David “Dave” Obey, former Representative for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District

Obey was the representative for Wisconsin’s 7^th congressional district and was a Democrat. He served from 1969 to 2010.

Photo of Rep. David “Dave” Obey [D-WI7, 1969-2010]

Analysis

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Obey is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot was a member of the House of Representatives in 2010 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 Obey sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.

Enacted Legislation

Obey was the primary sponsor of 33 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:

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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 110^th Congress).

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Obey sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:

Economics and Public Finance (29%) Government Operations and Politics (16%) Armed Forces and National Security (11%) Health (9%) Commerce (9%) Science, Technology, Communications (9%) Taxation (9%) Labor and Employment (9%)

Recent Bills

Some of Obey’s most recently sponsored bills include...

View All » | View Cosponsors »

Voting Record

Key Votes

Obey’s Vote	Vote Description
Yea	S. 3729 (111th): National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 Sep 29, 2010. Passed 304/118.
No	H.R. 5136 (111th): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 May 28, 2010. Passed 229/186.
Nay	H.Con.Res. 282 (111th): Providing for an adjournment or recess of the two Houses. May 27, 2010. Passed 230/187.
Nay	H.Res. 572 (111th): Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2647) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military ... Jun 24, 2009. Passed 222/202.
Yea	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 Apr 1969 to Dec 2010, Obey missed 731 of 23,449 roll call votes, which is 3.1%. This is on par with the median of 3.1% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in Dec 2010. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
1969 Apr-Jun	26	2	7.7%	0^th
1969 Jul-Sep	45	5	11.1%	0^th
1969 Oct-Dec	88	0	0.0%	0^th
1970 Jan-Mar	35	2	5.7%	0^th
1970 Apr-Jun	74	4	5.4%	0^th
1970 Jul-Sep	76	2	2.6%	0^th
1970 Oct-Dec	81	4	4.9%	0^th
1971 Jan-Mar	22	3	13.6%	40^th
1971 Apr-Jun	90	1	1.1%	0^th
1971 Jul-Sep	74	1	1.4%	0^th
1971 Oct-Dec	134	7	5.2%	0^th
1972 Jan-Mar	64	5	7.8%	20^th
1972 Apr-Jun	114	1	0.9%	0^th
