Meet the 45 Senators Who Blocked Background Checks

President Obama said that “there was no coherent argument for why we wouldn’t do this. It came down to politics.”


An amendment proposed by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to require background checks for commercial gun sales (but not for sales between “friends and neighbors”) was shot down Wednesday afternoon in a 54-46 vote, failing to capture the 60 votes it needed to advance. The bill would have been a modest victory for gun control advocates, while ceding numerous concessions to the gun lobby (the NRA initially called it a “positive development.”) Nevertheless, only four Republicans voted for the proposal, with 41 voting against it. Five Democrats rejected the proposal as well (Reid was a special case; see below). Standing with families of Sandy Hook victims, President Obama said that “there was no coherent argument for why we wouldn’t do this. It came down to politics.”

Here’s a list so you can see how your senator voted:

Republicans Who Voted for the Proposal

  • Susan Collins (R-Maine)
  • Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)
  • John McCain (R-Ariz.)
  • Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)

Democrats Who Voted Against the Proposal

  • Max Baucus (D-Mont.)    
  • Mark Begich (D-Alaska)    
  • Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)    
  • Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)    
  • Harry Reid (D-Nev.)  (Voted “no” as a procedural move to preserve option to reintroduce the bill.)

Republicans Who Voted Against the Proposal

  • Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
  • Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)
  • John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
  • Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
  • John Boozman (R-Ark.)
  • Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
  • Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
  • Dan Coats (R-Ind.)
  • Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
  • Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
  • Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
  • John Cornyn (R-Texas)
  • Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
  • Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
  • Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.)
  • Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
  • Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
  • Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
  • Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
  • Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
  • Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
  • John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
  • Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)
  • Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
  • Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)
  • Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
  • Mike Lee (R-Utah)
  • Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
  • Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
  • Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
  • Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
  • Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
  • James Risch (R-Idaho)
  • Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
  • Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
  • Timothy Scott (R-S.C.)
  • Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)
  • Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
  • John Thune (R-S.D.)
  • David Vitter (R-La.)
  • Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

Democrats Who Voted for the Proposal

  • Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
  • Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
  • Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
  • Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
  • Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
  • Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
  • Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
  • Thomas Carper (D-Del.)
  • Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
  • Christopher Coons (D-Del.)
  • William “Mo” Cowan (D-Mass.)
  • Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
  • Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
  • Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
  • Al Franken (D-Minn.)
  • Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
  • Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)
  • Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
  • Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
  • Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
  • Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
  • Timothy Kaine (D-Va.)
  • Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
  • Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
  • Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
  • Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
  • Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
  • Joe Manchin (D-W.V.)
  • Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
  • Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
  • Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
  • Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
  • Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.)
  • Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
  • Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
  • John Reed (D-R.I.)
  • Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.)
  • Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
  • Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
  • Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
  • Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
  • Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
  • Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
  • Mark Warner (D-Va.)
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
  • Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
  • Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

Independents

  • Angus King (I-Maine): Yea
  • Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): Yea

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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