What follows is the next in a series of diaries which will provide a year-by-year record of John Kerry's voting record in the US Senate, which has been summarized and excerpted from
Project Vote Smart - Key Votes listing for Senator Kerry. This entry covers Sen. Kerry's voting record for the year,
1994.
Other Year's entries:
1988,
1989,
1990,
1991,
1992,
1993,
1994,
1995,
1996,
1997,
1998,
1999,
2000,
2001,
2002
2003,
2004.
Summary for 1994- Category: Transportation Issues
- Funding Specific Highway Projects
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Reject a non-binding resolution that Congress should not direct money to specific highway and mass transit projects.
HR 4556 (Fiscal 1995 Transportation Appropriations);
Motion to table: 7/21/94
Outcome: Passed 63-37
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S219
Lautenberg, D-NJ, motion to table McCain, R-AZ, amendment.
Category: Trade Issues
- GATT - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Pass bill to approve and implement GATT.
HR 5110: GATT Implementing Legislation
Vote on passing the bill to approve and implement the trade agreements concluded in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations - The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
(Passed 76-24 on 12/1/94)
Category: Foreign Aid and Policy Issues
- Vietnam Trade Embargo
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
'Sense of Senate' amendment to lift U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam.
S 1281:
Vote on an amendment to express the sense of the Senate that in order to maintain and expand further U.S. and Vietnamese efforts to obtain the fullest possible accounting of American servicemen unaccounted for during the war in Vietnam, the President should lift the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam expeditiously.
Amendment introduced by Kerry, D-MA.
(The amendment was adopted 62-38 on 1/27/94)
- Congressional Approval for Action in Haiti
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require the president to seek congressional authorization before ordering military action against Haiti.
HR 4426 (Fiscal 1995 Foreign Operations Appropriations);
Amendment: 6/29/94
Outcome: Rejected 34-65
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S172
Outcome: Rejected 34-65
Amendment introduced by Gregg, R-NH.
- Bosnian Embargo - Act with Allies
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Direct the president to reach a NATO-U.N. agreement on lifting the arms embargo to Bosnia, but failing that, allow him to unilaterally lift the ban after consulting with Congress.
S 2042 (Bosnial Arms Embargo);
Amendment: 5/12/94
Outcome: Passed 50-49
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S110
Amendment introduced by Mitchell, D-ME.
- End U.S. Arms Embargo of Bosnia
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require the president to end the U.S. arms embargo of Bosnia.
S 2182 (Fiscal 1995 Defense Authorization);
Amendment: 7/1/94
Outcome: Rejected 50-50
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S181
Amendment introduced by Dole, R-KS.
- Congressional Commission on Haiti
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Reject a proposal to establish a congressional commission on Haiti.
HR 4426 (Fiscal 1995 Foreign Operations);
Motion to table an amendment: 7/14/94
Outcome: Passed 57-42
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S194
Pell, D-RI, motion to table Dole, R-KS, amendment.
- Bosnian Embargo - Unilateral Action
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require the president to act alone to reject the U.N. embargo that has long barred arms shipments to Bosnia's outgunned government forces.
S 2042 (Bosnian Arms Embargo);
Amendment: 5/12/94
Outcome: Passed 50-49
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S111
Amendment introduced by Dole, R-KS.
Category: Budget%2C Spending and Taxes
- Balanced Budget Amendment - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Pass joint resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
S Joint Res 41: Balanced Budget Amendment
Vote on passage of a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require a balanced budget.
(Rejected 63-37 on 3/1/94; 2/3rds vote required)
- Fiscal 1995 Budget Resolution - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Set budget levels for the 1995 fiscal year with a deficit of $174 billion and an additional $26 billion in cuts over five years called for in President Clinton's budget.
H Con Res 218 (Fiscal 1995 Budget Resolution);
Adoption of the Resolution: 3/25/94
Outcome: Passed 57-40
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S82
- Non-Defense Spending Cuts
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require that $26.1 billion in five-year discretionary spending cuts come from non-defense accounts and to require an additional $20 billion in five-year deficit reduction by cutting mandatory spending programs.
