Act authorizing the construction of a Florida Pipe Line and Barge Canal).[97] | Nay: 30-31 | Amendment defeated. | |
| Harry S. Truman | April 10, 1945 | Taft amendment to H.R. 2013 (Lend-Lease Extension Act of 1945) to block the postwar delivery of Lend-Lease Act items contracted for during World War II.[98] | Nay: 39–40 | Amendment defeated. |
| Alben W. Barkley | September 15, 1949 | Motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate agreed to the McCarthy amendment to H.R. 1211 (Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1949) to direct the president to establish import quotas on furs and fur products.[99] | Yea: 42–41 | Motion agreed to. The amendment was defeated in the re-vote. |
| September 15, 1949 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate agreed to the McCarthy amendment to H.R. 1211 (Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1949). | Nay: 41–42 | Motion defeated. H.R. 1211 passed and enacted without amendments added. The reciprocal trade agreements program is extended to 1951. | |
| October 4, 1949 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate rejected the Young-Russell amendment to H.R. 5345 (Agricultural Act of 1949) to make mandatory price support at 90% parity on cotton, wheat, corn, rice, peanuts. | Nay: 37–38 | Motion defeated. The Young-Russell amendment is reconsidered for a new roll call vote. | |
| October 4, 1949 | Young-Russell amendment to H.R. 5345 (Agricultural Act of 1949) to make mandatory price support at 90% parity on cotton, wheat, corn, rice, peanuts. (This was a re-vote after the motion to reconsider the original defeat of the amendment was passed.) | Yea: 38–37 | Amendment passed. This amendment was later changed in a compromise with the House version. H.R. 5345 was passed and enacted. | |
| May 3, 1950 | Motion to substitute the Senate Democratic Policy Committee amendment to S.Res. 202 (Nationwide Investigation into Organized Crime Act) to provide for an investigation into gambling and racketeering interstate crime by a special five-member committee called the "Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce" who would be selected by the vice president. The group's composition would be three Democrats and two Republicans. | Yea: 36–35 | Motion agreed to. The Senate Democratic Policy Committee plan replaced the original S.Res. 202 and S.Res. 202 was passed. | |
| June 5, 1950 | Conference bill of H.R. 5332 (Foreign-Trade Zones Amendment Act of 1950) to ease restrictions on assembling and processing of foreign goods in the "foreign-trade zones" which the original Act set up in major U.S. ports. | Yea: 31–30 | H.R. 5332 passed and enacted. | |
| June 26, 1950 | Conference bill of H.R. 6567 (Commodity Credit Corporation Amendment Act of 1950) to increase the Commodity Credit Corporation's borrowing authority by $2 billion and other farm-related amendments.[100] | Yea: 36–35 | H.R. 6567 passed and enacted. | |
| June 4, 1952 | Ives amendment to S. 2954 (Defense Production Act Amendments of 1952) to maintain the same equal membership of the Wage Stabilization Board between labor, industry, and the public. The WSB would only be permitted to mediate only in wage disputes.[101] | Yea: 42–41 | Amendment passed. A later amendment during conference committee that was included in the final bill changed the composition of the WSB from equal representation between labor, industry, and the public to the board having more representation from the public. | |
| Richard Nixon | June 18, 1953 | Motion to proceed to the consideration of the conference report of S. 1081 (Defense Production Act Amendments of 1953).[102] [103] [104] | Yea: 40–39 | Motion agreed to. |
| June 18, 1953 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote by which the Senate agreed to proceed with the consideration of the conference report of S. 1081 (Defense Production Act Amendments of 1953).[105] | Yea: 42–41 | Motion agreed to. The conference report of S. 1081 moves forward. | |
| March 9, 1956 | Aiken amendment to delete from H.R. 12 (Agricultural Act of 1956) 90% rigid mandatory price supports for millable varieties of wheat of 1956 crops. | Yea: 46–45 | Amendment passed, but the final bill was unpalatable to everybody. Vetoed by President Eisenhower. | |
| May 29, 1956 | Knowland amendment to H.R. 10660 (Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956) to permit state agencies to determine prevailing wages for projects in the Interstate Highway System. | Yea: 40–39 | Passed, but during conference committee the Knowland amendment wasn't included in the final bill. | |
| March 12, 1958 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote on the Monroney amendment to delete the interest rate ceiling hike on American GI mortgages from 4.5% to 4.75% in S. 3418 (Emergency Housing Bill) | Yea: 48–47 | Motion agreed to. GI mortgages now had an interest rate ceiling of 4.75% | |
