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The Vote Ledger
PT

Paul Efthemios Tsongas

Senator from Massachusetts
SENATEDEMOCRAT1975–1985ID T000393
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
89%with Dems
of 2,040 votes
Nominations
—with Dems
of 0 · confirmations only
All contested
89%with Dems
of 2,040 · both combined
Steepest move
−5 pts
1979 → 1981
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 ↓19751981
1983–8498th Congress
Sat as a Democrat
83.7%with Democrats
of 245 contested votes
Votes for this Congress are open below
Steepest move: 1979 → 1981, −5 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 12, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
Oct 12, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 11, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYBOTH · NOT SCORED
Full textNo description in the source record. What survives: the date, how they voted and which side that matched.Party majoritiesDemocrats Nay · Republicans NayCounts toward scoreNo — both party majorities voted Nay.
Where this lands
NAYVoted with both majorities — not scored
Oct 11, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 11, 1984S.Res. 478No description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 11, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 9, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONYEABOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 9, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYBOTH · NOT SCORED
Oct 5, 1984noneNo description in the source recordLEGISLATIONNAYDEM MAJORITY
9 most recent roll calls shown · 245 contested votes scored in the 98th CongressAll votes this Congress →

By policy area

career · legislation
Economics and Public Finance86.3% · 563 votes
Government Operations and Politics84.9% · 159 votes
Armed Forces and National Security87.8% · 131 votes
International Affairs96.7% · 122 votes
Congress91.9% · 111 votes
Energy91.7% · 96 votes
Taxation90% · 90 votes
Agriculture and Food69.6% · 69 votes
Public Lands and Natural Resources98.3% · 58 votes
Foreign Trade and International Finance85.1% · 47 votes
Education100% · 41 votes
Transportation and Public Works92.1% · 38 votes
Social Welfare91.2% · 34 votes
Immigration84.8% · 33 votes
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 31 votes
Environmental Protection85.7% · 28 votes
Labor and Employment96.4% · 28 votes
Housing and Community Development100% · 27 votes
Commerce95.8% · 24 votes
Finance and Financial Sector86.4% · 22 votes
Law95% · 20 votes
Sports and Recreation78.9% · 19 votes
Crime and Law Enforcement92.9% · 14 votes
Industrial relations100% · 14 votes
Science, Technology, Communications85.7% · 14 votes
Too few contested votes to score
Health— · 9 votes
Lobbying— · 9 votes
Independent regulatory commissions— · 8 votes
Depletion allowances— · 7 votes
Mortgages— · 6 votes
Vietnamese Conflict— · 6 votes
Black lung— · 5 votes
Constitutional amendments— · 4 votes
Income tax— · 4 votes
Mines and mineral resources— · 4 votes
Municipal finance— · 4 votes
Political participation— · 4 votes
Water Resources Development— · 4 votes
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 3 votes
Credit— · 3 votes
Embargo— · 3 votes
Families— · 3 votes
Home repair and improvement— · 3 votes
International economic relations— · 3 votes
Postal rates and revenues— · 3 votes
Private Legislation— · 3 votes
Public works— · 3 votes
Revenue sharing— · 3 votes
Animals— · 2 votes
Arts, Culture, Religion— · 2 votes
Conferences— · 2 votes
Contested elections— · 2 votes
Cultural centers— · 2 votes
Executive reorganization— · 2 votes
Financial disclosure— · 2 votes
Government securities— · 2 votes
Life insurance— · 2 votes
Museums— · 2 votes
Power resources— · 2 votes
Printing— · 2 votes
Territories (U.S.)— · 2 votes
Youth— · 2 votes
Aquaculture— · 1 vote
Barber and beauty shops— · 1 vote
Chemicals— · 1 vote
Congressional oversight— · 1 vote
Day care— · 1 vote
Disabled— · 1 vote
Droughts— · 1 vote
Earthquakes— · 1 vote
Electronic surveillance— · 1 vote
Emergency Management— · 1 vote
Government corporations— · 1 vote
Heating— · 1 vote
Intergovernmental relations— · 1 vote
Lakes— · 1 vote
Monuments and memorials— · 1 vote
Motor vehicles— · 1 vote
Native Americans— · 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 to counsel— · 1 vote
Rivers— · 1 vote

They also voted in 70 areas where the parties never split, so there is nothing to score — never on a contested question: Age and employment, Agriculture in foreign trade, Auditing, Aviation insurance, Awards, medals, prizes, Broadcasting, Cemeteries and funerals, Checks, Child abuse, Citizenship, Clergy, Climate, Clothing industry, Commemorations, Commodity control, Conservation of natural resources, Contempt of legislative bodies, Corporations, Customs administration, Dairy industry, District of Columbia, Domestic relations, Emigration, Federal advisory bodies, Federal-state relations, Fire fighters, Fishes, Gambling, Gold, Government life insurance, Government property, Government publications, Human rights, Impeachments, Import restrictions, Indian claims, Insect control, Interest, Intergovernmental fiscal relations, International agencies, Leases, Libraries, Lotteries, Marine mammal protection, Marine resources conservation, 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, Real property, Recall of officials, Recreation areas, Referendum, Rural conditions, Salaries, Social Sciences and History, Solar energy, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Tobacco, Water conservation, Witnesses.