S Con Res 63 (Fiscal 1995 Budget Resolution);
Amendment: 3/23/94
Outcome: Rejected 34-64
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S69
Amendment introduced by Lott, R-MS.
- Fiscal 1995 Legislative Branch Funding Reductions
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Reduce legislative branch appropriations in fiscal 1995 by 7.5 percent and freeze it at that level through 1999.
S Con Res 63 (Fiscal 1995 Budget Resolution);
Amendment: 3/24/94
Outcome: Rejected 48-50
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S74
Amendment introduced by Hutchison, R-TX.
Category: Environmental Issues
- Ethanol
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Uphold a new federal rule that assures that ethanol will be used in a new, cleaner-burning gasoline.
HR 4624 [Fiscal 1995 VA, HUD Appropriations]
Motion to table, or kill, an amemdment;
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S255
Motion agreed to 51-50 on 8/3/94
Mikulski, D-MD, motion to table Johnston, D-LA, amendment.
- California Desert Wilderness
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Consider final approval of legislation designating 7.5 million acres of California desert as wilderness.
S 21 [California Desert Protection]
Cloture motion
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S326
Motion agreed to 68-23 on 10/8/94 [3/5ths majority required]
- California Desert Protection - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Pass California Desert Protection bill.
S 21:
Vote on passage of a bill to designate certain lands in the California Desert as wilderness and to establish Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Mojave National Parks.
(The bill passed 69-29 on 4/13/94)
Category: Education
- Funding School Choice Programs
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Amendment to fund school choice demonstration programs.
S 1150:
Vote on an amendment to authorize $30 million to provide 6 low-income school choice demonstration programs.
Amendment introduced by Coats, R-IN.
(The amendment was rejected 41-52 on 2/8/94)
- Provide $30 Million for a Demonstration
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Provide $30 million for a demonstration project to allow students in 20 violence-prone schools to use vouchers to move to safe schools.
S 1513: Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization
Amendment to provide $30 million for a demonstration project to allow students in 20 violence-prone schools to use vouchers to move to safe schools.
Amendment introduced by Dole, R-KS.
(Rejected 45-53 on 7/27/94)
- Voluntary Prayer
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Cut off federal funds to school districts that deny students their right to constitutionally protected voluntary prayer.
S 1513 [Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization]
Amendment;
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S236
Rejected 47-53 on 7/27/94.
Amendment introduced by Helms, R-NC.
- Goals 2000: Educate America Act - Conference Report
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Final passage of the Goals 2000 bill to establish 8 goals for education.
HR 1804:
Vote on the conference report [final passage] of the bill to establish 8 goals for education; establish voluntary national standards; establish voluntary opportunity to learn standards; and provide $400 million in aid to schools, among other provisions.
(The conference report was adopted 63-22 on 3/25/94)
- Condom Distribution
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Prohibit distribution of condoms, contraceptives or drugs financed by federal aid without parental consent.
S 1150 (Goals 2000: Educate America);
Amendment: 2/8/94
Outcome: Rejected 34-59
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S28
Amendment introduced by Helms, R-NC.
Category: Appropriations
- Fiscal 1995 District of Columbia Budget - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Approve the fiscal 1995 D.C. spending bill, requiring the city to trim its budget by $75 million and not incur a deficit.
HR 4649 (Fiscal 1995 District of Columbia Appropriations);
Passage: 7/21/94
Outcome: Passed 68-32
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S217
- National Competitiveness Act - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Pass National Competitiveness Act.
HR 820:
Vote on passage of a bill to authorize $1.9 billion over fiscal year 1995 to enhance manufacturing technology, development and transfer, and authorize appropriations for the Technology Administration of the U.S Department of Commerce, including the National Institute of Standards and Technologies.
