Pence Has Already Done Something Biden Never Did: Break A Senate Tie
Filed under Trump Cabinet
Vice President Mike Pence exercised his constitutional right to cast a tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate for the first time on Tuesday, breaking a tie on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos to become secretary of education. Aside from the importance of the confirmation itself, the vote was noteworthy in other ways as well. Here are a few reasons why.
Has a vice president ever broken a tie on a nominee before?
Vice presidents have broken ties on presidential nominees before, but Tuesday was the first time it’s happened for a Cabinet nominee. In 2015, there were reports that Vice President Joe Biden might be called in to break a tie on attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, but the vote in the Senate ended up being 56-43. Tie votes on nominees in general are rare; before Tuesday, there had been only seven tie-breaking votes cast on confirmations, according to the Senate Historical office. There have also been a handful of vice presidential tie-breakers on non-confirmation votes related to nominees (motions on postponements or motions to proceed, for example).
How often do vice presidents break Senate ties?
The average vice president has broken about five ties during his time in office; the median vice president has broken three. Twelve vice presidents, including Biden, never broke a tie; Biden was the longest-serving vice president to never do so.
When was the last tie-breaking vote?
Dick Cheney broke a tie on a vote related to a budget plan on March 13, 2008.
Is this the soonest a vice president has broken a tie after being sworn in?
No, but it’s close. Pence has been vice president for 18 days. Chester A. Arthur cast a tie-breaking vote on March 18, 1881, 14 days after becoming vice president.
How likely is Pence to cast more tie-breaking votes?
The partisan makeup of the Senate — 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats, is closer than any full Senate since the end of the George W. Bush administration. That means that only two Republicans need to vote against a measure for there to be a tie. So while it’s not a sure thing — getting even two senators to vote against their party can be difficult — there’s a good chance that there will be more such votes.
Including two independents who caucus with the Democrats.