Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan has been using the line on the trail and in stump speeches that U.S. Sen. Mark Begich has voted with Obama 97 percent of the time in 2013.
“After almost four months on the campaign trail, I have not met one Alaskan who agrees with President Obama’s agenda 97 percent of the time,” Sullivan has been saying repeatedly, in hopes, apparently, that it becomes a meme and will stick much like Romney’s 47 percent line stuck.
Sullivan repeated the refrain in a press release on Monday. And this time, Sullivan had backup for that 97 percent. His release points to a study conducted by CQ Roll Call, which has Begich voting 97 percent of the time with the president on 108 bills that CQ Roll Call identified had the president’s support. Sixty five of the 108 were nominations.
According to the study, Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted with the president 72 percent of the time, and Rep. Don Young voted with the president 22 percent of the time.
Begich voted against the president three times. Those no votes, however, were enough to land him in 10th place in CQ Roll Call’s list of Senators least supportive of the president.
Ryan Kelly, a Roll Call CQ researcher, put together the following list of votes that Begich cast against the president, as well as the six ones that he missed. The missed votes did not count against Begich’s percentile rank.
Votes on which Begich disagreed with Obama:
Senate Vote 97 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – Background Checks
April 17, 2013 – Manchin, D-W.Va., amendment no. 715 that would expand an existing background check system to include firearms purchased at gun shows and over the Internet. It would allow gun show sales to proceed if a background check does not prompt a response within 48 hours and reduce that to a 24-hour wait four years after enactment. It would exempt family transfers and some private sales. The amendment would restrict law enforcement grant funds for states that do not provide all available records to the national background check database. It would ban the creation of a national firearms registry, allow active-duty military members buy guns in their home state and create a commission to study the causes of mass violence in the United States. Rejected 54-46: R 4-41; D 48-5; I 2-0.
Senate Vote 101 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – Assault Weapons Ban
April 17, 2013 – Feinstein, D-Calif., amendment no. 711 that would prohibit the future production, import, sale, transfer or possession of certain firearms considered to be assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with exemptions for law enforcement officials. It would exempt certain firearms used for hunting and sporting purposes from the ban. It also would allow law enforcement grant funds be used to buy back semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition clips. Rejected 40-60: R 1-44; D 38-15; I 1-1.
Senate Vote 103 – S 649: Gun Policy Revisions – High-Capacity Clip Ban
April 17, 2013 – Blumenthal, D-Conn., amendment no. 714 that would prohibit the future production, import, sale, transfer or possession of ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds, with exemptions for law enforcement officials. It would also allow law enforcement grant funds be used to buy back semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition clips. Rejected 46-54: R 1-44; D 43-10; I 2-0.
Votes that Begich missed:
Senate Vote 25 – : Lew Nomination – Confirmation
February 27, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Jacob J. Lew of New York to be secretary of Treasury.
Confirmed 71-26: R 20-25; D 50-0; I 1-1.
Senate Vote 28 – : Failla Nomination – Confirmation
March 04, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Katherine Polk Failla of New York to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Confirmed 91-0: R 41-0; D 48-0; I 2-0.
Senate Vote 113 – S 743: Internet Sales Tax – Passage
May 06, 2013 – Passage of the bill that would allow states to require out-of-state retailers with annual remote sales that exceed $1 million to collect sales taxes on items delivered to the state. Passed 69-27: R 21-22; D 46-5; I 2-0.
Senate Vote 145 – S 954: Farm Programs – Passage
June 10, 2013 – Passage of the bill that would reauthorize federal farm, food, nutrition and conservation programs through fiscal 2018. Passed 66-27: R 18-25; D 46-2; I 2-0.
Senate Vote 170 – : Dorsey Nomination – Confirmation
July 09, 2013 – Confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Jennifer A. Dorsey of Nevada to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Confirmed 54-41: R 1-41; D 51-0; I 2-0.
Senate Vote 235 – : Wilkins Nomination – Cloture
November 18, 2013 – Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Robert L. Wilkins of the District of Columbia to be a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Motion rejected 53-38: R 2-37; D 49-1; I 2-0.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
*There are …….
There’s lies, damn lies and statistics……….
Senator Begich should be ashamed of his voting record. Actually, either he is or he’s one fraudulent dude. At home when he speaks of Obama, he does so with criticism and talks about standing up for Alaska. In DC, it appears he lies down and forgets about Alaska. All things considered, Begich is a fraud and is about to find out that Alaskans are a lot smarter than he thinks we are. Dude you are done.
Obama is bad for Alaska. Begich has been running away from the President ever since he was elected: however, that was his talk and his walk constantly supported the liberal anti-Alaskan policies of the President. Now, he’s been caught and there are statistics to says that he stands up for Obama, not Alaskans. I will proudly cast my ballott for Dan Sullivan both in the primary and general elections.