A bill to define and protect the institution of marriage.

On Sep 10, 1996, the Senate voted 85–14 on “On Passage of the Bill” (HR 3396). Result: Bill Passed. By party: Republicans 53–0, Democrats 32–14. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted yes. 14 members voted against their own party.

During the 104th Congress (1995–1996), Bill Clinton was president, and Republicans held majorities in both the House and Senate.

Result: Bill Passed
Yes: 85
No: 14
Did not vote: 4
Date: Sep 10, 1996

By party

Republicans53 yes · 0 no · 2 didn’t vote
Democrats32 yes · 14 no · 2 didn’t vote

Who broke with their party

Barbara Boxer D-CA voted no
Dianne Feinstein D-CA voted no
Daniel Kahikina Akaka D-HI voted no
Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI voted no
Carol Moseley Braun D-IL voted no
Paul Martin Simon D-IL voted no
Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy D-MA voted no
John Forbes Kerry D-MA voted no
J. Robert Kerrey D-NE voted no
Daniel Patrick Moynihan D-NY voted no
Ronald Lee Wyden D-OR voted no
Claiborne de Borda Pell D-RI voted no
Charles Spittal Robb D-VA voted no
Russell Dana Feingold D-WI voted no

The bill

H.R. 3396: To define and protect the institution of marriage.

How each senator voted: Yes

Frank Hughes Murkowski R-AK
Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK
Howell Thomas Heflin D-AL
Richard C. Shelby R-AL
Dale Bumpers D-AR
John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ
Jon Llewellyn Kyl R-AZ
Ben Nighthorse Campbell R-CO
George Hanks (Hank) Brown R-CO
Christopher John Dodd D-CT
Joseph I. Lieberman D-CT
Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE
William Victor Roth Jr. R-DE
Connie Mack III R-FL
Daniel Robert (Bob) Graham D-FL
Paul Coverdell R-GA
Samuel Augustus Nunn D-GA
Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
Thomas Richard (Tom) Harkin D-IA
Dirk Kempthorne R-ID
Larry Edwin Craig R-ID
Daniel Ray Coats R-IN
Richard Green Lugar R-IN
Nancy Landon Kassebaum R-KS
Sheila Frahm R-KS
Addison Mitchell (Mitch) Mcconnell R-KY
Wendell Hampton Ford D-KY
John Bennett Johnston Jr. D-LA
John Berlinger Breaux D-LA
Barbara Ann Mikulski D-MD
Paul Spyros Sarbanes D-MD
Olympia Jean Snowe R-ME
William Sebastian Cohen R-ME
Carl Levin D-MI
Spencer Abraham R-MI
Paul David Wellstone D-MN
Rod Grams R-MN
Christopher Samuel (Kit) Bond R-MO
John David Ashcroft R-MO
Chester Trent Lott R-MS
William Thad Cochran R-MS
Conrad Burns R-MT
Max Sieben Baucus D-MT
Duncan McLauchlin (Lauch) Faircloth R-NC
Jesse Helms R-NC
Byron Leslie Dorgan D-ND
Kent Conrad D-ND
J. James Exon D-NE
Judd Alan Gregg R-NH
Robert C. Smith R-NH
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg D-NJ
William Warren (Bill) Bradley D-NJ
Jesse Francis (Jeff) Bingaman Jr. D-NM
Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM
Harry Reid D-NV
Richard H Bryan D-NV
Alfonse Marcello D'Amato R-NY
John Herschel Glenn Jr. D-OH
Michael Dewine R-OH
Donald Lee Nickles R-OK
James Mountain Inhofe R-OK
Mark Odom Hatfield R-OR
Arlen Specter R-PA
Richard John (Rick) Santorum R-PA
John Hubbard Chafee R-RI
Ernest Frederick (Fritz) Hollings D-SC
James Strom Thurmond R-SC
Larry Lee Pressler R-SD
Thomas Andrew Daschle D-SD
Fred Dalton Thompson R-TN
William H. Frist R-TN
Kathryn Ann Bailey (Kay) Hutchison R-TX
William Philip (Phil) Gramm R-TX
Orrin Grant Hatch R-UT
Robert Foster (Bob) Bennett R-UT
John William Warner R-VA
James Merrill Jeffords R-VT
Patrick Joseph Leahy D-VT
Patty Murray D-WA
Thomas Slade Gorton III (Slade) R-WA
Herbert H. Kohl D-WI
John Davison (Jay) Rockefeller IV D-WV
Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV
Alan Kooi Simpson R-WY
Craig Lyle Thomas R-WY

How each senator voted: No

Did not vote

Other votes

From Voteview roll call records.

Cite or embed this page

Capitol Receipts, “A bill to define and protect the institution…: Senate Vote, Sep 10…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/104-S-893/a-bill-to-define-and-protect-the-institution-of (accessed 2026-10-17).