Cochran was a senator from Mississippi and was a Republican. He served from 1979 to 2018.
He was previously the representative for Mississippi’s 4th congressional district as a Republican from 1973 to 1978.
![Photo of Sen. Thad Cochran [R-MS, 1979-2018]](/data/photos/300023-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2017 Report Card for Cochran.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Cochran 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 Cochran has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Enacted Legislation
Cochran was the primary sponsor of 54 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
- S. 644: Medgar Evers House Study Act
- S. 3350 (114th): Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016
- S. 2129 (114th): An Act Making Appropriations to Improve the Nation’s Infrastructure and for Other Purposes, 2016
- S. 2130 (114th): An Act Making Appropriations for National Security and for Other Purposes, 2016
- S. 2131 (114th): An Act Making Appropriations for Law Enforcement and for Other Purposes, 2016
- S. 1558 (114th): Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016
- S. 1093 (113th): A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 130 Caldwell Drive in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, as the “First Lieutenant Alvin Chester Cockrell, ...
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
Cochran sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:
Health (28%) Economics and Public Finance (28%) Public Lands and Natural Resources (22%) Transportation and Public Works (11%) Armed Forces and National Security (11%)
Recent Bills
Some of Cochran’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- S. 2558: Okhissa Lake Rural Economic Development Land Conveyance Act
- S.Con.Res. 33: A concurrent resolution providing for a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 195.
- S. 1260: Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange Act
- S. 644: Medgar Evers House Study Act
- S.Con.Res. 53 (114th): A concurrent resolution directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to ...
- S. 3350 (114th): Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016
- S. 3054 (114th): Preserving Civil Rights Heritage Act of 2016
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Cochran’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Yea |
H.J.Res. 43: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating ...
Mar 30, 2017. Joint Resolution Passed 51/50.
Joe Biden never got the opportunity to break a single 50-50 Senate tie in eight years as vice president. Mike Pence has already broken two. One from last month has since become law: a measure allowing states to withhold federal Planned Parenthood funding. (The other ... |
| Yea |
H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
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 bill which extended funding at the previous year's levels up to December 9, 2016 (10 weeks). After this, a continuing ... |
| Yea |
On the Nomination PN1152: John B. King, of New York, to be Secretary of Education
Mar 14, 2016. Nomination Confirmed 49/40.
|
| Yea |
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 ... |
| Yea |
On the Nomination PN4: Loretta E. Lynch, of New York, to be Attorney General
Apr 23, 2015. Nomination Confirmed 56/43.
|
| Yea |
H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015
Sep 18, 2014. Joint Resolution Passed 78/22.
|
| 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 |
H.R. 3288 (111th): Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
Dec 13, 2009. Conference Report Agreed to 57/35.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 2918 (111th): Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010
Sep 30, 2009. Conference Report Agreed to 62/38.
|
| 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 Feb 1979 to Mar 2018, Cochran missed 516 of 13,675 roll call votes, which is 3.8%. This is much worse than the median of 1.5% among the lifetime records of senators serving in Mar 2018. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
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
