Rahall was the representative for West Virginia’s 3rd congressional district and was a Democrat. He served from 1993 to 2014.
He was previously the representative for West Virginia’s 4th congressional district as a Democrat from 1977 to 1992.
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![Photo of Rep. Nick Rahall [D-WV3, 1993-2014]](/static/legislator-photos/400331-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2014 Report Card for Rahall.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Rahall is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot was a member of the House of Representatives in 2014 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 Rahall sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 6, 2009 to Dec 11, 2014. See full analysis methodology.
Enacted Legislation
Rahall was the primary sponsor of 14 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
- H.R. 3689 (111th): To provide for an extension of the legislative authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. to establish a Vietnam Veterans Memorial visitor center, and for other …
- H.R. 1109 (111th): Wild Monongahela Act: A National Legacy for West Virginia’s Special Places
- H.R. 6 (110th): Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
- H.R. 3858 (107th): New River Gorge Boundary Act of 2002
- H.R. 3646 (106th): For the relief of certain Persian Gulf evacuees.
- H.R. 2178 (103rd): Hazardous Materials Transportation Act Amendments of 1993
- H.R. 2763 (102nd): National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992
Does 14 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 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Rahall sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:
Public Lands and Natural Resources (25%) Transportation and Public Works (22%) Environmental Protection (12%) Armed Forces and National Security (12%) Labor and Employment (9%) Emergency Management (6%) Government Operations and Politics (6%) Health (6%)
Recently Introduced Bills
Rahall recently introduced the following legislation:
- H.R. 3380 (113th): To delay any increases in premium rates for flood insurance coverage under …
- H.Con.Res. 57 (113th): Expressing the opposition of the Congress to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed …
- H.R. 2841 (113th): Guard and Reserve Equal Access to Health Act
- H.R. 2428 (113th): SAFE Bridges Act of 2013
- H.J.Res. 42 (113th): Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to clarify …
- H.R. 1486 (113th): No Carbon Tax Act of 2013
- H.R. 1066 (113th): To amend the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to clarify the definition …
View All » | View Cosponsors »
Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.
Voting Record
Key Votes
Rahall voted Nay
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Yea
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Aye
Rahall voted Nay
Missed Votes
From Jan 1977 to Dec 2014, Rahall missed 844 of 22,834 roll call votes, which is 3.7%. This is worse than the median of 2.5% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in Dec 2014. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.
| Time Period | Votes Eligible | Missed Votes | Percent | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 Jan-Mar | 100 | 7 | 7.0% | 33rd |
| 1977 Apr-Jun | 273 | 15 | 5.5% | 33rd |
| 1977 Jul-Sep | 198 | 11 | 5.6% | 33rd |
| 1977 Oct-Dec | 135 | 17 | 12.6% | 67th |
| 1978 Jan-Mar | 150 | 46 | 30.7% | 93rd |
| 1978 Apr-Jun | 300 | 57 | 19.0% | 60th |
| 1978 Jul-Sep | 308 | 11 | 3.6% | 13th |
| 1978 Oct-Oct | 76 | 10 | 13.2% | 60th |
| 1979 Jan-Mar | 63 | 10 | 15.9% | 71st |