| April 22, 1959 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote on the McClellan amendment to S. 1555 (Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959) to add a bill of rights for union members to include guarantees of freedom of speech and periodic secret elections of officers.[106] | Yea: 46–45 | Motion agreed to. A bill of rights for union workers was included in the final bill that was passed and enacted. | |
| February 3, 1960 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the vote on the Clark amendment to S. 8 (Emergency Federal Assistance for School Construction Act) to authorize $1.1 billion per year of federal funds for an indefinite period for school construction and teachers' salaries.[107] | Yea: 45–44 | Motion agreed to. A scaled-down version of the federal education funds passed later. | |
| May 2, 1960 | Gruening amendment to H.R. 11510 (Mutual Security Act of 1960) to prevent the president from using contingency funds to help replace cuts Congress may make later in other aid funds.[108] | Nay: 44–45 | Amendment defeated. | |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | No votes | |||
| Hubert Humphrey | August 17, 1965 | Motion to reconsider the vote rejecting the Fannin amendment to keep governors' full veto rights over three anti-poverty programs (work-training, community action and adult education) intact in H.R. 8283 (Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1965).[109] [110] | Nay: 45–46 | Motion defeated. The Senate version of a full repeal of veto rights was rejected eventually. The House version's limited repeal of veto rights was included in the final bill. |
| September 13, 1965 | Bass amendment to H.R. 9811 (Food and Agriculture Act of 1965)[111] to strike from the bill a provision transferring from the Secretary of Labor to the Secretary of Agriculture authority to determine whether foreign farm workers are required by U.S. farmers.[112] | Yea: 46–45 | H.R. 9811 was passed and enacted. | |
| May 9, 1967 | Gore-Williams amendment to H.R. 6950 (Restoring the Investment Tax Credit and the Allowance of Accelerated Depreciation in the Case of Certain Real Property Act)[113] to make the 1966 Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act inoperative after September 15, 1967. | Nay: 48–49 | Eventually H.R. 6950 was passed and enacted but with an amendment to make the 1966 Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act inoperative. | |
| March 11, 1968 | Clark amendment to H.R. 15399 (Urgent Supplemental Appropriations Act) to appropriate $25 million for the Office of Economic Opportunity's Head Start Program.[114] | Yea: 43–42 | H.R. 15399 died in Congress. The $25 million funding for Head Start was approved in a different bill. | |
| Spiro Agnew | August 6, 1969 | Smith amendment to prohibit funding for the Safeguard anti-ballistic missile program[115] [116] [117] | Nay: 50–51 | The Safeguard anti-ballistic missile program was authorized and came into fruition. |
| July 17, 1973 | Motion to table the motion to reconsider the Gravel-Stevens amendment to (Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act) that states that the Interior Department has met all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline project.[118] | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act was ultimately passed and enacted in November 1973. The act authorized construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. | |
| Gerald Ford | No votes | |||
| Nelson Rockefeller | No votes | |||
| Walter Mondale | November 4, 1977 | Motion to table the Curtis amendment to H.R. 9346 (Social Security Tax Act of 1977) to continue the tradition of employers and employees paying equal shares of Social Security taxes.[119] | Yea: 42–41 | Motion agreed to. |
| George H. W. Bush | July 13, 1983 | Motion to table Pryor Amdt.1468 on nerve gas | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. |
| November 8, 1983 | Stevens/Tower/Goldwater Amdt.2517 on nerve gas | Yea: 47–46 | Agreed to. | |
| June 14, 1984 | Motion to table Moynihan Amdt.3208 on MX missiles | Yea: 49–48 | Motion agreed to. | |
| May 10, 1985 | Dole Amdt.93 on cutting deficit | Yea: 50–49 | Agreed to. | |
| July 23, 1986 | Motion to reconsider vote on Manion nomination | Nay: 49–50 | Motion defeated so Manion remained confirmed. | |
| August 7, 1986 | Pryor Amdt.2612 on nerve gas | Nay: 50–51 | Amendment defeated. | |
| September 22, 1987 | Motion to table Johnston Amdt.710 on SDI funding | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| Dan Quayle | No votes | |||
| Al Gore | June 25, 1993 | (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993) | Yea: 50–49 | Conference Report (see below) enacted as . |
