Former U.S. Representative

Melvin L. WattNo longer serving

North Carolina12th District · 113th Congress Official portrait of Melvin L. Watt
Bills introduced
141

As sponsor, from the 107th Congress

Became law
2

Of the bills they introduced

Cosponsored
1,397

Signed on to someone else's bill

Recorded votes
13,203

Roll calls tied to a bill

Floor speeches
251

In the Congressional Record, from 2001

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. 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

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.

Focus

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.

Record

Every recorded vote, bill and floor speech, newest first.

Recorded votes tied to a bill, including procedural motions on it such as cloture. Votes on nominations are not listed.

BillQuestionVotedDate
HCONRES 178On Agreeing to the AmendmentAyeMay 16, 1996
HRES 435On Ordering the Previous QuestionNayMay 16, 1996
HR 3230On PassageNoMay 15, 1996
HR 3230On Motion to Recommit with InstructionsYeaMay 15, 1996
HR 3230On Agreeing to the AmendmentAyeMay 15, 1996
HR 3230On Agreeing to the AmendmentNoMay 15, 1996
HR 3230On Agreeing to the AmendmentNoMay 15, 1996
HRES 303On Ordering the Previous QuestionNayMay 15, 1996

Committees

Current committees first, each with its role and years, and the subcommittees held now beneath it. Full history opens every role with its date and official record, and earlier subcommittee seats.

Earlier committees

Judiciary CommitteeMember2001–2013
Full history
CommitteeRoleServedRecord
Judiciary CommitteeMemberJan 31, 2001 to Dec 12, 2013H.Res. 25 · Last recorded vote
Courts, Intellectual Property, and the InternetMemberListed Feb 2007 to Nov 2013Hearing, Feb 2007
Intellectual Property, Competition and the InternetMemberListed Jan 2011 to Nov 2012Hearing, Jan 2011
Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil LibertiesMemberListed Sep 2001 to Dec 2010Congressional Directory, Oct 2002
Commercial and Administrative LawMemberListed Sep 2001 to Jul 2010Congressional Directory, Oct 2002
Joint Economic CommitteeMember2001–2005

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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 service is held from the 107th Congress onwards, dated from the House and Senate resolutions and Congressional Record notices that seat and remove members. Subcommittee assignments are made inside each committee and carry no official date, so a subcommittee seat is shown from the first to the last printed hearing, Congressional Directory edition or official roster that lists the member. 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.