| 1979 Apr-Jun | 221 | 20 | 9.0% | 53rd |
| 1979 Jul-Sep | 198 | 6 | 3.0% | 41st |
| 1979 Oct-Dec | 190 | 20 | 10.5% | 53rd |
| 1980 Jan-Mar | 148 | 16 | 10.8% | 47th |
| 1980 Apr-Jun | 197 | 24 | 12.2% | 53rd |
| 1980 Jul-Sep | 192 | 6 | 3.1% | 18th |
| 1980 Oct-Dec | 67 | 2 | 3.0% | 18th |
| 1981 Jan-Mar | 15 | 1 | 6.7% | 35th |
| 1981 Apr-Jun | 90 | 9 | 10.0% | 67th |
| 1981 Jul-Sep | 106 | 4 | 3.8% | 38th |
| 1981 Oct-Dec | 142 | 15 | 10.6% | 75th |
| 1982 Feb-Mar | 48 | 3 | 6.2% | 42nd |
| 1982 Apr-Jun | 119 | 23 | 19.3% | 96th |
| 1982 Jul-Sep | 193 | 39 | 20.2% | 88th |
| 1982 Oct-Dec | 99 | 12 | 12.1% | 71st |
| 1983 Jan-Mar | 43 | 4 | 9.3% | 62nd |
| 1983 Apr-Jun | 182 | 15 | 8.2% | 59th |
| 1983 Jul-Sep | 130 | 6 | 4.6% | 53rd |
| 1983 Oct-Nov | 143 | 19 | 13.3% | 91st |
| 1984 Jan-Mar | 53 | 2 | 3.8% | 47th |
| 1984 Apr-Jun | 223 | 30 | 13.5% | 78th |
| 1984 Jul-Sep | 96 | 1 | 1.0% | 22nd |
| 1984 Oct-Oct | 36 | 1 | 2.8% | 34th |
| 1985 Jan-Mar | 36 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1985 Apr-Jun | 154 | 17 | 11.0% | 85th |
| 1985 Jul-Sep | 101 | 4 | 4.0% | 47th |
| 1985 Oct-Dec | 148 | 5 | 3.4% | 56th |
| 1986 Jan-Mar | 61 | 3 | 4.9% | 47th |
| 1986 Apr-Jun | 128 | 8 | 6.2% | 76th |
| 1986 Jul-Sep | 202 | 3 | 1.5% | 38th |
| 1986 Oct-Oct | 60 | 3 | 5.0% | 62nd |
| 1987 Jan-Mar | 39 | 1 | 2.6% | 44th |
| 1987 Apr-Jun | 187 | 13 | 7.0% | 70th |
| 1987 Jul-Sep | 95 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1987 Oct-Dec | 167 | 5 | 3.0% | 28th |
| 1988 Feb-Mar | 49 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1988 Apr-Jun | 161 | 25 | 15.5% | 98th |
| 1988 Jul-Sep | 152 | 1 | 0.7% | 10th |
| 1988 Oct-Oct | 89 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1989 Jan-Mar | 14 | 2 | 14.3% | 83rd |
| 1989 Apr-Jun | 105 | 1 | 1.0% | 21st |
| 1989 Jul-Sep | 128 | 4 | 3.1% | 60th |
| 1989 Oct-Nov | 121 | 10 | 8.3% | 81st |
| 1990 Jan-Mar | 60 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1990 Apr-Jun | 150 | 24 | 16.0% | 90th |
| 1990 Jul-Sep | 183 | 1 | 0.5% | 25th |
| 1990 Oct-Oct | 143 | 1 | 0.7% | 29th |
| 1991 Jan-Mar | 62 | 3 | 4.8% | 62nd |
| 1991 Apr-Jun | 139 | 2 | 1.4% | 33rd |
| 1991 Jul-Sep | 81 | 12 | 14.8% | 95th |
| 1991 Oct-Nov | 162 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1992 Jan-Mar | 66 | 2 | 3.0% | 48th |
| 1992 Apr-Jun | 185 | 10 | 5.4% | 72nd |
| 1992 Jul-Sep | 196 | 6 | 3.1% | 59th |
| 1992 Oct-Oct | 41 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1993 Jan-Mar | 127 | 2 | 1.6% | 38th |
| 1993 Apr-Jun | 190 | 11 | 5.8% | 67th |
| 1993 Jul-Sep | 164 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1993 Oct-Nov | 134 | 4 | 3.0% | 70th |
| 1994 Jan-Mar | 95 | 1 | 1.1% | 18th |
| 1994 Apr-Jun | 219 | 2 | 0.9% | 28th |
| 1994 Jul-Sep | 142 | 2 | 1.4% | 32nd |
| 1994 Oct-Nov | 51 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1995 Jan-Mar | 279 | 2 | 0.7% | 38th |
| 1995 Apr-Jun | 189 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1995 Jul-Sep | 232 | 1 | 0.4% | 20th |
| 1995 Oct-Dec | 185 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1996 Jan-Mar | 110 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1996 Apr-Jun | 182 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1996 Jul-Sep | 163 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1997 Jan-Mar | 71 | 3 | 4.2% | 64th |
| 1997 Apr-Jun | 174 | 6 | 3.4% | 68th |
| 1997 Jul-Sep | 232 | 1 | 0.4% | 12th |
| 1997 Oct-Nov | 163 | 1 | 0.6% | 16th |
| 1998 Jan-Mar | 89 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1998 Apr-Jun | 185 | 9 | 4.9% | 74th |
| 1998 Jul-Sep | 199 | 2 | 1.0% | 36th |
| 1998 Oct-Dec | 74 | 3 | 4.1% | 67th |