(The bill passed 59-40 on 3/16/94)
Category: Labor
- Striker Replacement
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Move to consider a bill to prohibit employers from permanently replacing striking workers.
S 55 (Striker Replacement);
Motion to Invoke Cloture (limit debate): 7/12/94
Outcome: Motion Rejected 53-47
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S188
- Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1994
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Amendment to exempt labor contracts funded by the bill from prevailing wage requirements.
S 2019:
Vote on an amendment to exempt contracts entered in by the United States for construction, alternation or repair work that is performed in disadvantaged communities and that is necessary to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act from the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires contractors for federal and public works projects to pay the prevailing local wage rate.
Amendment introduced by Simpson, R-WY.
(The amendment was rejected 45-53 on 5/18/94. The bill passed 95-3 on 5/19/94.)
Category: Congressional Affairs
- Gift Limitations
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Permit members of Congress to accept virtually unlimited free meals and unlimited gifts valued at less than $75, but bar recreational travel gifts except for charity events.
S 1935 (Congressional Gift Limitations);
Substitute Amendment: 5/5/94
Outcome: Rejected 39-59
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S101
Substitute amendment introduced by McConnell, R-KY.
- Congressional Gifts Reform Act - Passage
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Pass bill to ban gifts from lobbyists and require lobby activity reporting.
S 1935: Congressional Gift Reform Act
Vote to pass a bill to prohibit lobbyists and their clients from providing to Legislative Branch officials certain gifts, meals, entertainment, reimbursements or loans; and to place limits on and require disclosure by lobbyists of certain expenditures.
(The bill passed 95-4 on 5/11/94)
- Free Airport Parking
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Express the sense of the Senate that free parking privileges for members of Congress and other government officials at Washington National and Dulles airports should be eliminated.
S 540 (Bankruptcy Reform);
Amendment: 4/20/94
Outcome: Rejected 44-53
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S94
Amendment introduced by McCain, R-AZ.
- Congressional Gifts Reform Act - Congressional Pay
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Amendment to reduce congressional salaries by 15%.
S 1935: Congressional Gift Reform Act
Vote on an amendment to reduce the pay of Members of Congress by 15%.
Amendment introduced by Burns, R-MT.
(The amendment was rejected 34-59 on 5/5/94)
- Congressional Gift, Meals, Entertainment Ban
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Consider legislation to bar members of Congress from accepting meals, gifts and entertainment from lobbyists.
S 349 [Lobbying Disclosure]
Cloture Motion
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S325
Rejected 55-42 on 10/7/94
- Charity Events
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Amendment to non-lobbyists to reimburse members for charity event costs.
S 1935: Congressional Gift Reform Act
Vote on an amendment to permit reimbursement to Members of Congress for travel, food and lodging in connection with a charitable event, as long as the reimbursement was not made by a registered lobbyist or a foreign agent.
Amendment introduced by Murkowski, R-AK.
(The amendment was rejected 37-58 on 5/5/94)
- Congressional Gifts Reform Act -PAC & Lobbyist Gift Ban
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Amendment to ban gifts and campaign contributions from lobbyists or PACs.
S 1935: Congressional Gift Reform Act
Vote on an amendment to prohibit the acceptance of any gift, directly or indirectly, from a political action committee or lobbyist [including political contributions].
Amendment introduced by Murkowski, R-AK.
(The amendment passed 66-29 on 5/5/94)
Category: Abortion Issues
- Clinic Access - Conference Report
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Final passage of abortion clinic access bill.
S 636: Abortion Clinic Access
Adoption of the conference report (final version) of the bill to subject to criminal penalties and civil remedy persons who intentionally use force, the threat of force or physical obstruction to prevent other people from obtaining or providing pregnancy or abortion-related services.
(Passed 69-30 on 5/12/94)
Category: Immigration
-
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Amendment to provide $5 million per year to states to help cover costs of providing services to illegal immigrants.