| August 6, 1993 | (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993) Conference Report | Yea: 51–50 | Enacted. | |
| August 3, 1994 | Motion to table (Johnston Ethanol Limitation Amendment) to (Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 1995) | Yea: 51–50 | tabled. | |
| May 20, 1999 | (Lautenberg Gun Show Sales Amendment) to (School Safety Act of 1999) | Yea: 51–50 | returned to Senate by House via blue slip. Expired at end of session. | |
| Dick Cheney | April 3, 2001 | (Grassley Prescription Drug Reserve Fund Amendment) to (2002 budget) | Yea: 51–50 | Agreed to. |
| April 5, 2001 | (Hutchison Marriage Penalty Tax Elimination Amendment) to (2002 budget) | Yea: 51–50 | Agreed to. | |
| May 21, 2002 | Motion to table (Allen Mortgage Loan Amendment) to (Trade Act of 2002) | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. | |
| April 11, 2003 | (2004 budget) | Yea: 51–50 | Enacted. | |
| May 15, 2003 | (Nickles Dividend Exclusion Amendment) to (Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003) | Yea: 51–50 | incorporated into (see below), which was enacted as . | |
| May 23, 2003 | (Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003) Conference Report | Yea: 51–50 | Enacted. | |
| December 21, 2005 | Motion to concur in the House amendment to with an amendment (Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2005) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. Bill enacted, . | |
| March 13, 2008 | Motion to reconsider to | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| Joe Biden | No votes | |||
| Mike Pence | February 7, 2017 | PN37 (Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos, of Michigan, to be Secretary of Education)[120] [121] | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. |
| March 30, 2017 | Motion to proceed to | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with Title X requirements by project recipients in selecting subrecipients) | Yea: 51–50 | Enacted. | ||
| July 25, 2017 | Motion to proceed to (American Health Care Act of 2017)[122] | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| October 24, 2017 | (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Arbitration Agreements")[123] | Yea: 51–50 | Enacted. | |
| December 2, 2017 | (Cruz 529 Savings Plan Amendment) to (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) | Yea: 51–50 | Agreed to. | |
| January 24, 2018 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN1341 (Nomination of Sam Brownback, of Kansas, to be United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom) | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN1341 (Nomination of Sam Brownback, of Kansas, to be United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom) | Yea: 50–49 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| February 28, 2018 | PN367 (Nomination of Russell Vought, of Virginia, to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget) | Yea: 50–49 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| November 28, 2018 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN1412 (Nomination of Thomas Farr, of North Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| November 29, 2018 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN2117 (Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes, of South Dakota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit) | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. | |
| December 11, 2018 | PN2117 (Nomination of Jonathan A. Kobes, of South Dakota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| December 21, 2018 | Motion to proceed to the House Message to accompany (Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018; a legislative vehicle used to fund various government departments.) | Yea: 48–47 | Motion agreed to. | |
| Kamala Harris | February 5, 2021 | S.Amdt. 888 (Schumer amendment, in the nature of a substitute) to S.Con.Res. 5 | Yea: 51–50 | Amendment agreed to. |
| S.Con.Res. 5 (as amended): a concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2021 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2022 through 2030 | Yea: 51–50 | Concurrent resolution adopted. | ||
| March 4, 2021 | Motion to proceed to, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to.[124] | |
