Senate roll call 638 · 109th Congress · Dec 6, 2006
Robert M. Gates, of Texas, to be Secretary of Defense
On Dec 6, 2006, the Senate voted 95–2 on “On the Nomination” (PN 2191). Result: Nomination Confirmed. By party: Republicans 52–2, Democrats 42–0, Independents 1–0. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted yes. 2 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
- Nomination Confirmed
- Yes
- 95
- No
- 2
- Did not vote
- 4
- Date
- Dec 6, 2006
By party
- Republicans52 yes · 2 no · 1 didn’t vote
- Democrats42 yes · 0 no · 3 didn’t vote
- Independents1 yes · 0 no
Who broke with their party
- James Paul David Bunning R-KY voted no
- Richard John (Rick) Santorum R-PA voted no
How each senator voted: Yes
- Lisa Murkowski R-AK
- Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK
- Jefferson Beauregard (Jeff) Sessions III R-AL
- Richard C. Shelby R-AL
- Blanche Lambert Lincoln D-AR
- Mark Pryor D-AR
- John Sidney Mccain III R-AZ
- Jon Llewellyn Kyl R-AZ
- Barbara Boxer D-CA
- Dianne Feinstein D-CA
- A. Wayne Allard R-CO
- Kenneth Lee Salazar D-CO
- Christopher John Dodd D-CT
- Joseph I. Lieberman D-CT
- Thomas Richard Carper D-DE
- Clarence William (Bill) Nelson D-FL
- Melquiades R. (Mel) Martinez R-FL
- Johnny Isakson R-GA
- Saxby Chambliss R-GA
- Daniel Kahikina Akaka D-HI
- Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI
- Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
- Thomas Richard (Tom) Harkin D-IA
- Larry Edwin Craig R-ID
- Michael Dean Crapo R-ID
- Barack Obama D-IL
- Richard Joseph Durbin D-IL
- Richard Green Lugar R-IN
- Charles Patrick (Pat) Roberts R-KS
- Sam Dale Brownback R-KS
- Addison Mitchell (Mitch) Mcconnell R-KY
- David Vitter R-LA
- 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
- 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
- Max Sieben Baucus D-MT
- Richard M. Burr R-NC
- Byron Leslie Dorgan D-ND
- Kent Conrad D-ND
- Charles Timothy (Chuck) Hagel R-NE
- Earl Benjamin (Ben) Nelson D-NE
- John E. Sununu R-NH
- Judd Alan Gregg R-NH
- 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
- John Eric Ensign R-NV
- Charles Ellis (Chuck) Schumer D-NY
- Hillary Rodham Clinton D-NY
- George Victor Voinovich R-OH
- Michael Dewine R-OH
- James Mountain Inhofe R-OK
- Thomas Allen Coburn R-OK
- Gordon Harold Smith R-OR
- Ronald Lee Wyden D-OR
- Arlen Specter R-PA
- John F. (Jack) Reed D-RI
- Lincoln Davenport Chafee R-RI
- James W. Demint R-SC
- Lindsey O. Graham R-SC
- John Thune R-SD
- Timothy Peter (Tim) Johnson D-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
- 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
- John Davison (Jay) Rockefeller IV D-WV
- Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV
- Craig Lyle Thomas R-WY
- Michael B. Enzi R-WY
How each senator voted: No
Did not vote
Other votes
From Voteview roll call records.
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Capitol Receipts, “Robert M. Gates, of Texas, to be Secretary…: Senate Vote, Dec 6, 2006,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/109-S-638/robert-m-gates-of-texas-to-be-secretary-of (accessed 2026-10-17).