The Vote Ledger
/
Data through Sep 17, 2026Compare members
The Vote Ledger
PB

Phillip Burton

Representative from California
HOUSEDEMOCRAT1963–1985ID B001156
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
95%with Dems
of 2,877 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
95%with Dems
of 2,877 · both combined
Steepest move
−12 pts
1967 → 1969
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 ↓1963196919751981
1983–8498th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
100%with Democrats
of 24 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1967 → 1969, −12 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 4, 1983H.R. 2379No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Mar 24, 1983H.R. 1900No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Mar 23, 1983H.Con.Res. 91No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Full textNo description in the source record. What survives: the date, the bill number (H.Con.Res. 91), how they voted and which side that matched.Party majoritiesDemocrats Yea · Republicans NayCounts toward scoreYes — the parties split.
Where this lands
YEASided with the Democratic majority
Mar 23, 1983noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Mar 22, 1983H.R. 1718No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEANEITHER · NOT SCORED
Mar 22, 1983H.R. 1718No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Mar 22, 1983H.Con.Res. 91No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Mar 22, 1983H.Res. 127No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEADEM MAJORITY
Mar 22, 1983noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
9 most recent roll calls shown · 24 contested votes scored in the 98th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance94.7% · 471 votes
Congress95.2% · 271 votes
Government Operations and Politics93.5% · 168 votes
International Affairs98.6% · 148 votes
Energy97% · 133 votes
Armed Forces and National Security91.4% · 70 votes
Transportation and Public Works95.2% · 62 votes
Labor and Employment95% · 60 votes
Agriculture and Food90.2% · 51 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources96% · 50 votes
Taxation98% · 49 votes
Education100% · 46 votes
Law100% · 39 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance92.1% · 38 votes
Environmental Protection100% · 30 votes
Health100% · 29 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 26 votes
Commerce100% · 24 votes
Science, Technology, Communications100% · 23 votes
Housing and Community Development100% · 20 votes
District of Columbia100% · 15 votes
Finance and Financial Sector93.3% · 15 votes
Industrial relations92.9% · 14 votes
Mines and mineral resources100% · 14 votes
Social Welfare85.7% · 14 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 9 votes
Independent regulatory commissions— · 9 votes
Lobbying— · 9 votes
Vietnamese Conflict— · 9 votes
Private Legislation— · 8 votes
Depletion allowances— · 7 votes
Electronic surveillance— · 7 votes
Arts, Culture, Religion— · 6 votes
Mortgages— · 6 votes
Native Americans— · 6 votes
Home repair and improvement— · 5 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues— · 4 votes
Commemorations— · 4 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 4 votes
Government securities— · 4 votes
Immigration— · 4 votes
Income tax— · 4 votes
Political participation— · 4 votes
Public works— · 4 votes
Congressional-executive relations— · 3 votes
Credit— · 3 votes
Embargo— · 3 votes
Families— · 3 votes
Indian claims— · 3 votes
International economic relations— · 3 votes
Petroleum industry— · 3 votes
Revenue sharing— · 3 votes
Water Resources Development— · 3 votes
Black lung— · 2 votes
Conferences— · 2 votes
Contested elections— · 2 votes
Financial disclosure— · 2 votes
Life insurance— · 2 votes
Monuments and memorials— · 2 votes
Municipal finance— · 2 votes
Museums— · 2 votes
Postal rates and revenues— · 2 votes
Power resources— · 2 votes
Printing— · 2 votes
Real property— · 2 votes
Social Sciences and History— · 2 votes
Sports and Recreation— · 2 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 2 votes
Youth— · 2 votes
Animals— · 1 vote
Aquaculture— · 1 vote
Barber and beauty shops— · 1 vote
Chemicals— · 1 vote
Congressional oversight— · 1 vote
Day care— · 1 vote
Disabled— · 1 vote
Domestic relations— · 1 vote
Droughts— · 1 vote
Earthquakes— · 1 vote
Emergency Management— · 1 vote
Gold— · 1 vote
Government corporations— · 1 vote
Heating— · 1 vote
Impeachments— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental relations— · 1 vote
Lakes— · 1 vote
Livestock— · 1 vote
Motor vehicles— · 1 vote
Noise— · 1 vote
Political representation— · 1 vote
Postal service— · 1 vote
Reclamation of land— · 1 vote
Refugees— · 1 vote
Rehabilitation— · 1 vote
Right of privacy— · 1 vote
Right to counsel— · 1 vote
Rivers— · 1 vote

They also voted in 71 areas where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Age and employment, Agriculture in foreign trade, American Revolution Bicentennial, Auditing, Aviation insurance, Awards, medals, prizes, Broadcasting, Cemeteries and funerals, Checks, Child abuse, Child welfare, Citizenship, Clergy, Climate, Clothing industry, Coins and coinage, Commodity control, Conservation of natural resources, Contempt of legislative bodies, Corporations, Cultural centers, Customs administration, Dairy industry, Disaster relief, Economic stabilization, Emigration, Executive reorganization, Federal advisory bodies, Federal-state relations, Fire fighters, Fishes, Gambling, Government life insurance, Government property, Government publications, Human rights, Import restrictions, Insect control, Interest, Intergovernmental fiscal relations, International agencies, Leases, Libraries, Lotteries, Marine mammal protection, Marine resources conservation, Minorities, Municipal budgets, Municipal home rule, Municipal politics and government, Narcotics, National emblems, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Photovoltaic power systems, Political prisoners, Prices, Public records, Real estate business, Recall of officials, Recreation areas, Referendum, Rural conditions, Salaries, Solar energy, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Tobacco, Volunteer workers, Water conservation, Witnesses.

