Senate roll call 498 · 109th Congress · May 18, 2006
To declare that English is the common and unifying language of the United States, and to preserve and enhance the role of the English language.
On May 18, 2006, the Senate voted 58–39 on “On the Amendment” (S 2611). Result: Amendment Agreed to. By party: Republicans 14–39, Democrats 43–0, Independents 1–0. It was a split vote: the parties took opposite sides, with some members crossing over. 14 members voted against their own party.
During the 109th Congress (2005–2006), George W. Bush was president, and Republicans held majorities in both the House and Senate.
- Result
- Amendment Agreed to
- Yes
- 58
- No
- 39
- Did not vote
- 4
- Date
- May 18, 2006
By party
- Republicans14 yes · 39 no · 2 didn’t vote
- Democrats43 yes · 0 no · 2 didn’t vote
- Independents1 yes · 0 no
Who broke with their party
- Lisa Murkowski R-AK voted yes
- John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ voted yes
- Sam Dale Brownback R-KS voted yes
- Olympia Jean Snowe R-ME voted yes
- Susan Margaret Collins R-ME voted yes
- Norm Coleman R-MN voted yes
- Charles Timothy (Chuck) Hagel R-NE voted yes
- Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM voted yes
- George Victor Voinovich R-OH voted yes
- Michael Dewine R-OH voted yes
- Arlen Specter R-PA voted yes
- Lincoln Davenport Chafee R-RI voted yes
- Lindsey O. Graham R-SC voted yes
- John William Warner R-VA voted yes
How each senator voted: Yes
- Lisa Murkowski R-AK
- Blanche Lambert Lincoln D-AR
- Mark Pryor D-AR
- John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ
- Barbara Boxer D-CA
- Dianne Feinstein D-CA
- Kenneth Lee Salazar D-CO
- Christopher John Dodd D-CT
- Joseph I. Lieberman D-CT
- Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE
- Thomas Richard Carper D-DE
- Clarence William (Bill) Nelson D-FL
- Daniel Kahikina Akaka D-HI
- Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI
- Thomas Richard (Tom) Harkin D-IA
- Barack Obama D-IL
- Richard Joseph Durbin D-IL
- Evan Bayh D-IN
- Sam Dale Brownback R-KS
- Mary L. Landrieu D-LA
- Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy D-MA
- John Forbes Kerry D-MA
- Barbara Ann Mikulski D-MD
- Paul Spyros Sarbanes D-MD
- Olympia Jean Snowe R-ME
- Susan Margaret Collins R-ME
- Carl Levin D-MI
- Deborah Ann Stabenow D-MI
- Mark Dayton D-MN
- Norm Coleman R-MN
- Max Sieben Baucus D-MT
- Byron Leslie Dorgan D-ND
- Kent Conrad D-ND
- Charles Timothy (Chuck) Hagel R-NE
- Earl Benjamin (Ben) Nelson D-NE
- Frank Raleigh Lautenberg D-NJ
- Robert Menendez D-NJ
- Jesse Francis (Jeff) Bingaman Jr. D-NM
- Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM
- Harry Reid D-NV
- Charles Ellis (Chuck) Schumer D-NY
- Hillary Rodham Clinton D-NY
- George Victor Voinovich R-OH
- Michael Dewine R-OH
- Ronald Lee Wyden D-OR
- Arlen Specter R-PA
- John F. (Jack) Reed D-RI
- Lincoln Davenport Chafee R-RI
- Lindsey O. Graham R-SC
- Timothy Peter (Tim) Johnson D-SD
- John William Warner R-VA
- James Merrill Jeffords I-VT
- Patrick Joseph Leahy D-VT
- Maria E. Cantwell D-WA
- Patty Murray D-WA
- Herbert H. Kohl D-WI
- Russell Dana Feingold D-WI
- Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV
How each senator voted: No
- Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK
- Jefferson Beauregard (Jeff) Sessions III R-AL
- Richard C. Shelby R-AL
- Jon Llewellyn Kyl R-AZ
- A. Wayne Allard R-CO
- Johnny Isakson R-GA
- Saxby Chambliss R-GA
- Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
- Larry Edwin Craig R-ID
- Michael Dean Crapo R-ID
- Richard Green Lugar R-IN
- Charles Patrick (Pat) Roberts R-KS
- Addison Mitchell (Mitch) Mcconnell R-KY
- David Vitter R-LA
- Christopher Samuel (Kit) Bond R-MO
- James Matthes Talent R-MO
- Chester Trent Lott R-MS
- William Thad Cochran R-MS
- Conrad Burns R-MT
- Elizabeth Hanford Dole R-NC
- Richard M. Burr R-NC
- John E. Sununu R-NH
- Judd Alan Gregg R-NH
- John Eric Ensign R-NV
- James Mountain Inhofe R-OK
- Thomas Allen Coburn R-OK
- Gordon Harold Smith R-OR
- Richard John (Rick) Santorum R-PA
- James W. Demint R-SC
- John Thune R-SD
- Lamar Alexander R-TN
- William H. Frist R-TN
- John Cornyn R-TX
- Kathryn Ann Bailey (Kay) Hutchison R-TX
- Orrin Grant Hatch R-UT
- Robert Foster (Bob) Bennett R-UT
- George Allen R-VA
- Craig Lyle Thomas R-WY
- Michael B. Enzi R-WY
Did not vote
Other votes
From Voteview roll call records.
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Capitol Receipts, “To declare that English is the common and…: Senate Vote, May 18, 2006,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/109-S-498/to-declare-that-english-is-the-common-and-unifying (accessed 2026-10-17).