![Photo of Rep. Clifford “Cliff” Stearns [R-FL6, 1989-2012]](/data/photos/400388-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Our unique analysis of the bills Stearns sponsored and cosponsored provides insight into his position in the House of Representatives.
Each dot in the chart below was a member of the House of Representatives in 2013. The dots are positioned horizontally according to our progressive—conservative ideology score and vertically according to our leadership score (leaders toward the top). Stearns is shown as a purple triangle. (analysis methodology)
Enacted Legislation
Stearns was the primary sponsor of 5 bills that were enacted:
- H.R. 4132 (112th): FAST Act
- H.R. 2023 (108th): Asthmatic Schoolchildren’s Treatment and Health Management Act of 2004
- H.R. 727 (107th): To amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide that low-speed electric bicycles are consumer products subject to such Act.
- H.R. 2498 (106th): Public Health Improvement Act
- H.R. 2116 (106th): Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act
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 about one third or more 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
Stearns sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:
Health (26%) Armed Forces and National Security (17%) Taxation (14%) International Affairs (12%) Science, Technology, Communications (12%) Arts, Culture, Religion (10%) Commerce (5%) Transportation and Public Works (5%)
Recent Bills
Some of Stearns’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- H.Res. 845 (112th): Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to establish a standing ...
- H.R. 4817 (112th): Efficient Use of Government Spectrum Act of 2012
- H.Res. 611 (112th): Promoting global energy supply security through increased cooperation among the United States, ...
- H.R. 4132 (112th): FAST Act
- H.R. 3737 (112th): ULTRA
- H.R. 3586 (112th): Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2011
- H.R. 3474 (112th): PRIME Act of 2011
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Stearns’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| No |
H.R. 6233 (112th): Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012
Aug 2, 2012. Passed 223/197.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 5972 (112th): Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013
Jun 29, 2012. Passed 261/163.
|
| No |
S. 365 (112th): Budget Control Act of 2011
Aug 1, 2011. Passed 269/161.
The Budget Control Act of 2011 (Pub.L. 112–25, S. 365, 125 Stat. 240, enacted August 2, 2011) is a federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 2, 2011. The Act brought conclusion to the United ... |
| 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 ... |
| Yea |
S. 3729 (111th): National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010
Sep 29, 2010. Passed 304/118.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 2638 (110th): Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009
Sep 24, 2008. Passed 370/58.
|
| No |
H.R. 5819 (110th): SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act
Apr 23, 2008. Passed 368/43.
|
| Nay |
H.Res. 1031 (110th): Providing for the adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 895) establishing within the House of Representatives an ...
Mar 11, 2008. Passed 229/182.
|
| Not Voting |
H.Res. 801 (110th): Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3688) to implement the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.
Nov 7, 2007. Passed 349/55.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 1830 (110th): To extend the authorities of the Andean Trade Preference Act until February 29, 2008.
Jun 27, 2007. Passed 365/59.
|
Missed Votes
From Jan 1989 to Jan 2013, Stearns missed 213 of 15,267 roll call votes, which is 1.4%. This is better than the median of 2.6% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in Jan 2013. ProPublica has tracked 15 explanations for these missed votes. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- Congress-Legislators, a community project collecting election information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990 by Howard L. Rosenthal and Keith T. Poole.
- Martis’s “The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress”, via Keith Poole’s roll call votes data set, for political party affiliation for Members of Congress from 1789 through about year 2000
- Congressional Pictorial Directory for the photo
- GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills