RightDataUSA


Robert Byrd

[Congressional biography]

Born: November 20, 1917 in North Wilkesboro, NC
Died: June 28, 2010 in Falls Church, VA

Education:

  • American University, J.D., 1963

Elected Office:

  • WV House, 1947-1950
  • WV Senate, 1951-1952



Key Senate Vote Data for Robert Byrd in 2010


Key vote data shown on this page comes from the American Conservative Union (ACU/CPAC) and Voteview.


Click on the RESULT of a specific vote to see how all members voted.

DateSubjectResultConserv.
Position
Byrd
Voted
2010-01-21 TARP Elimination [HJRES45] Rejected
(53-45)
No Vote
The Senate defeated an amendment eliminating the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and lowering the debt ceiling by the amount of TARP funds repaid. ACU opposed TARP from the beginning and supported this amendment. Although a majority of the Senate voted to eliminate TARP, under Senate procedures 60 votes were required.

2010-01-26 Debt Limit Increase / Spending Cuts [HJRES45] Rejected
(33-61)
No Vote
The Senate defeated an amendment to the Debt Ceiling bill which would have cut federal spending by a total of $120 billion. Amendment opponents insisted on dividing the amendment into three separate votes. This vote was to eliminate $22 billion in excessive overhead and duplicative programs.

2010-02-09 Becker Nomination Rejected
(52-33)
No Vote
The Senate voted against halting debate on the nomination of Craig Becker to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board. ACU opposed the nomination of Becker to the NLRB because his long record as a union organizer indicated his lack of objectivity for the position. In this case, although a majority of the Senate voted to stop debate and move to confirmation, under Senate rules 60 votes were required.

2010-03-16 Blocking Earmark Moratorium [HR1586] Agreed To
(68-29)
No Vote
The Senate killed an amendment that would have imposed a one year moratorium on congressional earmarked spending provisions.

2010-03-16 D.C. School Choice [HR1586] Rejected
(42-55)
No Vote
The Senate rejected an amendment that would have prevented the elimination of tuition vouchers in the District of Columbia for low-income students that was canceled by the Obama Administration.

2010-03-24 Blocking Health Care Bill Repeal [HR4872] Agreed To
(58-39)
No Vote
The Senate voted to kill an amendment that would have repealed the so-called Obamacare Health Care overhaul enacted by Congress at the end of 2009.

2010-03-25 Health Care and Immigration Status [HR4872] Agreed To
(55-43)
No Vote
Motion to table (kill) an amendment that would have limited federal health care programs to U.S. citizens or legal alien residents. ACU supported this effort to require documentation for eligibility.

2010-03-25 Health Care Reconciliation [HR4872] Passed
(56-43)
After passing the Obama Administration's health care "reform" bill in late 2009 on a party-line vote, Congress used the reconciliation process to get a bill through the Senate making some "fixes" to the Health Care Act, including tax increases and federal funding of abortion. The bill also included a government takeover of the student loan program. ACU opposes the procedure and the substance of this effort.

2010-05-06 Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac [S3217] Rejected
(35-59)
No Vote
During consideration of the Financial Regulatory Overhaul bill, an effort was made to include government-sponsored financial institutions, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the regulations, particularly with regard to limiting their size.

2010-05-11 Federal Reserve Audit [S3217] Rejected
(37-62)
No Vote
The Senate defeated an effort to provide for an audit of the Federal Reserve Bank by the Government Accounting Office.

2010-05-12 FHA Mortgage Rate Revisions / Down Payment Requirement [S3217] Rejected
(42-57)
No Vote
An amendment designed to reduce taxpayer exposure for risky home mortgages by increasing the minimum down payment requirement from 3.5 percent to 5 percent and placing other limits on taxpayer-guaranteed mortgages. ACU thinks loose lending practices by government agencies fueled the meltdown in the housing market, and so supported this tightening.

2010-05-20 Financial Regulatory Overhaul [S3217] Agreed To
(60-40)
The Senate agreed to stop debate and vote on a massive rewrite of the nation's financial services industry regulations. ACU strongly opposed this rewrite, judging that it will not protect consumers, and will in fact further destabilize the economy. Under Senate rules, 60 votes are required to limit debate.

2010-05-27 Blocking Recissions and Federal Salary Freeze [HR4899] Agreed To
(53-45)
No Vote
The Senate killed an amendment that would offset the cost of a supplemental spending bill by freezing salaries of federal civilian employees and rescinding 5 percent of the budget authority for programs other than those in the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

2010-05-27 U.S. Mexico Border Fence [HR4899] Rejected
(45-52)
The Senate failed to bring up an amendment that would require completion of a 700-mile southern border fence. Under Senate rules, a two-thirds majority was needed to bring up the amendment.

2010-06-10 Disapproving EPA Power Grab [SJRES26] Rejected
(47-53)
The Environmental Protection Agency has signaled its intent to regulate CO2, despite the absence of any congressional mandate to do so. ACU opposes this power grab by EPA, and supported the effort.



  Represents a "Yes" vote.

  Represents a "No" vote.

  Indicates that this member voted against the conservative position on a particular vote.

"No vote" means that this member did not cast a vote (or voted 'Present' instead of Yes or No).