Former U.S. Representative

Melvin L. WattNo longer serving

Fact sheet
Official portrait of Melvin L. Watt
141 bills introduced

Across 7 Congresses, most in the 112th at 57. In the 113th, 21 — 8 more than the median representative, who filed 13. Of the 141, 2 became law. Volume is not influence: the great majority of bills, from every member, never get a vote.

Bills introduced, against the typical representative 107th to 113th

median for the chamber, that Congress

Cosponsored
1,397

Signed on to someone else's bill

Recorded votes
11,755

Roll calls tied to a bill, nominations aside

Their work

Drawn from the 141 bills this member introduced: the subjects the record assigns them, and the members who most often sign on.

Subjects

Bills carry several subjects each, so these add up to more than 141.

Most frequent cosponsors

Times each has cosponsored a bill this member introduced.

Biography

A Representative from North Carolina. Born in Steele Creek, Mecklenburg County, N. C. , August 26, 1945. York Road High School, Charlotte, N. C. , 1963. B. S. , University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. , 1967. J. D. , Yale University School of Law, New Haven, Conn. , 1970. Lawyer, private practice. Member of the North Carolina state senate, 1985-1987. Elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Third and to the ten succeeding Congresses until his resignation on January 6, 2014 (January 3, 1993-January 6, 2014). Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency, 2014-2019.

Votes

How this member answered on every recorded vote tied to a bill, newest first — including the procedural motions on it, such as cloture. Votes on nominations are not listed, because they are not attached to a bill.

Sponsored bills

Bills and resolutions this member introduced.

BillTitleStatusLatest action
HR 3219Free Market Royalty ActReferred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.Oct 15, 2013
HR 1061To extend the temporary suspension of duty on Direct Black 22.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1060To suspend temporarily the duty on Acid Blue 225.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1059To extend the temporary suspension of duty on Acid Orange 116.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1058To suspend temporarily the duty on Acid Black 194.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1057To suspend temporarily the duty on Reactive Blue 21.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1056To extend the temporary suspension of duty on Acid Black 132.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013
HR 1055To suspend temporarily the duty on Disperse Violet 57.Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.Apr 11, 2013

Cosponsored bills

Bills introduced by others that this member signed on to.

BillTitleStatusSigned on
HCONRES 31Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supporting National Donor Day.Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.Mar 1, 2001
HR 781Paycheck Fairness ActSponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1697-1698)Feb 28, 2001
HR 775Voting Improvement ActReferred to the Subcommittee on the Civil Service and Agency Organization.Feb 28, 2001
HR 602Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment ActReferred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.Feb 27, 2001
HRES 57Recognizing and honoring Dale Earnhardt and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on his death.Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.Feb 27, 2001
HCONRES 43Authorizing the printing of a revised and updated version of the House document entitled "Black Americans in Congress, 1870-1989".Message on Senate action sent to the House.Feb 27, 2001
HR 721Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting ActReferred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy.Feb 14, 2001
HR 664A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide that the reductions in Social Security benefits which are required in the case of spouses and surviving spouses who are also receiving certain Government pensions shall be equal to the amount by which the total amount of the combined monthly benefit (before reduction) and monthly pension exceeds $1,200.Referred to the Subcommittee on Social Security.Feb 14, 2001

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Party, state and chamber are those of this member's most recent term. Bills and cosponsorships are held from the 107th Congress onwards and recorded votes from the 101st, so a member who served before those points will show fewer than they filed, or none. Committee seats are held for the current Congress only, which is why they are shown for sitting members and left out for everyone else rather than reported as zero. Vote counts cover roll calls tied to a bill; the chambers also vote on procedure and nominations, which are not listed here. Office, telephone and website are not shown for a member who has left, because the ones on file were theirs while serving. Records come from Congress.gov and the Biographical Directory of Congress.