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

Service record

5 Congresses
94th · 197596th · 197998th · 1983
Democrat · House · MA94th–95th
Democrat · Senate · MA96th–98th
Term datesexact
Members · Massachusetts
PT

Paul Efthemios Tsongas

Senator from Massachusetts
SENATED1975–19855 CONGRESSES
Compare
LegislationHEADLINE
89.3%with Democrats
of 2,040 votes · 10.7% with Republicans
Nominations—of 0 votes
All contested89%of 2,040 · combined
Steepest move−5 pts1979→81, as a Democrat

Career arc

10050019751983
1983–84 · 98th · Democrat · of 245 votes83.7%

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 majorityNay
Republican majorityNay
Counts toward scoreNo
Open roll call
Latest 6 shown · 245 contested votes scored in the 98th

By policy area

career
Economics and Public Finance86.3% · 563
Government Operations and Politics84.9% · 159
Armed Forces and National Security87.8% · 131
International Affairs96.7% · 122
Congress91.9% · 111
Energy91.7% · 96
Taxation90% · 90
Agriculture and Food69.6% · 69
Public Lands and Natural Resources98.3% · 58
Foreign Trade and International Finance85.1% · 47
Education100% · 41
Transportation and Public Works92.1% · 38
Social Welfare91.2% · 34
Immigration84.8% · 33
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues100% · 31
Environmental Protection85.7% · 28
Labor and Employment96.4% · 28
Housing and Community Development100% · 27
Commerce95.8% · 24
Finance and Financial Sector86.4% · 22
Law95% · 20
Sports and Recreation78.9% · 19
Crime and Law Enforcement92.9% · 14
Industrial relations100% · 14
Science, Technology, Communications85.7% · 14
Health— · 9
Lobbying— · 9
Independent regulatory commissions— · 8
Depletion allowances— · 7
Mortgages— · 6
Vietnamese Conflict— · 6
Black lung— · 5
Constitutional amendments— · 4
Income tax— · 4
Mines and mineral resources— · 4
Municipal finance— · 4
Political participation— · 4
Water Resources Development— · 4
Congressional-Presidential relations— · 3
Credit— · 3
Embargo— · 3
Families— · 3
Home repair and improvement— · 3
International economic relations— · 3
Postal rates and revenues— · 3
Private Legislation— · 3
Public works— · 3
Revenue sharing— · 3
Animals— · 2
Arts, Culture, Religion— · 2
Conferences— · 2
Contested elections— · 2
Cultural centers— · 2
Executive reorganization— · 2
Financial disclosure— · 2
Government securities— · 2
Life insurance— · 2
Museums— · 2
Power resources— · 2
Printing— · 2
Territories (U.S.)— · 2
Youth— · 2
Aquaculture— · 1
Barber and beauty shops— · 1
Chemicals— · 1
Congressional oversight— · 1
Day care— · 1
Disabled— · 1
Droughts— · 1
Earthquakes— · 1
Electronic surveillance— · 1
Emergency Management— · 1
Government corporations— · 1
Heating— · 1
Intergovernmental relations— · 1
Lakes— · 1
Monuments and memorials— · 1
Motor vehicles— · 1
Native Americans— · 1
Noise— · 1
Political representation— · 1
Postal service— · 1
Reclamation of land— · 1
Refugees— · 1
Rehabilitation— · 1
Right to counsel— · 1
Rivers— · 1

Also voted in 70 areas where the parties never split — never on a contested question: Age and employment, Agriculture in foreign trade, Auditing, Aviation insurance, Awards, medals, prizes, Broadcasting, Cemeteries and funerals, Checks, Child abuse, Citizenship, Clergy, Climate, Clothing industry, Commemorations, Commodity control, Conservation of natural resources, Contempt of legislative bodies, Corporations, Customs administration, Dairy industry, District of Columbia, Domestic relations, Emigration, Federal advisory bodies, Federal-state relations, Fire fighters, Fishes, Gambling, Gold, Government life insurance, Government property, Government publications, Human rights, Impeachments, Import restrictions, Indian claims, Insect control, Interest, Intergovernmental fiscal relations, International agencies, Leases, Libraries, Lotteries, Marine mammal protection, Marine resources conservation, 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, Real property, Recall of officials, Recreation areas, Referendum, Rural conditions, Salaries, Social Sciences and History, Solar energy, Strategic materials, Terrorism, Tobacco, Water conservation, Witnesses.

Service record

94th · 197598th · 1983
Democrat94th–95th
Democrat96th–98th

Party switchers

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