1972 Jul-Sep	101	16	15.8%	40^th
1972 Oct-Oct	50	0	0.0%	0^th
1973 Jan-Mar	36	3	8.3%	22^nd
1973 Apr-Jun	191	17	8.9%	44^th
1973 Jul-Sep	131	1	0.8%	0^th
1973 Oct-Dec	182	2	1.1%	0^th
1974 Jan-Mar	79	4	5.1%	22^nd
1974 Apr-Jun	170	7	4.1%	11^th
1974 Jul-Sep	148	0	0.0%	0^th
1974 Oct-Dec	141	2	1.4%	0^th
1975 Jan-Mar	68	0	0.0%	0^th
1975 Apr-Jun	199	5	2.5%	13^th
1975 Jul-Sep	154	10	6.5%	56^th
1975 Oct-Dec	191	6	3.1%	31^st
1976 Jan-Mar	106	14	13.2%	75^th
1976 Apr-Jun	267	16	6.0%	35^th
1976 Jul-Sep	281	7	2.5%	18^th
1976 Oct-Oct	7	0	0.0%	0^th
1977 Jan-Mar	100	1	1.0%	17^th
1977 Apr-Jun	273	15	5.5%	35^th
1977 Jul-Sep	198	24	12.1%	70^th
1977 Oct-Dec	135	2	1.5%	13^th
1978 Jan-Mar	150	14	9.3%	61^st
1978 Apr-Jun	300	8	2.7%	22^nd
1978 Jul-Sep	308	14	4.5%	30^th
1978 Oct-Oct	76	8	10.5%	57^th
1979 Jan-Mar	63	4	6.3%	59^th
1979 Apr-Jun	221	20	9.0%	62^nd
1979 Jul-Sep	198	6	3.0%	41^st
1979 Oct-Dec	190	10	5.3%	17^th
1980 Jan-Mar	148	19	12.8%	69^th
1980 Apr-Jun	197	3	1.5%	14^th
1980 Jul-Sep	192	11	5.7%	48^th
1980 Oct-Dec	67	8	11.9%	59^th
1981 Jan-Mar	15	5	33.3%	89^th
1981 Apr-Jun	90	3	3.3%	23^rd
1981 Jul-Sep	106	7	6.6%	62^nd
1981 Oct-Dec	142	5	3.5%	28^th
1982 Feb-Mar	48	15	31.3%	95^th
1982 Apr-Jun	119	3	2.5%	36^th
1982 Jul-Sep	193	4	2.1%	15^th
1982 Oct-Dec	99	2	2.0%	18^th
1983 Jan-Mar	43	3	7.0%	45^th
1983 Apr-Jun	182	2	1.1%	11^th
1983 Jul-Sep	130	3	2.3%	33^rd
1983 Oct-Nov	143	1	0.7%	9^th
1984 Jan-Mar	53	1	1.9%	24^th
1984 Apr-Jun	223	1	0.4%	5^th
1984 Jul-Sep	96	1	1.0%	16^th
1984 Oct-Oct	36	4	11.1%	65^th
1985 Jan-Mar	36	0	0.0%	0^th
1985 Apr-Jun	154	3	1.9%	24^th
1985 Jul-Sep	101	4	4.0%	45^th
1985 Oct-Dec	148	1	0.7%	12^th
1986 Jan-Mar	61	3	4.9%	41^st
1986 Apr-Jun	128	1	0.8%	14^th
1986 Jul-Sep	202	8	4.0%	49^th
1986 Oct-Oct	60	0	0.0%	0^th
1987 Jan-Mar	39	2	5.1%	61^st
1987 Apr-Jun	187	8	4.3%	54^th
1987 Jul-Sep	95	1	1.1%	28^th
1987 Oct-Dec	167	1	0.6%	4^th
1988 Feb-Mar	49	6	12.2%	84^th
1988 Apr-Jun	161	0	0.0%	0^th
1988 Jul-Sep	152	3	2.0%	36^th
1988 Oct-Oct	89	4	4.5%	55^th
1989 Jan-Mar	14	1	7.1%	55^th
1989 Apr-Jun	105	3	2.9%	44^th
1989 Jul-Sep	128	4	3.1%	59^th
1989 Oct-Nov	121	4	3.3%	42^nd
1990 Jan-Mar	60	8	13.3%	93^rd
1990 Apr-Jun	150	1	0.7%	20^th
1990 Jul-Sep	183	2	1.1%	29^th
1990 Oct-Oct	143	3	2.1%	51^st
1991 Jan-Mar	62	2	3.2%	56^th
1991 Apr-Jun	139	1	0.7%	18^th
1991 Jul-Sep	81	1	1.2%	12^th
1991 Oct-Nov	162	3	1.9%	39^th
1992 Jan-Mar	66	0	0.0%	0^th
1992 Apr-Jun	185	2	1.1%	20^th
1992 Jul-Sep	196	6	3.1%	58^th
1992 Oct-Oct	41	0	0.0%	0^th
1993 Jan-Mar	127	5	3.9%	69^th
1993 Apr-Jun	190	0	0.0%	0^th
1993 Jul-Sep	164	2	1.2%	44^th
1993 Oct-Nov	134	1	0.7%	23^rd
1994 Jan-Mar	95	2	2.1%	40^th
1994 Apr-Jun	219	5	2.3%	53^rd
1994 Jul-Sep	142	19	13.4%	92^nd
1994 Oct-Nov	51	1	2.0%	49^th
1995 Jan-Mar	279	1	0.4%	19^th
1995 Apr-Jun	189	3	1.6%	41^st
1995 Jul-Sep	232	3	1.3%	41^st
1995 Oct-Dec	185	0	0.0%	0^th
1996 Jan-Mar	110	1	0.9%	35^th
1996 Apr-Jun	182	2	1.1%	28^th
1996 Jul-Sep	163	5	3.1%	62^nd
1997 Jan-Mar	71	15	21.1%	98^th
1997 Apr-Jun	174	1	0.6%	15^th
1997 Jul-Sep	232	3	1.3%	38^th
1997 Oct-Nov	163	0	0.0%	0^th
1998 Jan-Mar	89	2	2.2%	46^th
1998 Apr-Jun	185	6	3.2%	65^th
1998 Jul-Sep	199	2	1.0%	34^th
1998 Oct-Dec	74	1	1.4%	40^th
1999 Jan-Mar	77	2	2.6%	55^th
1999 Apr-Jun	184	3	1.6%	43^rd
1999 Jul-Sep	204	4	2.0%	57^th
1999 Oct-Nov	146	3	2.1%	42^nd
2000 Jan-Mar	95	1	1.1%	22^nd
2000 Apr-Jun	277	7	2.5%	49^th
2000 Jul-Sep	130	1	0.8%	30^th
2000 Oct-Dec	101	3	3.0%	27^th
2001 Jan-Mar	75	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Apr-Jun	135	8	5.9%	82^nd
2001 Jul-Sep	149	2	1.3%	39^th
2001 Oct-Dec	153	7	4.6%	72^nd
2002 Jan-Mar	79	4	5.1%	71^st
2002 Apr-Jun	203	2	1.0%	25^th
2002 Jul-Sep	141	8	5.7%	74^th
2002 Oct-Nov	61	2	3.3%	56^th
2003 Jan-Mar	94	3	3.2%	63^rd
2003 Apr-Jun	239	3	1.3%	33^rd
2003 Jul-Sep	193	1	0.5%	19^th
2003 Oct-Dec	151	2	1.3%	31^st
2004 Jan-Mar	104	4	3.8%	47^th
2004 Apr-Jun	221	3	1.4%	33^rd
2004 Jul-Sep	161	2	1.2%	28^th
2004 Oct-Dec	58	1	1.7%	43^rd
2005 Jan-Mar	90	4	4.4%	64^th
2005 Apr-Jun	272	2	0.7%	24^th
2005 Jul-Sep	146	16	11.0%	91^st
2005 Oct-Dec	163	10	6.1%	78^th
2006 Jan-Mar	81	1	1.2%	42^nd
2006 Apr-Jun	276	1	0.4%	14^th
2006 Jul-Sep	159	1	0.6%	28^th
2006 Nov-Dec	27	3	11.1%	79^th
2007 Jan-Mar	213	8	3.8%	74^th
2007 Apr-Jun	393	3	0.8%	25^th
2007 Jul-Sep	317	2	0.6%	15^th
2007 Oct-Dec	263	7	2.7%	47^th
2008 Jan-Mar	149	3	2.0%	29^th
2008 Apr-Jun	321	3	0.9%	16^th
2008 Jul-Sep	205	3	1.5%	33^rd
2008 Oct-Dec	15	1	6.7%	79^th
2009 Jan-Mar	174	4	2.3%	50^th
2009 Apr-Jun	303	8	2.6%	53^rd
2009 Jul-Sep	268	1	0.4%	11^th
2009 Oct-Dec	246	10	4.1%	65^th
2010 Jan-Mar	195	2	1.0%	21^st
2010 Apr-Jun	219	12	5.5%	71^st
2010 Jul-Sep	151	9	6.0%	79^th
2010 Nov-Dec	99	1	1.0%	17^th

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
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

David “Dave” Obey is pronounced:

The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:

Letter	Sounds As In

Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.

Rep. David “Dave” Obey

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