How would you have voted on past legislation?

[Donerail]

1906: Pure Food and Drug Act Yea
1909: Ratify 16th Amendment (income tax)   Nay
1914: Clayton Anti-Trust Act: Yea
1917: Ratify 18th Amendment (Prohibition)  Nay
1917: Declare war on Germany (WWI)  Nay]
1920: Ratify Treaty of Versailles  Nay
1924: Immigration Act Nay]
1933: Agricultural Adjustment Act Nay
1933: National Industrial Recovery Act: Nay (due to cartels/monopolies)
1935: National Labor Relations Act: Yea
1935: Social Security Act  Yea
1937: Court Packing Plan: Nay
1938: Fair Labor Standards Act: Yea
1940: Lend-lease Program  Nay
1941: Declare war on Germany/Japan (WWII) Yea
1944: GI Bill: Yea
1947: Taft-Hartly Act  Nay
1949: North Atlantic Treaty: Nay
1950: Declare War on Korea  Nay
1951: Ratify 22nd Amendment: Yea
1954: Censure Joe McCarthy  Yea
1958: Landrum-Griffin Act: Yea
1958: National Defense Education Act: Yea
1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution  Nay
1964: Civil Right Act  Nay (I would have voted Yea on all but Title II).
1964: Economic Opportunity Act: Abstain
1965: Voting Rights Act  Nay (I would have voted Yea on all but Section 5 (the gerrymandering part))
1972: Equal Right Amendment  Yea
1973: War Powers Act  Yea
1977: Panama Canal Treaty  Yea
1979: Establish relations with China  Yea
1981: Reagan Tax Cut  Yea
1987: Robert Bork's nomination to Supreme Court  Nay
1991: Force against Iraq (Operation Desert Storm)  Nay
1993: NAFTA Yea
1993: Brady Bill Nay
1996: Welfare Reform  Yea
1996: Line Item Veto  Yea
1998-99:Impeachment/conviction of Bill Clinton Not Proven
2001: Bush Tax Cut  Nay]
2001: Force against Afghanistan Nay
2001: USA PATRIOT Act: Nay
2001: No Child Left Behind Act: Nay
2003: Force against Iraq  Nay
2005: John Roberts' nomination Yea
2006: Samuel Alito's nomination Nay
2006: Stem Cell Research Bill  Yea
2008: Bank Bailout: Nay
2008: New START: Yea
2009: Auto Bailout: Yea
2009: Stimulus Package: Yea
2009: Fair Pay Act: Yea
2009: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Yea
2009: Sonia Sotomayor's nomination: Yea
2010: Obamacare: Nay
2010: Repeal of DADT:  Yea
2010: DREAM Act: Yea
2010: Elena Kagan's Nomination: Yea
2010: Dodd-Frank: Abstain
2011: JOBS Act: Yea
2011: NDAA: Nay
2011: Force Against Libya: Nay
2012: SOPA: Nay

This is marked as one of those things I should delete if I ever consider running for political office.

[Donerail]

Goldwater and SJoyce: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was perfectly legal under the Constitution.  The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states that Congress may pass any law to ensure equal protection under the law.  That predated the '64 CRA by nearly 100 years.

Relevant portion emphasized. It's not creating equality under the law, it's regulating private conduct.

[Donerail]

Goldwater and SJoyce: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was perfectly legal under the Constitution.  The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states that Congress may pass any law to ensure equal protection under the law.  That predated the '64 CRA by nearly 100 years.

Relevant portion emphasized. It's not creating equality under the law, it's regulating private conduct.

really it did some of both.

Which is why I only opposed one section of it.

[Donerail]

Goldwater and SJoyce: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was perfectly legal under the Constitution.  The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states that Congress may pass any law to ensure equal protection under the law.  That predated the '64 CRA by nearly 100 years.

Relevant portion emphasized. It's not creating equality under the law, it's regulating private conduct.

In some cases, that's necessary.  If it was unconstitutional, then why have I never heard of any legal challenges to it?  And even if it regulated private conduct, then how did it not establish equal protection under the law?  The Fourteenth Amendment says that Congress can make any law necessary to ensure equal protection.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  No exceptions.

Congress can make any law necessary to ensure equal protection under the law, not "in all circumstances".

[Donerail]

