Where they stand: U.S. Senate, ranked by score
CNET News.com examines the technology voting records of all current members of Congress, ranking senators against 10 key votes over the past 10 years.
U.S. Senate, ranked by score
In advance of the Nov. 2 ballot, CNET News.com examined the technology voting records of the 100 U.S. senators serving as of September 2004. We ranked senators against 10 key votes over the past 10 years, assigning scores based on our own editorial judgment of the impact of those votes on the technology community at large. A full explanation of our thinking can be found here.
Approximately one-third of the senate is up for re-election Nov. 2. A list of useful links for researching incumbent candidates and challengers can be found here.
U.S. Senate, ranked by score
In advance of the Nov. 2 ballot, CNET News.com examined the technology voting records of the 100 U.S. senators serving as of September 2004. We ranked senators against 10 key votes over the past 10 years, assigning scores based on our own editorial judgment of the impact of those votes on the technology community at large. A full explanation of our thinking can be found here.
Approximately one-third of the senate is up for re-election Nov. 2. A list of useful links for researching incumbent candidates and challengers can be found here.
| Name | Party | State | CDA | DMCA | Tax | Firearms | Y2K | Export | Patriot Act | Net tax | Free Trade | R&D tax | Votes | Possible | Score |
| Bunning | R | KY | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 86% |
| Crapo | R | ID | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 86% |
| Allen | R | VA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| Cantwell | D | WA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| Ensign | R | NV | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| Miller | D | GA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| Allard | R | CO | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 78% |
| Gregg | R | NH | 0 | x | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 78% |
| Hagel | R | NE | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 78% |
| Bayh | D | IN | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 71% |
| Lincoln | D | AR | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 71% |
| Craig | R | ID | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Domenici | R | NM | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Hatch | R | UT | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Lieberman | D | CT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Lott | R | MS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| McConnell | R | KY | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Murray | D | WA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Nickles | R | OK | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Smith | R | OR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Stevens | R | AK | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 70% |
| Bennett | R | UT | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 67% |
| Brownback | R | KS | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 67% |
| Roberts | R | KS | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 67% |
| Wyden | D | OR | n/a | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 67% |
| Name | Party | State | CDA | DMCA | Tax | Firearms | Y2K | Export | Patriot Act | Net tax | Free Trade | R&D tax | Votes | Possible | Score |
| Landrieu | D | LA | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | x | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 63% |
| Baucus | D | MT | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Bingaman | D | NM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Bond | R | MO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Burns | R | MT | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Campbell | R | CO | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Carper | D | DE | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Cochran | R | MS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Corzine | D | NJ | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Frist | R | TN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Jeffords | I | VT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Kyl | R | AZ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Lugar | R | IN | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Nelson | D | FL | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Nelson | D | NE | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| Santorum | R | PA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Warner | R | VA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| Fitzgerald | R | IL | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 57% |
| Schumer | D | NY | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 57% |
| Voinovich | R | OH | n/a | n/a | n/a | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 57% |
| Collins | R | ME | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 56% |
| Dodd | D | CT | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 56% |
| Enzi | R | WY | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 56% |
| Boxer | D | CA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Name | Party | State | CDA | DMCA | Tax | Firearms | Y2K | Export | Patriot Act | Net tax | Free Trade | R&D tax | Votes | Possible | Score |
| Edwards | D | NC | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | 3 | 6 | 50% |
| Feinstein | D | CA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Grassley | R | IA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Hutchison | R | TX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Inouye | D | HI | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | 4 | 8 | 50% |
| Kohl | D | WI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Lautenberg | D | NJ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 3 | 6 | 50% |
| Leahy | D | VT | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| McCain | R | AZ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Snowe | R | ME | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Thomas | R | WY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| Inhofe | R | OK | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| Kennedy | D | MA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| Kerry | D | MA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | x | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| Sessions | R | AL | n/a | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 44% |
| Biden | D | DE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40% |
| Chafee | R | RI | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 40% |
| Clinton | D | NY | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 40% |
| Daschle | D | SD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40% |
| Dayton | D | MN | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 40% |
| DeWine | R | OH | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40% |
| Graham | D | FL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40% |
| Graham | R | SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40% |
| Stabenow | D | MI | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 40% |
| Breaux | D | LA | 0 | 0 | 0 | x | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 33% |
| Name | Party | State | CDA | DMCA | Tax | Firearms | Y2K | Export | Patriot Act | Net tax | Free Trade | R&D tax | Votes | Possible | Score |
| Reed | D | RI | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 33% |
| Specter | R | PA | 0 | 0 | x | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 33% |
| Byrd | D | WV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Conrad | D | ND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Dorgan | D | ND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Feingold | D | WI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Harkin | D | IA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Levin | D | MI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Mikulski | D | MD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Reid | D | NV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Shelby | R | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Akaka | D | HI | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | x | x | 2 | 8 | 25% |
| Durbin | D | IL | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 22% |
| Johnson | D | SD | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 22% |
| Rockefeller | D | WV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 20% |
| Sarbanes | D | MD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 20% |
| Hollings | D | SC | 0 | 0 | x | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 11% |
Senators who haven't been in office long enough to compile lifetime voting record
| Name | Party | State | CDA | DMCA | Tax | Firearms | Y2K | Export | Patriot Act | Net tax | Free Trade | R&D tax | Votes | Possible | Score |
| Alexander | R | TN | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Chambliss | R | GA | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Coleman | R | MN | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Cornyn | R | TX | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Dole | R | NC | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Murkowski | R | AK | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Pryor | D | AR | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Sununu | R | NH | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| Talent | R | MO | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |