Senate roll call 840 · 97th Congress · Sep 15, 1982
To close debate on the helms amendment to H. J. RES. 520. The helms amendment bans abortions. (motion failed) see note(s) 40
On Sep 15, 1982, the Senate voted 50–44 (HJRES 520). Result: passed. By party: Republicans 34–19, Democrats 17–25, Independents 1–0. It was a split vote: the parties took opposite sides, with some members crossing over. 36 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
- 50
- No
- 44
- Did not vote
- 5
- Date
- Sep 15, 1982
By party
- Republicans34 yes · 19 no · 1 didn’t vote
- Democrats17 yes · 25 no · 4 didn’t vote
- Independents1 yes · 0 no
Who broke with their party
- Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK voted no
- Howell Thomas Heflin D-AL voted yes
- Barry Morris Goldwater R-AZ voted no
- Dennis Webster Deconcini D-AZ voted yes
- Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa R-CA voted no
- Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. R-CT voted no
- Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE voted yes
- Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. D-FL voted yes
- Samuel Augustus Nunn D-GA voted yes
- Charles Harting Percy R-IL voted no
- Walter Darlington Huddleston D-KY voted yes
- Wendell Hampton Ford D-KY voted yes
- John Bennett Johnston Jr. D-LA voted yes
- Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. R-MD voted no
- William Sebastian Cohen R-ME voted no
- Thomas Francis Eagleton D-MO voted yes
- John Cornelius Stennis D-MS voted yes
- John Melcher D-MT voted yes
- Mark Andrews R-ND voted no
- Edward Zorinsky D-NE voted yes
- J. James Exon D-NE voted yes
- Warren Bruce Rudman R-NH voted no
- Nicholas Frederick Brady R-NJ voted no
- Harrison Hagan Schmitt R-NM voted no
- Robert William Packwood R-OR voted no
- Arlen Specter R-PA voted no
- Henry John Heinz III R-PA voted no
- Claiborne de Borda Pell D-RI voted yes
- John Hubbard Chafee R-RI voted no
- James Ralph Sasser D-TN voted yes
- John Goodwin Tower R-TX voted no
- Thomas Slade Gorton III (Slade) R-WA voted no
- William Proxmire D-WI voted yes
- Jennings Randolph D-WV voted yes
- Alan Kooi Simpson R-WY voted no
- Malcolm Wallop R-WY voted no
How each senator voted: Yes
- Frank Hughes Murkowski R-AK
- Howell Thomas Heflin D-AL
- Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. R-AL
- Dennis Webster Deconcini D-AZ
- William Lester Armstrong R-CO
- Joseph Robinette (Joe) Biden Jr. D-DE
- William Victor Roth Jr. R-DE
- Lawton Mainor Chiles Jr. D-FL
- Paula Hawkins R-FL
- Mack Francis Mattingly R-GA
- Samuel Augustus Nunn D-GA
- Charles Ernest Grassley R-IA
- Roger William Jepsen R-IA
- James Albertus Mcclure R-ID
- Steven Douglas Symms R-ID
- James Danforth (Dan) Quayle R-IN
- Richard Green Lugar R-IN
- Nancy Landon Kassebaum R-KS
- Robert Joseph (Bob) Dole R-KS
- Walter Darlington Huddleston D-KY
- Wendell Hampton Ford D-KY
- John Bennett Johnston Jr. D-LA
- David Ferdinand Durenberger R-MN
- Rudolph Eli (Rudy) Boschwitz R-MN
- John Claggett Danforth R-MO
- Thomas Francis Eagleton D-MO
- John Cornelius Stennis D-MS
- William Thad Cochran R-MS
- John Melcher D-MT
- Jesse Helms R-NC
- John Porter East R-NC
- Edward Zorinsky D-NE
- J. James Exon D-NE
- Gordon John Humphrey R-NH
- Pete Vichi Domenici R-NM
- Paul Dominique Laxalt R-NV
- Alfonse Marcello D'Amato R-NY
- Donald Lee Nickles R-OK
- Mark Odom Hatfield R-OR
- Claiborne de Borda Pell D-RI
- James Strom Thurmond R-SC
- James Abdnor R-SD
- Larry Lee Pressler R-SD
- Howard Henry Baker Jr. R-TN
- James Ralph Sasser D-TN
- Edwin Jacob (Jake) Garn R-UT
- Orrin Grant Hatch R-UT
- Harry Flood Byrd Jr. I-VA
- John William Warner R-VA
- Robert Walter Kasten Jr. R-WI
- William Proxmire D-WI
- Jennings Randolph D-WV
How each senator voted: No
- Theodore Fulton (Ted) Stevens R-AK
- Dale Bumpers D-AR
- David Hampton Pryor D-AR
- Barry Morris Goldwater R-AZ
- Alan Cranston D-CA
- Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa R-CA
- Gary Warren Hart D-CO
- Christopher John Dodd D-CT
- Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. R-CT
- Daniel Ken Inouye D-HI
- Spark Masayuki Matsunaga D-HI
- Alan John Dixon D-IL
- Charles Harting Percy R-IL
- Russell Billiu Long D-LA
- Edward Moore (Ted) Kennedy D-MA
- Paul Efthemios Tsongas D-MA
- Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. R-MD
- Paul Spyros Sarbanes D-MD
- George John Mitchell D-ME
- William Sebastian Cohen R-ME
- Carl Levin D-MI
- Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. D-MI
- Max Sieben Baucus D-MT
- Mark Andrews R-ND
- Quentin Northrup Burdick D-ND
- Warren Bruce Rudman R-NH
- Nicholas Frederick Brady R-NJ
- William Warren (Bill) Bradley D-NJ
- Harrison Hagan Schmitt R-NM
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan D-NY
- Howard Morton Metzenbaum D-OH
- Robert William Packwood R-OR
- Arlen Specter R-PA
- Henry John Heinz III R-PA
- John Hubbard Chafee R-RI
- Ernest Frederick (Fritz) Hollings D-SC
- John Goodwin Tower R-TX
- Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. D-TX
- Patrick Joseph Leahy D-VT
- Henry Martin (Scoop) Jackson D-WA
- Thomas Slade Gorton III (Slade) R-WA
- Robert Carlyle Byrd D-WV
- Alan Kooi Simpson R-WY
- Malcolm Wallop R-WY
Did not vote
Other votes
From Voteview roll call records.
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Capitol Receipts, “To close debate on the helms amendment to H…: Senate Vote, Sep 15…,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/97-S-840/to-close-debate-on-the-helms-amendment-to-h (accessed 2026-10-17).