Harris breaks record for tie-breaking Senate votes cast by vice president

Former Vice President John C. Calhoun held the previous record with 31 tie-breaking Senate votes.

Published: December 6, 2023 9:53am

Updated: December 6, 2023 9:57am

Vice President Kamala Harris made history by casting her 32nd tie-breaking Senate vote, the most ever cast by a vice president. 

Before Harris cast her 32nd tie-breaking vote on Tuesday, former Vice President John C. Calhoun held the previous record with 31 tie-breaking Senate votes. Calhoun served as vice president 1825-1832 under former Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.

Notably, Harris' vote Tuesday was the 300th tie-breaking Senate vote in the history of the U.S., which means that Harris' tie-breaking votes compose more than 10% of all tie-breaking votes ever cast, per Senate records

The vote Tuesday was to advance Loren Alikhan's nomination for the D.C. district court, according to Axios

After Harris' vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., awarded her a golden gavel to commemorate the occasion. 

"Today is historic. Every time duty has called, Vice President Harris has answered – more than any other vice president in our nation's long and storied history," he said. 

The Senate has been split evenly since 2021, with 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats and 2 independents who vote with the Democrats. 

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