1906: Pure Food and Drug Act: AYE
1909: Ratify 16th Amendment (income tax): AYE
1914: Clayton Anti-Trust Act: AYE
1917: Ratify 18th Amendment (Prohibition): NAY
1917: Declare war on Germany (WWI)  NAY
1920: Ratify Treaty of Versailles: NAY
1924: Immigration Act: NAY
1930: Smoot-Hawley Tariff: NAY
1933: Agricultural Adjustment Act: AYE
1933: National Industrial Recovery Act: AYE
1935: National Labor Relations Act: AYE
1935: Social Security Act: AYE
1937: Court Packing Plan: NAY
1938: Fair Labor Standards Act: AYE
1940: Lend-lease Program: AYE
1941: Declare war on Germany/Japan (WWII): AYE
1944: GI Bill: AYE
1947: Taft-Hartly Act: NAY
1947: National Security Act: AYE
1949: North Atlantic Treaty: AYE
1950: Declare War on Korea: NAY
1951: Ratify 22nd Amendment: AYE
1954: Censure Joe McCarthy: AYE
1957: Civil Rights Act: AYE
1958: Landrum-Griffin Act: AYE
1958: National Defense Education Act: AYE
1960: Civil Rights Act: AYE
1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: NAY
1964: Civil Rights Act: AYE
1964: Economic Opportunity Act: AYE
1965: Voting Rights Act: AYE
1965: Social Security Act (Medicare): AYE
1968: Flag Protection Act: NAY
1972: Equal Right Amendment: AYE
1973: War Powers Act: AYE
1977: Panama Canal Treaty: AYE
1979: Establish relations with China: AYE
1981: Reagan Tax Cut: AYE
1987: Robert Bork's nomination to Supreme Court: NAY
1991: Force against Iraq (Operation Desert Storm): NAY
1993: NAFTA: AYE
1993: Brady Bill: AYE
1994: Federal Assault Weapons Ban: NAY
1996: Welfare Reform: AYE
1996: Line Item Veto: AYE
1996: Defense of Marriage Act: NAY
1998-99:Impeachment/conviction of Bill Clinton: NAY
2001: Bush Tax Cut: NAY
2001: Force against Afghanistan: ABSTAIN
2001: USA PATRIOT Act: NAY
2001: No Child Left Behind Act: NAY
2002: Homeland Security Act: NAY
2003: Force against Iraq: NAY
2003: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act: NAY
2005: John Roberts' nomination: AYE
2006: Samuel Alito's nomination: NAY
2006: Stem Cell Research Bill: AYE
2008: Bank Bailout: NAY
2008: New START: AYE
2009: Auto Bailout: AYE
2009: Stimulus Package: YEA
2009: Fair Pay Act: AYE
2009: Sonia Sotomayor's nomination: AYE
2010: Obamacare: AYE
2010: Repeal of DADT: AYE
2010: DREAM Act: AYE
2010: Elena Kagan's Nomination: AYE
2010: Dodd-Frank: AYE
2011: JOBS Act: AYE
2011: NDAA: NAY
2011: Force Against Libya: NAY
2012: SOPA: NAY
2013: Manchin-Toomey: AYE

[Donerail]

1906: Pure Food and Drug Act: Yea
1909: Ratify 16th Amendment (income tax): Yea
1912: Ratify 17th amendment (direct election of Senators): Yea
1914: Clayton Anti-Trust Act: Yea
1917: Ratify 18th Amendment (Prohibition): Nay
1917: Declare war on Germany (WWI): Nay
1920: Ratify Treaty of Versailles: Nay
1924: Immigration Act: Nay
1930: Smoot-Hawley Tariff: Nay
1933: Agricultural Adjustment Act: Nay
1933: National Industrial Recovery Act: Nay
1935: National Labor Relations Act: Yea
1935: Social Security Act: Yea
1937: Court Packing Plan: Nay
1938: Fair Labor Standards Act: Yea
1940: Lend-lease Program: Nay
1941: Declare war on Germany/Japan (WWII): Yea
1944: GI Bill: Yea
1947: Taft-Hartly Act: Nay
1947: National Security Act: Nay
1949: North Atlantic Treaty: Nay
1950: Declare War on Korea: Nay
1951: Ratify 22nd Amendment: Yea
1954: Censure Joe McCarthy: Yea
1957: Civil Rights Act: Yea
1958: Landrum-Griffin Act: Nay
1958: National Defense Education Act: Yea
1960: Civil Rights Act: Yea
1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Nay
1964: Civil Rights Act: Yea
1964: Economic Opportunity Act: Yea
1965: Voting Rights Act: Yea
1965: Social Security Act (Medicare): Yea
1968: Flag Protection Act: Nay
1972: Equal Right Amendment: Nay (the more people we can exempt from the draft, the better)
1973: War Powers Act: Yea
1977: Panama Canal Treaty: Yea
1979: Establish relations with China: Yea
1981: Reagan Tax Cut: Yea
1984: National Minimum Drinking Age Act: Nay
1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act: Nay
1987: Robert Bork's nomination to Supreme Court: Nay
1990: Children's Television Act: Yea
1991: Force against Iraq (Operation Desert Storm): Nay
1993: NAFTA: Yea
1993: Brady Bill: Nay
1994: Violence Against Women Act: Nay
1994: Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Nay
1996: Welfare Reform: Nay
1996: Line Item Veto: Nay
1996: Defense of Marriage Act: Nay
1997: Communications Decency Act: Nay
1998: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act: Nay
1998: Copyright Term Extension Act: Nay
1998-99: Impeachment/conviction of Bill Clinton: Nay
2001: Bush Tax Cut: Nay
2001: Force against Afghanistan: Nay
2001: USA PATRIOT Act: Nay
2001: No Child Left Behind Act: Nay
2002: Homeland Security Act: Nay
2003: Force against Iraq: Nay
2003: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act: Yea
2005: John Roberts' nomination: Yea
2006: Samuel Alito's nomination: Nay
2006: Stem Cell Research Bill: Yea
2008: Bank Bailout: Nay
2008: New START: Yea
2009: Auto Bailout: Yea
2009: Stimulus Package: Yea
2009: Fair Pay Act: Yea
2009: Sonia Sotomayor's nomination: Yea
2010: Obamacare: Yea
2010: Repeal of DADT: Yea
2010: DREAM Act: Yea
2010: Elena Kagan's Nomination: Yea
2010: Dodd-Frank: Yes
2011: JOBS Act: Yea
2011: NDAA: Nay
2011: Force Against Libya: Nay
2012: SOPA: Nay
2013: Manchin-Toomey: Nay
2013: Force Against Syria: Nay
2013: Gang of 8 Immigration Reform: Yea
2013: ENDA: Yea
2014: Iran sanctions: Nay
2014: Gillibrand bill: Nay