Debbie Stabenow, Senator for Michigan

Stabenow is the senior senator from Michigan and is a Democrat. She has served since Jan 3, 2001. Stabenow is next up for reelection in 2024 and serves until Jan 3, 2025 unless re-elected.

She is also Senate Democratic Policy & Communications Committee Chair, a party leadership role. Party leaders focus more on setting their party’s legislative priorties than on introducing legislation.

She was previously the representative for Michigan’s 8^th congressional district as a Democrat from 1997 to 2000.

Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Read our 2019 Report Card for Stabenow.

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Stabenow is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the Senate positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills Stabenow has sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 6, 2015 to Sep 17, 2020. See full analysis methodology.

Ratings from Advocacy Organizations

Human Rights Campaign: 100% League of Conservation Voters: 100% Planned Parenthood Action Fund: 100% American Civil Liberties Union: 62% United States Chamber of Commerce: 60% NumbersUSA: 35% NIAC Action: D The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: D Americans for Prosperity: 12% The Club for Growth: 5% FreedomWorks: 0%

Committee Membership

Debbie Stabenow sits on the following committees:

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Ranking Member

Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources, Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security, Nutrition, Agricultural Research, and Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Energy subcommittees
Senate Committee on Finance
- Health Care subcommittee Ranking Member
International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness subcommittees
Joint Committee on Taxation
Senate Committee on the Budget
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Energy, National Parks, Public Lands, Forests, and Mining subcommittees

Enacted Legislation

Stabenow was the primary sponsor of 13 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:

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Does 13 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.

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

Stabenow sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Health (39%) Taxation (18%) Environmental Protection (10%) Agriculture and Food (10%) Armed Forces and National Security (9%)

Recent Bills

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

View All » | View Cosponsors »

As Senate Democratic Policy & Communications Committee Chair, Stabenow may be focused on her responsibilities other than introducing legislation, such as setting the chamber’s agenda, uniting her party, and brokering deals.

Voting Record

Key Votes

Stabenow voted Yea

On the Nomination PN135: John Rakolta, Jr., of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates

Nomination Confirmed 63/30 on Sep 17, 2019.

Stabenow voted Nay

On the Nomination PN631: James Byrne, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Nomination Confirmed 81/11 on Sep 11, 2019.

Stabenow voted Nay

On the Nomination PN139: David Schenker, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs)

Nomination Confirmed 83/11 on Jun 5, 2019.

Stabenow voted Yea

H.J.Res. 31: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019

Conference Report Agreed to 83/16 on Feb 14, 2019.

This bill, in its final form, funded the parts of the federal government whose funding was to lapse on February 15, 2019. On December 22, ...

Stabenow voted Yea

On the Nomination PN889: Stephen Alexander Vaden, of Tennessee, to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture

Nomination Confirmed 53/46 on Nov 27, 2018.

Stabenow voted Yea

On the Nomination PN36: James Richard Perry, of Texas, to be Secretary of Energy

Nomination Confirmed 62/37 on Mar 2, 2017.

Stabenow voted Nay

H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017

Bill Passed 72/26 on Sep 28, 2016.

The Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act (H.R. 5325) is an appropriations ...

Stabenow voted Yea

H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Joint Resolution Passed 78/22 on Sep 18, 2014.

Stabenow voted Yea

H.R. 4853 (111th): Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010

Motion Agreed to 81/19 on Dec 15, 2010.

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (Pub.L. 111–312, H.R. 4853, 124 Stat. 3296, enacted December 17, 2010), also known ...

Stabenow voted Nay

H.R. 1424 (110th): Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007

Bill Passed 74/25 on Oct 1, 2008.

This bill became the vehicle for passage of economic stimulus relief during the 2008 financial crisis as well as other unrelated provisions. It was the ...

Stabenow voted Nay

H.R. 6 (110th): Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

Motion Agreed to 86/8 on Dec 13, 2007.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub.L. 110-140 originally named the Clean Energy Act of 2007) is an Act of Congress concerning the ...

