# When was the last time a bill got 40 - 60% support from both Democrats and Republicans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2018, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134 "2018-07-18T08:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/1 "2018-07-18T08:48:24Z")
Is there a data source that lists every bill that has ever come up for vote in the US and the party affiliations for who voted for & against? I’m curious when the last time there was a bill which was genuinely controversial within both parties. It seems like most of the bills we hear about on the news reflect strict partisan divides but I wonder if that extends to the more mundane, day to day aspects of governance as well. Any idea where I can find such info? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/2 "2018-07-18T14:14:28Z")
This has a graphic representation of the votes for and against from each party, which should simplify the search for the type of vote I think you’re looking for: > **[Represent](https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/115/all/house)** > > This site provides information on lawmakers, the bills they consider and the votes they take (and miss). You can browse the latest votes and bills, see how often lawmakers vote against their parties and compare voting records. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/3 "2018-07-18T14:17:05Z")
From naita’s list, the last substantive bill to pass with broad bipartisan support was the [2019 defense appropriation bill](https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/115/house/2/313). ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/4 "2018-07-18T14:20:13Z")
Here’s one such vote “On approving the journal” where 44% voted against. Half of them dems and half reps. I have no idea why, or what journal that was: > **[House Vote 271 - On Approving the Journal](https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/115/house/2/271)** > > House Vote 271 - On Approving the Journal. Passed, by a margin of 20 votes. See how your representative voted. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/5 "2018-07-18T14:25:04Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Here’s one such vote “On approving the journal” where 44% voted against. Half of them dems and half reps. I have no idea why, or what journal that was: > [House Vote 271 - On Approving the Journal | Represent | ProPublica](https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/115/house/2/271) [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/h271](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/h271) > [@](#): > > This was a procedural vote. The House is required to approve its previous day’s journal of activities each day, but the journal is never the true subject of these votes. Because the journal is routinely approved, representatives use these votes to appear to be voting for or against their party, whichever is more politically useful, in aggregate vote statistics, knowing that their vote here does not truly matter. These votes may also be used by the majority party to get representatives to the floor or to conduct an informal tally about their position on another matter. That other matter is not made known to the general public. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/6 "2018-07-18T15:39:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > From naita’s list, the last substantive bill to pass with broad bipartisan support was the [2019 defense appropriation bill](https://projects.propublica.org/represent/votes/115/house/2/313). This bill passed with \>60% support from both parties. I’m looking for bills that were controversial among both parties. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/7 "2018-07-18T15:45:33Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/h271](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/h271) > > > [@](#): > > > > Because the journal is routinely approved, representatives use these votes to appear to be voting for or against their party, whichever is more politically useful, in aggregate vote statistics, knowing that their vote here does not truly matter. Okay, that is truly bizarre. US representatives deliberately try to game voting statistics? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/8 "2018-07-18T16:23:49Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > This bill passed with \>60% support from both parties. I’m looking for bills that were controversial among both parties. The 2018 omnibus budget bill was passed 256-167. For the yes votes, Rs provided 145, Ds 111. For the no votes, Rs provided 90, Ds 77. I think that’s fairly close to your criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/9 "2018-07-18T17:06:58Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > I’m looking for bills that were controversial among both parties. That’s not what your thread title is asking. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/10 "2018-07-18T17:16:42Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > That’s not what your thread title is asking. I can see how people could read it a different way, but I understood what the OP was asking. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/11 "2018-07-18T18:56:47Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Okay, that is truly bizarre. US representatives deliberately try to game voting statistics? Absolutely. And it is used in election campaigns. There is a Representative near me who is suffering from his opponents ads saying ‘he claims to be an independent, but he votes with Trump 96% of the time!’. That can hurt, in a District that voted for Hillary Clinton, and where support for Trump has gone down since then. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-a-bill-got-40-60-support-from-both-democrats-and-republicans/818134/12 "2018-07-18T19:49:22Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Absolutely. > And it is used in election campaigns. There is a Representative near me who is suffering from his opponents ads saying ‘he claims to be an independent, but he votes with Trump 96% of the time!’. That can hurt, in a District that voted for Hillary Clinton, and where support for Trump has gone down since then. But Trump doesn’t have a position on approving the journal. In fact, contentious votes on approving the Journal are more of a signal about other matters, in very confounding ways: > **[How changing Dodd-Frank might reveal changes in the parties](https://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2018/5/23/17382398/dodd-frank-partisan-discord)** > > Voting on the House Journal tells it all. > **[How Unusual: The House Twice Had Highly Divided Votes Over… Approving Its...](https://www.legbranch.org/2017-3-29-how-unusual-the-house-twice-had-highly-divided-votes-over-approving-its-journal/)** > > On Thursday and Friday of last week (March 23rd & 24th), the House of Representatives twice divided sharply over whether to approve its Journal. This was unusual. The Journal of the House of Representatives is a constitutionally mandated record...