| April 21, 2021 | Motion to discharge PN79-6 (Nomination of Colin Hackett Kahl, of California, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| June 22, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN220 (Nomination of Kiran Arjandas Ahuja, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management for a term of four years) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN220 (Nomination of Kiran Arjandas Ahuja, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management for a term of four years) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| July 20, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN126 (Nomination of Jennifer Ann Abruzzo, of New York, to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board for a term of four years) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| July 21, 2021 | PN126 (Nomination of Jennifer Ann Abruzzo, of New York, to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board for a term of four years) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| September 30, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN116 (Nomination of Rohit Chopra, of Washington, D.C., to be Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection for a term of five years) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| October 20, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN572 (Nomination of Catherine Elizabeth Lhamon, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Education) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN572 (Nomination of Catherine Elizabeth Lhamon, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Education) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| November 3, 2021 | Motion to discharge PN807 (Nomination of Jennifer Sung, of Oregon, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit) | Yea: 50–49 | Motion agreed to. | |
| November 17, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN604 (Nomination of Brian Eddie Nelson, of California, to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| December 8, 2021 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN930 (Nomination of Rachael S. Rollins, of Massachusetts, to be United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN930 (Nomination of Rachael S. Rollins, of Massachusetts, to be United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| March 30, 2022 | Motion to discharge PN1541 (Nomination of Alvaro M. Bedoya, of Maryland, to be Federal Trade Commissioner for the term of seven years from September 26, 2019) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| April 5, 2022 | Motion to discharge PN1523 (Nomination of Julia Ruth Gordon, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| May 10, 2022 | PN1679 (Nomination of Lisa DeNell Cook, of Michigan, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for the unexpired term of fourteen years from February 1, 2010) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| May 11, 2022 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN1541 (Nomination of Alvaro M. Bedoya, of Maryland, to be Federal Trade Commissioner for the term of seven years from September 26, 2019) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN1541 (Nomination of Alvaro M. Bedoya, of Maryland, to be Federal Trade Commissioner for the term of seven years from September 26, 2019) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| Motion to invoke cloture on PN1523 (Nomination of Julia Ruth Gordon, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | ||
| PN1523 (Nomination of Julia Ruth Gordon, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
| May 12, 2022 | Motion to discharge PN1542 (Nomination of Mary T. Boyle, of Maryland, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| August 6, 2022 | Motion to proceed to, the legislative vehicle for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| August 7, 2022 | S.Amdt. 5488 to, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 | Yea: 51–50 | Amendment agreed to. | |
| , the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 | Yea: 51–50 | H.R. 5376 passed, as amended. | ||
| February 28, 2023 | PN76 (Nomination of Araceli Martínez-Olguín, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California) | Yea: 49–48 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| Motion to invoke cloture on PN77 (Nomination of Margaret R. Guzman, of Massachusetts, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts) | Yea: 49–48 | Motion agreed to. | ||
| March 1, 2023 | PN77 (Nomination of Margaret R. Guzman, of Massachusetts, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts) | Yea: 49–48 | Nomination confirmed. | |
| June 21, 2023 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN82 (Nomination of Natasha C. Merle, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| July 12, 2023 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN64 (Nomination of Kalpana Kotagal, of Ohio, to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2027) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. Kotagal was confirmed the next day (July 13). | |
| December 5, 2023 | Motion to invoke cloture on PN588 (Nomination of Loren L. AliKhan, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia) | Yea: 51–50 | Motion agreed to. | |
| PN588 (Nomination of Loren L. AliKhan, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia) | Yea: 51–50 | Nomination confirmed. | ||