Missed Votes

From Jan 2001 to Sep 2020, Stabenow missed 80 of 6,161 roll call votes, which is 1.3%. This is on par with the median of 1.7% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses and major life events.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
2001 Jan-Mar	63	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Apr-Jun	157	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Jul-Sep	68	1	1.5%	44^th
2001 Oct-Dec	92	0	0.0%	0^th
2002 Jan-Mar	59	0	0.0%	0^th
2002 Apr-Jun	107	0	0.0%	0^th
2002 Jul-Sep	61	0	0.0%	0^th
2002 Oct-Nov	26	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Jan-Mar	112	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Apr-Jun	150	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Jul-Sep	108	1	0.9%	45^th
2003 Oct-Nov	89	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Jan-Mar	64	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Apr-Jun	88	1	1.1%	50^th
2004 Jul-Sep	42	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Oct-Dec	22	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Jan-Mar	81	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Apr-Jun	89	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Jul-Sep	76	1	1.3%	56^th
2005 Oct-Dec	120	4	3.3%	72^nd
2006 Jan-Mar	83	2	2.4%	81^st
2006 Apr-Jun	107	1	0.9%	31^st
2006 Jul-Sep	73	0	0.0%	0^th
2006 Nov-Dec	16	0	0.0%	0^th
2007 Jan-Mar	126	1	0.8%	39^th
2007 Apr-Jun	112	1	0.9%	41^st
2007 Jul-Sep	119	1	0.8%	24^th
2007 Oct-Dec	85	0	0.0%	0^th
2008 Jan-Mar	85	2	2.4%	74^th
2008 Apr-Jun	77	1	1.3%	31^st
2008 Jul-Sep	47	2	4.3%	63^rd
2008 Oct-Dec	6	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jan-Mar	118	1	0.8%	62^nd
2009 Apr-Jun	96	1	1.0%	48^th
2009 Jul-Sep	89	1	1.1%	55^th
2009 Oct-Dec	94	0	0.0%	0^th
2010 Jan-Mar	108	0	0.0%	0^th
2010 Apr-Jun	96	2	2.1%	62^nd
2010 Jul-Sep	44	0	0.0%	0^th
2010 Nov-Dec	51	1	2.0%	45^th
2011 Jan-Mar	46	0	0.0%	0^th
2011 Apr-Jun	58	1	1.7%	29^th
2011 Jul-Sep	49	2	4.1%	78^th
2011 Oct-Dec	82	2	2.4%	64^th
2012 Jan-Mar	63	1	1.6%	67^th
2012 Apr-Jun	109	1	0.9%	47^th
2012 Jul-Sep	28	0	0.0%	0^th
2012 Nov-Dec	50	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Jan	1	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Mar	92	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Apr-Jun	76	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jul-Sep	43	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Oct-Dec	80	0	0.0%	0^th
2014 Jan-Mar	93	1	1.1%	51^st
2014 Apr-Jun	123	2	1.6%	41^st
2014 Jul-Sep	54	0	0.0%	0^th
2014 Nov-Dec	96	8	8.3%	91^st
2015 Jan-Mar	135	0	0.0%	0^th
2015 Apr-Jun	85	0	0.0%	0^th
2015 Jul-Sep	52	3	5.8%	80^th
2015 Oct-Dec	67	2	3.0%	75^th
2016 Jan-Mar	38	2	5.3%	72^nd
2016 Apr-Jun	79	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Jul-Sep	34	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Nov-Dec	12	0	0.0%	0^th
2017 Jan-Mar	101	0	0.0%	0^th
2017 Apr-Jun	54	1	1.9%	61^st
2017 Jul-Sep	53	2	3.8%	82^nd
2017 Oct-Dec	117	1	0.9%	57^th
2018 Jan-Mar	63	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Apr-Jun	80	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Jul-Sep	75	1	1.3%	45^th
2018 Oct-Dec	56	0	0.0%	0^th
2019 Jan-Mar	54	3	5.6%	82^nd
2019 Apr-Jun	135	0	0.0%	0^th
2019 Jul-Sep	124	3	2.4%	66^th
2019 Oct-Dec	115	3	2.6%	68^th
2020 Jan-Mar	80	0	0.0%	0^th
2020 May-Jun	48	9	18.8%	87^th
2020 Jul-Sep	55	7	12.7%	90^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
GPO Member Guide for the photo
GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills

Sen. Debbie Stabenow

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Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Ratings from Advocacy Organizations

Committee Membership

Enacted Legislation

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Recent Bills

Voting Record

Key Votes

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Nay

Stabenow voted Nay

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Nay

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Yea

Stabenow voted Nay

Stabenow voted Nay

Missed Votes

Primary Sources