Murphy is the junior senator from Connecticut and is a Democrat. He has served since Jan 3, 2013. Murphy is next up for reelection in 2018.
He was previously the representative for Connecticut’s 5th congressional district as a Democrat from 2007 to 2012.
![Photo of Sen. Christopher Murphy [D-CT]](/data/photos/412194-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2017 Report Card for Murphy.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Murphy is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the Senate positioned according to our liberal–conservative ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).
The chart is based on the bills Murphy has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Committee Membership
Christopher Murphy sits on the following committees:
-
Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
- Member, Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
- Member, Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Member, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Member, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
-
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation
- Member, Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
- Member, Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism
-
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
- Member, Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
- Member, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
Enacted Legislation
Murphy was the primary sponsor of 5 bills that were enacted:
- S. 2399: American Innovation $1 Coin Act
- S. 1326: American Innovation $1 Coin Act
- S. 1600 (114th): Judicial Redress Act of 2015
- S.J.Res. 41 (113th): A joint resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate the more than 5,000 slaves and free Black persons who fought for independence in the American ...
- H.R. 1675 (111th): Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2009
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Murphy sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Education (20%) International Affairs (18%) Finance and Financial Sector (15%) Health (13%) Taxation (11%) Government Operations and Politics (9%) Armed Forces and National Security (7%) Crime and Law Enforcement (7%)
Recent Bills
Some of Murphy’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- S. 3413: Strength in Diversity Act
- S.Res. 602: A resolution supporting the agreement between Prime Minister Tsipras of Greece and Prime ...
- S. 2813: Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018
- S. 2782: Workforce Mobility Act of 2018
- S. 2744: Aid to Homeowners with Crumbling Foundations Act of 2018
- S. 2682: Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act
- S.Res. 469: A resolution recognizing the historic, cultural, and religious significance of the festival of ...
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Murphy’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Yea |
On the Nomination PN372: Kevin Christopher Newsom, of Alabama, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit
Aug 1, 2017. Nomination Confirmed 66/31.
|
| Nay |
S. 89: A bill to amend title 46, United States Code, to exempt old vessels that only operate within inland waterways from the fire-retardant materials requirement if the ...
Apr 3, 2017. Bill Passed 85/12.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act
Dec 3, 2015. Conference Report Agreed to 83/16.
H.R 22, formerly the Hire More Heroes Act, has become the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647). The DRIVE Act is a major bipartisan transportation bill that would authorize funding ... |
| Nay |
S. 1177: Every Child Achieves Act of 2015
Jul 16, 2015. Bill Passed 81/17.
The Every Child Achieves Act is a bipartisan educational policy reform bill that would expand state responsibility over schools, provide grants to charter schools, and reduce the federal test-based accountability system of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The bill was referred to the ... |
| No |
H.R. 6233 (112th): Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012
Aug 2, 2012. Passed 223/197.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
Jun 23, 2011. Passed 304/117.
The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 16, 2011. The law represents the most significant change to the U.S. patent system since 1952, and ... |
| Nay |
H.R. 2499 (111th): Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2010
Apr 29, 2010. Passed 223/169.
|
| Nay |
H.Res. 317 (111th): Recognizing the region from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbia, Missouri, as the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, and ...
Sep 15, 2009. Passed 312/108.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 31 (111th): Lumbee Recognition Act
Jun 3, 2009. Passed 240/179.
|
Missed Votes
From Jan 2013 to Sep 2018, Murphy missed 9 of 1,696 roll call votes, which is 0.5%. This is better than the median of 1.5% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- @unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills
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