On the Nomination (Confirmation Michael P. Shea, of Connecticut, to be U.S. District Judge)

Number:
Senate Vote #222 [primary source: senate.gov]
Date:
Dec 05, 2012 (112th Congress)
Result:
Nomination Confirmed
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Totals     Democrat     Republican     Independent
  Yea 72
 
 
 
72%
49 21 2
  Nay 23
 
 
 
23%
0 23 0
Not Voting 5
 
 
 
5%
2 3 0
Required: Simple Majority

Vote Details

Notes

What’s the difference between aye and yea?

There is no meaningful difference between aye and yea (and nay and no), but the terms are used in different sorts of votes based on Congress’s long tradition of parliamentary procedure. The House and Senate follow the U.S. Constitution strictly when it says that bills should be decided on by the “yeas and nays” (Article I, Section 7). The House sometimes operates under a special set of rules called the “Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union” (or “Committee of the Whole” for short), which is a sort of pseudo-committee that is made up of every congressman. During this mode of operation, the House uses the terms “aye” and “no” instead. (See the Rules of the House, Rule XX, and House Practice in the section Voting.)