James P. McGovernVote leaningMore liberal
-0.538Based on 561 roll-call observations in the 119th Congress. This is Voteview DW-NOMINATE, an estimate from roll-call behavior—not a Baseline rating. Read the method ↗ or see our evidence rules.
Representative · Massachusetts · Democrat
James P. McGovern
U.S. House · MA District 2
James P. McGovern is a Democrat who represents Massachusetts's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House, where he has served since January 3, 1997. He was previously on the staff of Representative Joseph Moakley and chaired the Committee on Rules in the 116th and 117th Congresses.
Background
Biography
James P. McGovern was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on November 20, 1959. He graduated from Worcester Academy in 1977 and earned a B.A. in 1981 and an M.P.A. in 1984 from American University in Washington, D.C. He worked on the 1984 presidential campaign staff of Senator George McGovern of South Dakota and was on the staff of Representative Joseph Moakley of Massachusetts from 1982 to 1996.
He was elected as a Democrat to the 105th Congress and to the fourteen succeeding Congresses, and has served in the House since January 3, 1997. He chaired the Committee on Rules in the 116th and 117th Congresses. His House biography says he has been the top Democrat on the Rules Committee since 2018. He sits on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Rules.
119th Congress
The voting record at a glance
Every House roll-call position in the current Congress that Voteview associates with this member. Data current through Oct 1, 2026.
- Recorded votes
- 674
- Participation
- 97.8%
- Yea / nay
- 267 / 392
- Latest vote
- Sep 16, 2026
Recorded positions
Latest roll-call votes
Position, question, result, tally, and source are shown together so readers can inspect the record without leaving the page.
| Date | Position | Roll call | Issue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yea | S2403On Motion to Suspend the Rules and PassRetire through Ownership ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Labor and Employment | Passed401–14 | |
| Yea | HR9497On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as AmendedWater Resources Development ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Water Resources Development | Passed415–9 | |
| Yea | HR9340On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as AmendedRatepayer Protection ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Energy | Passed417–3 | |
| Nay | HJRES213On PassageProviding for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to the “California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Commercial Harbor Craft Regulations; Notice of Decision”Bill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Environmental protection | Passed214–208 | |
| Nay | HR10326On PassagePROOF ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Government Operations and Politics | Passed217–207 | |
| Nay | HR9576On PassageNational Fraud Enforcement Division ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Crime and law enforcement | Passed352–72 | |
| Nay | HR5334On Motion to Concur in the Senate AmendmentsAn Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow early childhood educators to take the educator expense deduction, and for other purposesOfficial roll call ↗ | Economics and public finance | Passed262–159 | |
| Yea | HCONRES93On Agreeing to the ResolutionDirecting the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with IranBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | International Affairs | Passed220–204 | |
| Nay | HJRES210On PassageProviding for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth; Notice of Decision”Bill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Environmental protection | Passed216–211 | |
| Yea | HR9500On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as AmendedTax Relief for Fraud Victims ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Taxation | Passed408–17 | |
| Yea | HR2140On Motion to Suspend the Rules and PassDiesel Emissions Reduction ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Environmental protection | Passed343–79 | |
| Yea | HR4646On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as AmendedWhistleblower Protection ActBill record ↗Official roll call ↗ | Housing and Community Development | Passed424–0 |
Patterns in the record
Vote leaning and issue mix
These are descriptive measures of roll-call behavior, not judgments about truthfulness, effectiveness, or constituent approval.
Where roll calls fall
Policy areas come from Voteview’s Congressional Research Service fields, with plain-language fallback categories when no CRS label is supplied.
Source: Voteview members’ votes ↗. Lewis, Poole, Rosenthal, Boche, Rudkin, and Sonnet (2026), Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database.
The Baseline desk
Published claim checks
Claim checks are reviewed editorial work. They are separate from the voting-data summaries above.
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