If you want a good idea on who the good US Senators are, two votes in particular are perhaps the best gage available. Roll Call votes on the Iraq War Resolution of 2002, and the Welfare Reform Bill of 1996. Of course, if votes such as the Bankruptcy bill and support for the Israeli attack on Lebanon of 2006 are included, the list of "good" Senators would fall considerably. "No" votes for Iraq War and Welfare Reform bills are considered good votes by the Poor People’s Working Party.  Only NO votes are included on this page.  For full records, see note above. 

21 Senate Democrats voted NO, and one independent, as well as one Republican

1996 "Welfare Reform" vote

 

Not Voting - 1   Pryor (D-AR)  [this voting record is of David Pryor, not his son, Mark Pryor, who is a Senator elected in 2002 from Arkansas]

21 Democratic Senators voted against "Welfare Reform"

Of the Senators who were in Congress during both votes, the following nine Senators voted correctly (against both). However, some Senators were no longer in Senate for Iraq War vote or were not elected until after the welfare reform vote.

Bumpers was no longer in Senate by the time of the Iraq War vote of 2002. He left in January of 1999 after serving four terms. Glenn of Ohio retired in January of 1999 also. Moseley-Braun was defeated for re-election in November of 1998. Moynihan did not run for re-election in 2000, and he died in 2003. Pell left office in January of 1997 as did Simon and Bradley. Senator Simon died following heart surgery in 2003. Wellstone, who was among the most progressive of Senators, died in a plane crash in October of 2002. He voted against both bills. Corzine was not in a member of Senate at time of welfare vote and became Governor of New Jersey in 2006. Corzine served in Senate from 2001 to January of 2006. Dayton and Stabenow did not enter Congress until January of 2001 and so were not in during welfare vote. Durbin and Reed did not enter until January of 1997 and so they also were not in during welfare vote.

Daschle, Dodd, and Feinstein, were in the Senate during both votes, Iraq War and Welfare Reform. They voted to authorize the war but against the so-called welfare reform bill. Byrd, Chafee, Conrad, Jeffords, Levin, Mikulski, Wyden, Feingold and Graham voted against the Iraq War but for Welfare Reform. The nine Senators who were in Congress for both votes and voted correctly (against) both measures are listed above.

Of incoming Senators coming in to the Senate in 2007, Sherrod Brown of Ohio voted against both measures while as US Representative. The position of the other new members is not known or has not been researched for this article.