Long Day on the Hill, Big Victory for Democrats
Legislation that would transform the nation’s health insurance system won approval by a slim margin in the House on Saturday night.
Published: November 8, 2009
House Democrats Who Voted Against the Health Care Bill
Lawmakers in the House voted 220 to 215 on Saturday night to approve a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system. Only one Republican voted for the bill, and 39 Democrats opposed it, including 24 members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. An overwhelming majority of the Democratic lawmakers who opposed the bill — 31 of the 39 — represent districts that were won by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, in the 2008 presidential election, and a third of them were freshmen. Nearly all of the fourteen freshmen Democrats who voted “no” represent districts that were previously Republican and are considered vulnerable in 2010. Geographically, 22 lawmakers from southern states formed the largest opposition bloc. Below are details on the Democrats that opposed the health care legislation in the House.
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| Representative | Margin of victory when last elected |
District’s winner in 2008 presidential election |
Pct. of nonelderly uninsured in the district | Fresh- men |
District won by McCain | District won by Obama | District switched from Repub- lican in 2008 |
Blue Dogs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Murphy(N.Y. 20) | <1 | Obama | +3% | 12% | ||||||||
| Bobby Bright(Ala. 2) | <1 | McCain | +26% | 15% | ||||||||
| Frank Kratovil Jr.(Md. 1) | <1 | McCain | +19% | 11% | ||||||||
| Walt Minnick(Idaho 1) | +1 | McCain | +26% | 20% | ||||||||
| Eric Massa(N.Y. 29) | +2 | McCain | +3% | 10% | ||||||||
| Parker Griffith(Ala. 5) | +3 | McCain | +23% | 16% | ||||||||
| John Adler(N.J. 3) | +4 | Obama | +5% | 11% | ||||||||
| Glenn Nye(Va. 2) | +5 | Obama | +2% | 12% | ||||||||
| Chet Edwards(Tex. 17) | +8 | McCain | +35% | 23% | ||||||||
| Travis Childers(Miss. 1) | +11 | McCain | +24% | 19% | ||||||||
| John Boccieri(Ohio 16) | +11 | McCain | +2% | 14% | ||||||||
| Larry Kissell(N.C. 8) | +11 | Obama | +5% | 20% | ||||||||
| Jason Altmire(Pa. 4) | +12 | McCain | +11% | 9% | ||||||||
| Harry Teague(N.M. 2) | +12 | McCain | +1% | 25% | ||||||||
| Betsy Markey(Colo. 4) | +12 | McCain | +1% | 18% | ||||||||
| Jim Marshall(Ga. 8) | +15 | McCain | +13% | 22% | ||||||||
| Suzanne Kosmas(Fla. 24) | +16 | McCain | +2% | 20% | ||||||||
| Dennis J. Kucinich(Ohio 10) | +18 | Obama | +20% | 13% | ||||||||
| Lincoln Davis(Tenn. 4) | +21 | McCain | +29% | 17% | ||||||||
| Allen Boyd(Fla. 2) | +24 | McCain | +9% | 18% | ||||||||
| Heath Shuler(N.C. 11) | +26 | McCain | +5% | 21% | ||||||||
| Tim Holden(Pa. 17) | +27 | McCain | +3% | 10% | ||||||||
| Michael E. McMahon(N.Y. 13) | +28 | McCain | +2% | 11% | ||||||||
| Brian Baird(Wash. 3) | +28 | Obama | +8% | 15% | ||||||||
| Jim Matheson(Utah 2) | +29 | McCain | +18% | 16% | ||||||||
| Ben Chandler(Ky. 6) | +29 | McCain | +12% | 16% | ||||||||
| Ike Skelton(Mo. 4) | +32 | McCain | +22% | 17% | ||||||||
| John Barrow(Ga. 12) | +32 | Obama | +11% | 21% | ||||||||
| Stephanie Herseth Sandlin(S.D.) | +35 | McCain | +8% | 14% | ||||||||
| Mike McIntyre(N.C. 7) | +38 | McCain | +5% | 23% | ||||||||
| Dan Boren(Okla. 2) | +41 | McCain | +32% | 29% | ||||||||
| Collin C. Peterson(Minn. 7) | +45 | McCain | +3% | 11% | ||||||||
| Bart Gordon(Tenn. 6) | +49 | McCain | +25% | 14% | ||||||||
| Gene Taylor(Miss. 4) | +49 | McCain | +35% | 22% | ||||||||
| Mike Ross(Ark. 4) | +72 | McCain | +19% | 22% | ||||||||
| Rick Boucher(Va. 9) | Unopposed | McCain | +19% | 16% | ||||||||
| Artur Davis(Ala. 7) | Unopposed | Obama | +48% | 19% | ||||||||
| Charlie Melancon(La. 3) | Unopposed | McCain | +24% | 18% | ||||||||
| John Tanner(Tenn. 8) | Unopposed | McCain | +13% | 16% | ||||||||
Related Multimedia
House Roll Call
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted 220-215 to approve a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system.
Comparing the Health Care Proposals
How the House bill and measures from the Senate committees compare on some key issues.
