Richard Shelby, Senator for Alabama

Shelby is the senior senator from Alabama and is a Republican (1994-), previously a Democrat (1987-1994). He has served since Jan 6, 1987. Shelby is next up for reelection in 2022.

He was previously the representative for Alabama’s 7^th congressional district as a Democrat from 1979 to 1986.

Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Read our 2017 Report Card for Shelby.

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Shelby 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 Shelby has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.

Ratings from Advocacy Organizations

NumbersUSA: 89% Americans for Prosperity: 85% FreedomWorks: 84% The Club for Growth: 79% United States Chamber of Commerce: 74% NIAC Action: D League of Conservation Voters: 14% American Civil Liberties Union: 5% Human Rights Campaign: 0% The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: F Planned Parenthood Action Fund: 0%

Committee Membership

Richard Shelby sits on the following committees:

Chair, Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Chair, Subcommittee on Department of Defense
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Ex Officio, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Member, Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security
- Member, Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
- Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Member, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
- Member, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Joint Committee on the Library
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Member, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
- Member, Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Member, Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
- Member, Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety
- Member, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife
- Member, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Enacted Legislation

Shelby was the primary sponsor of 26 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:

View All »

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

Shelby sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:

Economics and Public Finance (40%) International Affairs (20%) Taxation (20%) Sports and Recreation (20%)

Recent Bills

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

View All » | View Cosponsors »

Voting Record

Key Votes

Shelby’s Vote	Vote Description
Yea	H.R. 1892: Further Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018, the SUSTAIN Care Act of 2018; Family First Prevention Services Act.; Honoring Hometown ... Feb 9, 2018. Motion Agreed to 71/28. This bill became the vehicle for passage of funding for the federal government through March 23, 2018, to avert a government shutdown that would have occurred on February 9, 2018 had this bill not been enacted. The bill was introduced as the Honoring Hometown Heroes ...
Yea	H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017 Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
Nay	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	H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act Jul 30, 2015. Bill Passed 65/34. This vote turned H.R 22, originally the Hire More Heroes Act, into the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647), a major bipartisan transportation bill, and the Export-Import Bank Reform and ...
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 ...
Yea	H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Sep 18, 2014. Joint Resolution Passed 78/22.
Nay	On the Nomination PN554: Samantha Power, of Massachusetts, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of ... Aug 1, 2013. Nomination Confirmed 87/10.
Yea	H.R. 4853 (111th): Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 Dec 15, 2010. Motion Agreed to 81/19. 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 as the 2010 Tax Relief Act, was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010, and signed into ...
Yea	On the Nomination PN64-6: Timothy F. Geithner, of New York, to be Secretary of the Treasury Jan 26, 2009. Nomination Confirmed 60/34.
Nay	H.R. 1424 (110th): Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 Oct 1, 2008. Bill Passed 74/25. 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 Senate's October 2008 plan, and it became law. The bill contains sections for: * Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 ...