S Con Res 63: Fiscal 1995 Budget Resolution
Vote on an amendment to provide $5 billion a year for 5 years to the states to help defray the costs of spending on illegal immigrants as a result of federal mandates. The money would come from reducing additional spending in the bill in all areas except for criminal justice.
Amendment introduced by Gramm, R-TX.
(The amendment was rejected 37-61 on 3/25/94)
- Reject Proposal to Increase Spending for Immigrant Edu.
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Reject proposal to increase spending for immigrant education by $100 million by cutting salaries and expenses at Labor-HHS by the same amount.
HR 4606 [Fiscal 1995 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations]
Motion to table, or kill, an amendment
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S269
Motion agreed to 66-34 on 8/10/94.
Inouye, D-HI, motion to table Graham, D-FL, amendment.
Category: Defense
- B-2 Bomber Funding
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Cut $150 million for additional B-2 stealth bombers.
S 2182 (Fiscal 1995 Defense Authorization);
Amendment: 7/1/94
Outcome: Rejected 45-55
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S179
Amendment introduced by Levin, D-MI.
- Eliminate funding for Trident II Submarines
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Eliminate funding for Trident II submarine-launched missiles.
HR 4650 [Fiscal 1995 Defense Appropriations]
Amendment
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S274
Rejected 40-60 on 8/10/94.
Amendment introduced by Bumpers, D-AR.
Category: Executive Branch
- Sam Brown Confirmation
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Move to vote to confirm Sam W. Brown Jr. of Calif. as an Ambassador during his tenure as Head of the Delegation to the conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Cloture Motion (to cut off debate - 3/5 vote required): 5/25/94
Outcome: Motion rejected 56-42
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S132
- Whitewater Hearings - Limit Hearings
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Limit congressional hearings on Whitewater to the Washington phase of the affair.
S Res 229 (Whitewater Hearings);
Adoption of the Resolution: 6/21/94
Outcome: Passed 54-44
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S154
- Confirm Stephen G. Breyer to the Supreme Court
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Confirm Stephen G. Breyer to the Supreme Court.
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S242
Confirmed 87-9 on 07/29/94
- Admiral Kelso Retirement
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Confirm the nomination of Adm. Frank B. Kelso II to be placed on the retired list with the rank of a four-star admiral.
4/19/94
Outcome: Confirmed 54-43
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S93
Category: Regulatory Issues
- Unfunded Mandates Compliance
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Table amendment to not penalize communities that do not comply with unfunded federal mandates in the bill.
S 2019:
Vote on the motion to table an amendment to prohibit the assessment or collection of penalties against a community if the noncompliance of the community with the Safe Drinking Water Act results from an unfunded federal mandate.
Baucus, D-MT, motion to table Gregg, R-NH, amendment.
(The amendment was tabled 56-43 on 5/17/94. The bill later passed 95-3 on May 19, 1994)
Category: Agriculture Issues
- Tobacco Tariffs
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require that any trade protections provided for tobacco result in no net cost to U.S. taxpayers.
HR 4554 (Fiscal 1995 Agriculture Appropriations);
Motion to table an amendment: 7/20/94
Outcome: Passed 63-37
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S213
McConnell, R-KY, motion to table Brown, R-CO, amendment.
- Agriculture Department Homosexual Policy
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Require the Agriculture Department to provide a public hearing for any employee facing job removal for making critical remarks about the dept.'s policy on homosexuals.
HR 4554 (Fiscal 1995 Agriculture Appropriations);
Amendment: 7/20/94
Outcome: Passed 59-41
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S214
Amendment introduced by Helms, R-NC.
Category: Legal Issues
- Product Liability
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Move to consider a bill to limit product liability lawsuits.
S 687 (Product Liability Reform);
Motion to invoke Cloture (limit debate): 6/29/94
Outcome: Rejected 57-41
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S170
Category: Energy Issues
- Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Preserve funding for the Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor.
HR 4506 (Fiscal 1995 Energy & Water Appropriations);
Motion to table amendment to terminate: 6/30/94
Outcome: Motion agreed to 52-46
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S175
Johnston, D-LA, motion to kill Kerry, D-MA, amendment.