| 1999 Jan-Mar | 77 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1999 Apr-Jun | 184 | 8 | 4.3% | 74th |
| 1999 Jul-Sep | 204 | 3 | 1.5% | 48th |
| 1999 Oct-Nov | 146 | 4 | 2.7% | 50th |
| 2000 Jan-Mar | 95 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2000 Apr-Jun | 277 | 5 | 1.8% | 42nd |
| 2000 Jul-Sep | 130 | 3 | 2.3% | 55th |
| 2000 Oct-Dec | 101 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2001 Jan-Mar | 75 | 5 | 6.7% | 86th |
| 2001 Apr-Jun | 135 | 8 | 5.9% | 82nd |
| 2001 Jul-Sep | 149 | 2 | 1.3% | 39th |
| 2001 Oct-Dec | 153 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2002 Jan-Mar | 79 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2002 Apr-Jun | 203 | 4 | 2.0% | 42nd |
| 2002 Jul-Sep | 141 | 5 | 3.5% | 60th |
| 2002 Oct-Nov | 61 | 2 | 3.3% | 60th |
| 2003 Jan-Mar | 94 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2003 Apr-Jun | 239 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2003 Jul-Sep | 193 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2003 Oct-Dec | 151 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2004 Jan-Mar | 104 | 23 | 22.1% | 96th |
| 2004 Apr-Jun | 221 | 3 | 1.4% | 35th |
| 2004 Jul-Sep | 161 | 4 | 2.5% | 43rd |
| 2004 Oct-Dec | 58 | 3 | 5.2% | 61st |
| 2005 Jan-Mar | 90 | 3 | 3.3% | 48th |
| 2005 Apr-Jun | 272 | 13 | 4.8% | 74th |
| 2005 Jul-Sep | 146 | 3 | 2.1% | 53rd |
| 2005 Oct-Dec | 163 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2006 Jan-Mar | 81 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2006 Apr-Jun | 276 | 1 | 0.4% | 14th |
| 2006 Jul-Sep | 159 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2006 Nov-Dec | 27 | 1 | 3.7% | 55th |
| 2007 Jan-Mar | 213 | 1 | 0.5% | 19th |
| 2007 Apr-Jun | 393 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2007 Jul-Sep | 317 | 2 | 0.6% | 16th |
| 2007 Oct-Dec | 263 | 1 | 0.4% | 10th |
| 2008 Jan-Mar | 149 | 6 | 4.0% | 54th |
| 2008 Apr-Jun | 321 | 3 | 0.9% | 18th |
| 2008 Jul-Sep | 205 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2008 Oct-Dec | 15 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2009 Jan-Mar | 174 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2009 Apr-Jun | 303 | 1 | 0.3% | 8th |
| 2009 Jul-Sep | 268 | 1 | 0.4% | 11th |
| 2009 Oct-Dec | 246 | 2 | 0.8% | 18th |
| 2010 Jan-Mar | 195 | 5 | 2.6% | 44th |
| 2010 Apr-Jun | 219 | 5 | 2.3% | 45th |
| 2010 Jul-Sep | 151 | 4 | 2.6% | 54th |
| 2010 Nov-Dec | 99 | 1 | 1.0% | 18th |
| 2011 Jan-Mar | 212 | 1 | 0.5% | 25th |
| 2011 Apr-Jun | 281 | 1 | 0.4% | 17th |
| 2011 Jul-Sep | 247 | 1 | 0.4% | 23rd |
| 2011 Oct-Dec | 208 | 14 | 6.7% | 86th |
| 2012 Jan-Mar | 151 | 2 | 1.3% | 43rd |
| 2012 Apr-Jun | 299 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2012 Jul-Sep | 152 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2012 Nov-Dec | 51 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2013 Jan-Jan 112th Congress | 5 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2013 Jan-Mar | 89 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2013 Apr-Jun | 215 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2013 Jul-Sep | 200 | 5 | 2.5% | 66th |
| 2013 Oct-Dec | 137 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2014 Jan-Mar | 148 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 2014 Apr-Jun | 219 | 4 | 1.8% | 51st |
| 2014 Jul-Sep | 147 | 3 | 2.0% | 58th |
| 2014 Nov-Dec | 49 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
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
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills
Pronunciation Guide
Nick Rahall is pronounced:
The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:
Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.