Missed Votes

From Jan 1987 to Aug 2018, Shelby missed 201 of 10,375 roll call votes, which is 1.9%. This is on par with the median of 1.4% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
1987 Jan-Mar	50	0	0.0%	0^th
1987 Apr-Jun	123	0	0.0%	0^th
1987 Jul-Sep	120	16	13.3%	86^th
1987 Oct-Dec	127	3	2.4%	29^th
1988 Jan-Mar	84	1	1.2%	0^th
1988 Apr-Jun	137	0	0.0%	0^th
1988 Jul-Sep	127	1	0.8%	29^th
1988 Oct-Oct	31	0	0.0%	0^th
1989 Jan-Mar	26	0	0.0%	0^th
1989 Apr-Jun	77	0	0.0%	0^th
1989 Jul-Sep	118	0	0.0%	0^th
1989 Oct-Nov	91	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Jan-Mar	48	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Apr-Jun	95	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Jul-Sep	114	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Oct-Oct	69	0	0.0%	0^th
1991 Jan-Mar	41	0	0.0%	0^th
1991 Apr-Jun	74	0	0.0%	0^th
1991 Jul-Sep	96	0	0.0%	0^th
1991 Oct-Nov	69	0	0.0%	0^th
1992 Jan-Mar	61	0	0.0%	0^th
1992 Apr-Jun	74	0	0.0%	0^th
1992 Jul-Sep	117	0	0.0%	0^th
1992 Oct-Oct	18	0	0.0%	0^th
1993 Feb-Mar	93	4	4.3%	89^th
1993 Apr-Jun	99	2	2.0%	60^th
1993 Jul-Sep	109	0	0.0%	0^th
1993 Oct-Nov	94	3	3.2%	44^th
1994 Jan-Mar	86	4	4.7%	67^th
1994 Apr-Jun	92	47	51.1%	89^th
1994 Jul-Sep	136	3	2.2%	70^th
1994 Oct-Dec	15	1	6.7%	70^th
1995 Jan-Mar	125	4	3.2%	60^th
1995 Apr-Jun	171	7	4.1%	90^th
1995 Jul-Sep	184	6	3.3%	80^th
1995 Oct-Dec	133	1	0.8%	50^th
1996 Jan-Mar	60	6	10.0%	91^st
1996 Apr-Jun	122	0	0.0%	0^th
1996 Jul-Sep	121	1	0.8%	45^th
1996 Oct-Oct	3	0	0.0%	0^th
1997 Jan-Mar	35	0	0.0%	0^th
1997 Apr-Jun	125	0	0.0%	0^th
1997 Jul-Sep	103	0	0.0%	0^th
1997 Oct-Nov	35	0	0.0%	0^th
1998 Jan-Mar	52	3	5.8%	82^nd
1998 Apr-Jun	131	0	0.0%	0^th
1998 Jul-Sep	109	2	1.8%	59^th
1998 Oct-Oct	22	0	0.0%	0^th
1999 Jan-Mar	81	1	1.2%	63^rd
1999 Apr-Jun	111	1	0.9%	55^th
1999 Jul-Sep	112	5	4.5%	79^th
1999 Oct-Nov	70	0	0.0%	0^th
2000 Feb-Mar	51	0	0.0%	0^th
2000 Apr-Jun	120	0	0.0%	0^th
2000 Jul-Sep	89	0	0.0%	0^th
2000 Oct-Dec	38	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Jan-Mar	63	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Apr-Jun	157	1	0.6%	46^th
2001 Jul-Sep	68	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Oct-Dec	92	0	0.0%	0^th
2002 Jan-Mar	59	6	10.2%	78^th
2002 Apr-Jun	107	4	3.7%	92^nd
2002 Jul-Sep	61	2	3.3%	65^th
2002 Oct-Nov	26	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Jan-Mar	112	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Apr-Jun	150	2	1.3%	46^th
2003 Jul-Sep	108	2	1.9%	63^rd
2003 Oct-Nov	89	5	5.6%	93^rd
2004 Jan-Mar	64	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Apr-Jun	88	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Jul-Sep	42	0	0.0%	0^th
2004 Oct-Dec	22	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Jan-Mar	81	1	1.2%	63^rd
2005 Apr-Jun	89	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Jul-Sep	76	0	0.0%	0^th
2005 Oct-Dec	120	2	1.7%	52^nd
2006 Jan-Mar	83	0	0.0%	0^th
2006 Apr-Jun	107	6	5.6%	84^th
2006 Jul-Sep	73	0	0.0%	0^th
2006 Nov-Dec	16	1	6.2%	81^st
2007 Jan-Mar	126	0	0.0%	0^th
2007 Apr-Jun	112	1	0.9%	39^th
2007 Jul-Sep	119	1	0.8%	24^th
2007 Oct-Dec	85	0	0.0%	0^th
2008 Jan-Mar	85	0	0.0%	0^th
2008 Apr-Jun	77	1	1.3%	31^st
2008 Jul-Sep	47	2	4.3%	62^nd
2008 Oct-Dec	6	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jan-Mar	118	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Apr-Jun	96	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jul-Sep	89	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Oct-Dec	94	0	0.0%	0^th
2010 Jan-Mar	108	1	0.9%	50^th
2010 Apr-Jun	96	1	1.0%	42^nd
2010 Jul-Sep	44	0	0.0%	0^th
2010 Nov-Dec	51	3	5.9%	79^th
2011 Jan-Mar	46	0	0.0%	0^th
2011 Apr-Jun	58	1	1.7%	30^th
2011 Jul-Sep	49	0	0.0%	0^th
2011 Oct-Dec	82	0	0.0%	0^th
2012 Jan-Mar	63	0	0.0%	0^th
2012 Apr-Jun	109	1	0.9%	47^th
2012 Jul-Sep	28	1	3.6%	61^st
2012 Nov-Dec	50	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Jan	1	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Mar	92	1	1.1%	62^nd
2013 Apr-Jun	76	4	5.3%	82^nd
2013 Jul-Sep	43	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Oct-Dec	80	2	2.5%	66^th
2014 Jan-Mar	93	0	0.0%	0^th
2014 Apr-Jun	123	0	0.0%	0^th
2014 Jul-Sep	54	2	3.7%	76^th
2014 Nov-Dec	96	0	0.0%	0^th
2015 Jan-Mar	135	3	2.2%	81^st
2015 Apr-Jun	85	3	3.5%	80^th
2015 Jul-Sep	52	0	0.0%	0^th
2015 Oct-Dec	67	1	1.5%	47^th
2016 Jan-Mar	38	9	23.7%	94^th
2016 Apr-Jun	79	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Jul-Sep	34	4	11.8%	83^rd
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%	62^nd
2017 Jul-Sep	53	0	0.0%	0^th
2017 Oct-Dec	117	2	1.7%	69^th
2018 Jan-Mar	63	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Apr-Jun	80	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Jul-Aug	42	2	4.8%	83^rd

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
GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills

Richard Shelby is pronounced:

RI-cherd // SHEL-bee

The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:

Letter	Sounds As In
B b	bat
CH ch	chin
D d	day
E e	bed
EE ee	meet
ER er	her
H h	hat
I i	pin
L l	leg
R r	rag
S s	sit

Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.

Sen. Richard Shelby

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