To limit the total number of aliens, including spouses and children, granted employment-based legal permanent resident status to 650,000 during any fiscal year.

On May 25, 2006, the Senate voted 51–47 on “On the Amendment” (S 2611). Result: Amendment Agreed to. By party: Republicans 32–22, Democrats 18–25, Independents 1–0. It was a split vote: the parties took opposite sides, with some members crossing over. 40 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: 51
No: 47
Did not vote: 3
Date: May 25, 2006

By party

Republicans32 yes · 22 no · 1 didn’t vote
Democrats18 yes · 25 no · 2 didn’t vote
Independents1 yes · 0 no

Who broke with their party

Lisa Murkowski R-AK voted no
Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK voted no
Blanche Lambert Lincoln D-AR voted yes
Mark Pryor D-AR voted yes
John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ voted no
Barbara Boxer D-CA voted yes
Dianne Feinstein D-CA voted yes
Christopher John Dodd D-CT voted yes
Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE voted yes
Thomas Richard Carper D-DE voted yes
Clarence William (Bill) Nelson D-FL voted yes
Melquiades R. (Mel) Martinez R-FL voted no
Evan Bayh D-IN voted yes
Richard Green Lugar R-IN voted no
Sam Dale Brownback R-KS voted no
Addison Mitchell (Mitch) Mcconnell R-KY voted no
Barbara Ann Mikulski D-MD voted yes
Olympia Jean Snowe R-ME voted no
Susan Margaret Collins R-ME voted no
Norm Coleman R-MN voted no
Conrad Burns R-MT voted no
Max Sieben Baucus D-MT voted yes
Byron Leslie Dorgan D-ND voted yes
Kent Conrad D-ND voted yes
Charles Timothy (Chuck) Hagel R-NE voted no
Earl Benjamin (Ben) Nelson D-NE voted yes
Judd Alan Gregg R-NH voted no
Jesse Francis (Jeff) Bingaman Jr. D-NM voted yes
Michael Dewine R-OH voted no
Gordon Harold Smith R-OR voted no
Arlen Specter R-PA voted no
John F. (Jack) Reed D-RI voted yes
Lincoln Davenport Chafee R-RI voted no
Lindsey O. Graham R-SC voted no
Timothy Peter (Tim) Johnson D-SD voted yes
William H. Frist R-TN voted no
Orrin Grant Hatch R-UT voted no
Robert Foster (Bob) Bennett R-UT voted no
John William Warner R-VA voted no
Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV voted yes

How each senator voted: Yes

Jefferson Beauregard (Jeff) Sessions III R-AL
Richard C. Shelby R-AL
Blanche Lambert Lincoln D-AR
Mark Pryor D-AR
Jon Llewellyn Kyl R-AZ
Barbara Boxer D-CA
Dianne Feinstein D-CA
A. Wayne Allard R-CO
Christopher John Dodd D-CT
Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE
Thomas Richard Carper D-DE
Clarence William (Bill) Nelson D-FL
Johnny Isakson R-GA
Saxby Chambliss R-GA
Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
Larry Edwin Craig R-ID
Michael Dean Crapo R-ID
Evan Bayh D-IN
Charles Patrick (Pat) Roberts R-KS
James Paul David Bunning R-KY
David Vitter R-LA
Barbara Ann Mikulski D-MD
Christopher Samuel (Kit) Bond R-MO
James Matthes Talent R-MO
Chester Trent Lott R-MS
William Thad Cochran R-MS
Max Sieben Baucus D-MT
Elizabeth Hanford Dole R-NC
Richard M. Burr R-NC
Byron Leslie Dorgan D-ND
Kent Conrad D-ND
Earl Benjamin (Ben) Nelson D-NE
John E. Sununu R-NH
Jesse Francis (Jeff) Bingaman Jr. D-NM
Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM
John Eric Ensign R-NV
George Victor Voinovich R-OH
James Mountain Inhofe R-OK
Thomas Allen Coburn R-OK
Richard John (Rick) Santorum R-PA
John F. (Jack) Reed D-RI
James W. Demint R-SC
John Thune R-SD
Timothy Peter (Tim) Johnson D-SD
Lamar Alexander R-TN
John Cornyn R-TX
Kathryn Ann Bailey (Kay) Hutchison R-TX
George Allen R-VA
James Merrill Jeffords I-VT
Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV
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, “To limit the total number of aliens…: Senate Vote, May 25, 2006,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/109-S-518/to-limit-the-total-number-of-aliens-including-spouses (accessed 2026-10-17).