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.”

<a href="http://zumapress.com/zpdtl.html?IMG=20120425_zaf_mj3_009.jpg&CNT=5">Jay Mallin</a>/ZUMA Press


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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