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The Vote Ledger
JA

James George Abourezk

Senator from South Dakota
SENATEDEMOCRAT1971–1979ID A000017
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
91%with Dems
of 1,407 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
91%with Dems
of 1,407 · both combined
Steepest move
−6 pts
1975 → 1977
still a Democrat

Career arc

Legislation leads. Each point is one Congress: how often they sided with the Democratic majority on contested bills, resolutions and amendments.

100%75%50%25%0%sides with Democrats ↑sides with Republicans ↓19711977
1977–7895th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
86.3%with Democrats
of 291 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1975 → 1977, −6 pts — while still a Democrat.
Sat as a DemocratSat as a RepublicanVotes available below

Votes

9 of these 9 roll calls have no description. About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank in the source too. Some also lack a bill number.

DateBillVoteTypeCastSided with
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 13750No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 9937No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 13511No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Full textNo description in the source record. What survives: the date, the bill number (H.R. 13511), how they voted and which side that matched.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans YeaCounts toward scoreNo — both party majorities voted Yea.
Where this lands
NAYVoted against both majorities — not scored
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 13511No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Oct 14, 1978H.J.Res. 1139No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 5263No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 5263No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1978noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 14, 1978H.R. 5263No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYNEITHER · NOT SCORED
9 most recent roll calls shown · 291 contested votes scored in the 95th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance89.2% · 139 votes
Government Operations and Politics92.1% · 139 votes
Energy77.2% · 114 votes
Taxation94.3% · 70 votes
Armed Forces and National Security93.5% · 62 votes
Law100% · 61 votes
Congress86.5% · 52 votes
International Affairs91.5% · 47 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources97.5% · 40 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance74.3% · 35 votes
Agriculture and Food100% · 34 votes
Depletion allowances86.4% · 22 votes
Commerce95.2% · 21 votes
Education95.2% · 21 votes
Environmental Protection90.5% · 21 votes
Transportation and Public Works89.5% · 19 votes
Animals100% · 18 votes
Labor and Employment83.3% · 18 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 17 votes
Power resources94.1% · 17 votes
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 15 votes
Health100% · 14 votes
Social Welfare85.7% · 14 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations90.9% · 11 votes
Finance and Financial Sector90% · 10 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Automobile insurance— · 8 votes
Economic stabilization— · 8 votes
Public works— · 8 votes
Intergovernmental relations— · 6 votes
Political participation— · 6 votes
Science, Technology, Communications— · 6 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Housing and Community Development— · 5 votes
Income tax— · 5 votes
Industrial relations— · 5 votes
Petroleum industry— · 5 votes
Amnesties— · 4 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 4 votes
Day care— · 4 votes
Embargo— · 4 votes
Mortgages— · 4 votes
Solar heating and cooling— · 4 votes
Credit— · 3 votes
Heating— · 3 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 3 votes
Motor vehicles— · 3 votes
Political representation— · 3 votes
Range management— · 3 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 3 votes
District of Columbia— · 2 votes
Government corporations— · 2 votes
Government publications— · 2 votes
Private Legislation— · 2 votes
Sports and Recreation— · 2 votes
Age and employment— · 1 vote
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues— · 1 vote
Commemorations— · 1 vote
Congressional oversight— · 1 vote
Conservation of natural resources— · 1 vote
Dairy industry— · 1 vote
Disaster relief— · 1 vote
Federal advisory bodies— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1 vote
International monetary system— · 1 vote
Lobbying— · 1 vote
Monuments and memorials— · 1 vote
Ships and shipping— · 1 vote
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1 vote

They also voted in 42 areas where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government securities, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Immigration, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Native Americans, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Water Resources Development.

Blue is the share of votes siding with the Democratic majority; the tick marks 50%.

Service record

4 Congresses
92nd · 197193rd · 197395th · 1977
Democrat · House · SD92nd–92nd
Democrat · Senate · SD93rd–95th
Term datesexact
Members · South Dakota
JA

James George Abourezk

Senator from South Dakota
SENATED1971–19794 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
90.8%with Democrats
of 1,407 votes · 9.2% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested91%of 1,407 · combined
Steepest move−6 pts1975→77, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019711977
1977–78 · 95th · Democrat · of 291 votes86.3%

Legislation leads. Tap a point to read that Congress.

Votes

About 25% of roll calls since 1989 are blank too. These rows carry a date, a bill number where one exists, how they voted and which side that matched.
Democratic majorityYea
Republican majorityYea
Counts toward scoreNo
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 291 contested votes scored in the 95th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance89.2% · 139
Government Operations and Politics92.1% · 139
Energy77.2% · 114
Taxation94.3% · 70
Armed Forces and National Security93.5% · 62
Law100% · 61
Congress86.5% · 52
International Affairs91.5% · 47
Public Lands and Natural Resources97.5% · 40
Foreign Trade and International Finance74.3% · 35
Agriculture and Food100% · 34
Depletion allowances86.4% · 22
Commerce95.2% · 21
Education95.2% · 21
Environmental Protection90.5% · 21
Transportation and Public Works89.5% · 19
Animals100% · 18
Labor and Employment83.3% · 18
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 17
Power resources94.1% · 17
Independent regulatory commissions100% · 15
Health100% · 14
Social Welfare85.7% · 14
Congressional-Presidential relations90.9% · 11
Finance and Financial Sector90% · 10
Automobile insurance— · 8
Economic stabilization— · 8
Public works— · 8
Intergovernmental relations— · 6
Political participation— · 6
Science, Technology, Communications— · 6
Black lung— · 5
Housing and Community Development— · 5
Income tax— · 5
Industrial relations— · 5
Petroleum industry— · 5
Amnesties— · 4
Constitutional amendments— · 4
Day care— · 4
Embargo— · 4
Mortgages— · 4
Solar heating and cooling— · 4
Credit— · 3
Heating— · 3
Mines and mineral resources— · 3
Motor vehicles— · 3
Political representation— · 3
Range management— · 3
Territories (U.S.)— · 3
District of Columbia— · 2
Government corporations— · 2
Government publications— · 2
Private Legislation— · 2
Sports and Recreation— · 2
Age and employment— · 1
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues— · 1
Commemorations— · 1
Congressional oversight— · 1
Conservation of natural resources— · 1
Dairy industry— · 1
Disaster relief— · 1
Federal advisory bodies— · 1
Intergovernmental fiscal relations— · 1
International monetary system— · 1
Lobbying— · 1
Monuments and memorials— · 1
Ships and shipping— · 1
Vietnamese Conflict— · 1

Also voted in 42 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Arts, Culture, Religion, Auditing, Awards, medals, prizes, Child abuse, Child welfare, Congressional-executive relations, Disabled, Droughts, Electronic surveillance, Emergency Management, Executive reorganization, Explosives, Gambling, Gold, Government securities, Home repair and improvement, Human experimentation in medicine, Immigration, Import restrictions, Interest, Investment guaranty insurance, Lakes, Land use, Lead poisoning, Livestock, Medical supplies, Mobile homes, Municipal finance, Native Americans, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Postal rates and revenues, Postal service, Reclamation of land, Refugees, Revenue sharing, Right of privacy, Rivers, Salaries, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Water Resources Development.

Service record

92nd · 197195th · 1977
Democrat92nd–92nd
Democrat93rd–95th

Party switchers

John Alexander LoganD→R · IL · 40thWesley Wade WatkinsD→R · OK · 105thBen Nighthorse CampbellD→R · CO · 104th
AD320 × 50 · Anchor