To confirm the nomination of c. Everett koop, of pennsylvania, to be medical director in the regular corps of the public health service and to be surgeon genera

On Nov 16, 1981, the Senate voted 68–24. Result: passed. By party: Republicans 47–5, Democrats 23–20, Independents 1–0. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted yes. 25 members voted against their own party.

During the 97th Congress (1981–1982), Ronald Reagan was president, and Democrats held the House majority and Republicans the Senate majority.

Yes: 68
No: 24
Did not vote: 5
Date: Nov 16, 1981

By party

Republicans47 yes · 5 no · 2 didn’t vote
Democrats23 yes · 20 no · 3 didn’t vote
Independents1 yes · 0 no

Who broke with their party

Dale Bumpers D-AR voted no
Alan Cranston D-CA voted no
Gary Warren Hart D-CO voted no
Christopher John Dodd D-CT voted no
Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. R-CT voted no
Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE voted no
Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI voted no
Spark Masayuki Matsunaga D-HI voted no
Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy D-MA voted no
Paul Efthemios Tsongas D-MA voted no
Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. R-MD voted no
Paul Spyros Sarbanes D-MD voted no
George John Mitchell D-ME voted no
Carl Levin D-MI voted no
Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. D-MI voted no
Quentin Northrup Burdick D-ND voted no
Harrison Arlington Williams Jr. D-NJ voted no
William Warren (Bill) Bradley D-NJ voted no
Harrison Hagan Schmitt R-NM voted no
Daniel Patrick Moynihan D-NY voted no
Howard Morton Metzenbaum D-OH voted no
John Herschel Glenn Jr. D-OH voted no
Robert William Packwood R-OR voted no
John Hubbard Chafee R-RI voted no
William Proxmire D-WI voted no

How each senator voted: Yes

How each senator voted: No

Did not vote

Other votes

From Voteview roll call records.

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Capitol Receipts, “To confirm the nomination of c. Everett…: Senate Vote, Nov 16, 1981,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/97-S-379/to-confirm-the-nomination-of-c-everett-koop-of (accessed 2026-10-17).