by Dean Hartwell
In last month’s
elections Republicans took back control of the United
States Senate. They now hold 51 of the chamber’s
100 seats.
But, not all Republicans and Democrats vote the “party
line.” Who are the Senators that will tip the
balance toward one of the parties?
Independent Republicans
Start with maverick John McCain, who has already
publicly scolded President Bush for his handling of an
appointment to the Federal Election Commission even
before the start of the new Congress. With the
long history of bad blood between the Senator and the
President, his vote will never be a sure one for Bush.
Studies by Project Voter Smart show that McCain voted
with the majority of his fellow Republicans only 67
percent of the time (compared to a 98 percent showing by
Republican Leader Trent Lott).
Then there is Lincoln Chafee, senator from Rhode Island.
His strong stand against drilling for oil in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refugee did not please President Bush,
nor the solid majority of Republicans who favored it.
He also supports a strong patient’s bill of rights and
introduced legislation to give regulatory power over
tobacco to the Food and Drug Administration.
Chafee voted with the majority of Republicans only fifty
percent of the time.
Olympia Snowe, a Senator from Maine has voted pro-choice
consistently. In recent years, she has voted
against maintaining a ban on abortions on military
bases, against banning “partial birth” abortions and
against disallowing overseas military abortions.
She has voted with most Republicans a rather low 64
percent of the time.
Reagan Democrats
The Democratic Party has had problems of its own with
members who have kept the party affiliation but have
voted like Republicans. Senator John Breaux of
Louisiana voted for then-President Reagan’s tax cuts,
saying his vote could not be bought, but it "can be
rented."
Other Democrats in the House and the Senate in effect
gave the Republicans control of the House and Senate
during the Reagan and Bush I years on key votes.
It explains how a majority could vote to use force
against Iraq in 1991 and how Clarence Thomas could get
confirmation to the Supreme Court during years when the
Democrats held control of both houses.
Currently, the Democrat in the Senate who wears the
label “Reagan Democrat” most proudly is Senator Zell
Miller of Georgia. In fact, he has voted with the
Republicans so often that the Bush Administration has
tried unsuccessfully to get him to change his party.
Last year, he voted with the majority of Democrats a
paltry 42 percent of the time.
With a new Congress about to begin, the Bush
Administration has a major challenge in keeping the
Independent Republicans in line. Defections,
unreliable votes and other surprises will add and
subtract from the most important number in the Senate:
the number 51.