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WASHINGTON — Rep. Steve King of Iowa is among the most steadfast of Republican votes on key showdowns with those across the aisle, according to the latest annual vote analysis.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Ben Nelson holds the 2009 title for the Senate Democrat most likely to vote against his party — 37.1 percent of the time, to be exact.
King voted with his fellow Republicans 99.2 percent of the time on “party unity” votes identified by Congressional Quarterly. Those are votes in which a majority of Republicans opposed a majority of Democrats.
That put King close to the top of the like-minded GOP heap. Only three Republican House members ranked ahead of King, who represents a wide swath of western Iowa.
Congressional Quarterly, counting votes on issues where the president took a position, also ranks lawmakers on how often they supported President Barack Obama in votes where he took a position. King voted with Obama only 13 percent of the time.
King said his scores reflect a consistent philosophical viewpoint and not any blind devotion to Republican Party leaders.
“The people in this Congress don’t view me as somebody who is a follower of leadership,” King said. “They view me as someone, I think, who lays out and charts a conservative course in this Congress.”
King said Democrats’ rhetoric about bipartisanship during the 2008 campaign has not been part of their approach to governing because their substantial majorities make bipartisanship unnecessary.
However, King said this year’s midterm elections probably will cut into Democrats’ margins and force them to seek Republican votes to get bills passed.
Iowa’s two senators also showed a great deal of solidarity with their respective parties. Sen. Tom Harkin, a liberal Democrat, voted with his party 99 percent of the time. Harkin, a leading champion of Obama’s health care plan, supported the president 97 percent of the time.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, a conservative Republican, voted with his party 92 percent of the time. Grassley was part of a small, bipartisan group of senators who tried to find compromise on health care last year before those negotiations ultimately fell apart. He supported Obama 47 percent of the time.
Nelson’s top ranking comes tinged with a certain irony in the wake of his high-profile decision to support the Senate Democrats’ overhaul of the country’s health care system. Nelson also provided his party with a key vote in favor of last year’s $787 billion economic stimulus package and helped confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
Nelson voted for the stimulus bill only after helping negotiate cuts of more than $100 billion. He agreed to support the health care bill only after winning various concessions, including the removal of a government-run insurance plan known as the public option.
Nelson split from his party when he opposed, unsuccessfully both times, the release of the second half of $700 billion in Wall Street bailout money and the so-called “cash-for-clunkers” program. The Democrats’ budget plan also was passed over his opposition.
Nelson’s status as a renegade Democrat was enhanced by dozens of votes in favor of unsuccessful Republican amendments related to abortion, gun restrictions and spending issues that reflected conservative positions.
Frequently, Nelson went on to support the underlying legislation, despite the defeat of those amendments.
Nelson supported Obama 90 percent of the time.
Nelson declined to be interviewed for this article. “He decides vote-by-vote whether or not to support something,” spokesman Jake Thompson said. “The question of party unity doesn’t factor into how he votes.”
The other members of the Nebraska congressional delegation, all Republicans, were more loyal to their party. Sen. Mike Johanns joined fellow Republicans 94 percent of the time on party unity votes and supported Obama on 52 percent of votes.
Rep. Lee Terry, who represents the Omaha-based 2nd District, supported the party 90 percent of the time, Obama 41 percent. Rep. Adrian Smith of the 3rd District supported GOP colleagues 97 percent of the time, Obama 15 percent. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of the 1st District supported his party 81 percent of the time, Obama 46 percent of the time.
Contact the writer: 202-662-7270, joe.morton@owh.com
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