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

Service record

11 Congresses
88th · 196398th · 1983
Democrat · House · CA88th–98th
Term datesexact
Members · California
PB

Phillip Burton

Representative from California
HOUSED1963–198511 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
95.3%with Democrats
of 2,877 votes · 4.7% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested95%of 2,877 · combined
Steepest move−12 pts1967→69, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019631983
1983–84 · 98th · Democrat · of 24 votes100%

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 majorityNay
Counts toward scoreYes
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 24 contested votes scored in the 98th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance94.7% · 471
Congress95.2% · 271
Government Operations and Politics93.5% · 168
International Affairs98.6% · 148
Energy97% · 133
Armed Forces and National Security91.4% · 70
Transportation and Public Works95.2% · 62
Labor and Employment95% · 60
Agriculture and Food90.2% · 51
Public Lands and Natural Resources96% · 50
Taxation98% · 49
Education100% · 46
Law100% · 39
Foreign Trade and International Finance92.1% · 38
Environmental Protection100% · 30
Health100% · 29
Crime and Law Enforcement100% · 26
Commerce100% · 24
Science, Technology, Communications100% · 23
Housing and Community Development100% · 20
District of Columbia100% · 15
Finance and Financial Sector93.3% · 15
Industrial relations92.9% · 14
Mines and mineral resources100% · 14
Social Welfare85.7% · 14
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 9
Independent regulatory commissions— · 9
Lobbying— · 9
Vietnamese Conflict— · 9
Private Legislation— · 8
Depletion allowances— · 7
Electronic surveillance— · 7
Arts, Culture, Religion— · 6
Mortgages— · 6
Native Americans— · 6
Home repair and improvement— · 5
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues— · 4
Commemorations— · 4
Constitutional amendments— · 4
Government securities— · 4
Immigration— · 4
Income tax— · 4
Political participation— · 4
Public works— · 4
Congressional-executive relations— · 3
Credit— · 3
Embargo— · 3
Families— · 3
Indian claims— · 3
International economic relations— · 3
Petroleum industry— · 3
Revenue sharing— · 3
Water Resources Development— · 3
Black lung— · 2
Conferences— · 2
Contested elections— · 2
Financial disclosure— · 2
Life insurance— · 2
Monuments and memorials— · 2
Municipal finance— · 2
Museums— · 2
Postal rates and revenues— · 2
Power resources— · 2
Printing— · 2
Real property— · 2
Social Sciences and History— · 2
Sports and Recreation— · 2
Territories (U.S.)— · 2
Youth— · 2
Animals— · 1
Aquaculture— · 1
Barber and beauty shops— · 1
Chemicals— · 1
Congressional oversight— · 1
Day care— · 1
Disabled— · 1
Domestic relations— · 1
Droughts— · 1
Earthquakes— · 1
Emergency Management— · 1
Gold— · 1
Government corporations— · 1
Heating— · 1
Impeachments— · 1
Intergovernmental relations— · 1
Lakes— · 1
Livestock— · 1
Motor vehicles— · 1
Noise— · 1
Political representation— · 1
Postal service— · 1
Reclamation of land— · 1
Refugees— · 1
Rehabilitation— · 1
Right of privacy— · 1
Right to counsel— · 1
Rivers— · 1

Also voted in 71 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Age and employment, Agriculture in foreign trade, American Revolution Bicentennial, Auditing, Aviation insurance, Awards, medals, prizes, Broadcasting, Cemeteries and funerals, Checks, Child abuse, Child welfare, Citizenship, Clergy, Climate, Clothing industry, Coins and coinage, Commodity control, Conservation of natural resources, Contempt of legislative bodies, Corporations, Cultural centers, Customs administration, Dairy industry, Disaster relief, Economic stabilization, Emigration, Executive reorganization, Federal advisory bodies, Federal-state relations, Fire fighters, Fishes, Gambling, Government life insurance, Government property, Government publications, Human rights, Import restrictions, Insect control, Interest, Intergovernmental fiscal relations, International agencies, Leases, Libraries, Lotteries, Marine mammal protection, Marine resources conservation, Minorities, Municipal budgets, Municipal home rule, Municipal politics and government, Narcotics, National emblems, Nuclear facilities, Nuclear weapons, Photovoltaic power systems, Political prisoners, Prices, Public records, Real estate business, Recall of officials, Recreation areas, Referendum, Rural conditions, Salaries, Solar energy, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Tobacco, Volunteer workers, Water conservation, Witnesses.

Service record

88th · 196398th · 1983
Democrat88th–98th

Party switchers

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