Category: Crime Issues
- Omnibus Crime Bill - Mandatory Prison Terms
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
Vote to have Senate conferees insist on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms.
HR 3355: Omnibus Crime Bill
Vote on the motion to instruct conferees on the bill to insist that the conference report include Section 2405 of the Senate amendment entitled Mandatory prison terms for the use, possession, or carrying of a firearm or destructive device during a state crime of violence or state drug trafficking crime, and section 2406, Murder Involving Firearm.
Motion to instruct introduced by D'Amato, R-NY.
(The motion passed 51-47 on 5/19/94)
- Omnibus Crime Bill - Federal Prison Funds
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Vote to have Senate conferees insist on conditions for federal prison funds.
HR 3355: Omnibus Crime Bill
Vote on the motion to instruct conferees on the bill to insist that the conference report include language providing federal funds for state prisons setting conditions on a state's eligibility to participate in the program in definite terms, and conditioning that a state provide for truth in sentencing by requiring that violent felons serve at least 85% of the prison time imposed.
Motion to instruct introduced by Conrad, D-ND.
(The motion passed 74-22 on 5/19/94. The bill passed 95-3 on 5/19/94)
- Omnibus Crime Bill - Conference Report
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Final passage of the 1994 crime bill, including semi-automatic assault weapon ban and hiring 100,000 new police officers.
HR 3355: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
Vote on passage of the conference report [final version] of the omnibus crime bill. The bill included provisions to: build more prisons; hire 100,000 new police officers; allow death sentences for more federal crimes; ban 19 semi-automatic assault weapons; and institute 'three strikes and you're out' provisions, among other components.
(Conference report adopted 61-38 on 8/25/94)
- Racial Statistics in Death Penalty Appeals
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted NO.
'Sense of Senate' amendment that the final version of the crime bill should not include Racial Justice Act provisions.
S 1935: Congressional Gift Reform Act
Vote on an amendment to express the sense of the Senate that the conferees on the Omnibus Crime bill [H.R. 3355] should reject the Racial Justice Act provisions, which would enable prisoners appealing death penalty sentences to argue racial discrimination using sentencing statistics as part of their appeal.
Amendment introduced by D'Amato, R-NY.
(The amendment passed 58-41 on 5/11/94)
Category: Campaign Finance and Election Issues
- Continue Work on a Bill to Reform Campaign Finance
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Continue work on a bill to reform campaign finance through voluntary spending caps.
S 3 Campaign Finance - Cloture
Cloture Motion
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S314
Rejected 52-46 on 09/30/94 [3/5ths vote required]
Category: Arts and Humanities
- Prohibiting NEA Financing
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Kill an amendment to prohibit the NEA from financing any work that involves human mutilation, invasive body procedures, or the drawing or letting of blood.
HR 4602 [Fiscal 1995 Interior Appropriations]
Motion to table, or kill, an amendment
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S230
Passed 49-42 on 7/25/94
Dodd, D-CT, motion to table Helms, R-NC, amendment.
Category: Welfare and Poverty Issues
- Legal Services Corp.
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Kill a plan to bar the Legal Services Corp., which provides legal aid to the poor, from challenging any state or federal welfare reform legislation.
HR 4603 (Fiscal 1995 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations);
Motion to table: 7/21/94
Outcome: Passed 56-44
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S223
Specter, R-PA, motion to table Gramm, R-TX, amendment.
Category: Government Reform
- Federal Workforce Restructuring
(Complete Information)
Senator John Forbes Kerry voted YES.
Cut off debate on a bill to authorize financial incentives of up to $25,000 per worker to encourage voluntary retirements or resignations from the federal work force.
HR 3345 (Federal Workforce Restructuring);
Cloture Motion (limits debate): 3/24/94
Outcome: Passed 63-36
Congressional Quarterly Number: 1994 - S76