Former member of Congress · last served 112th Congress
Ben Nelson
E. Nelson was a Democratic U.S. senator from Nebraska, first elected to Congress in 2001, who voted with most Democrats on 89% of the 112th Congress’s yes/no votes and sponsored 1 bill that became law (107th–112th Congress).
How we count: “Broke with party” is a yes/no roll call where the member voted against most of their own party on that vote (party as recorded; even splits not counted). “Pork: own share” splits each earmark shared by several members evenly among them.
5 most recent votes
- YeaOn Passage of the Bill — American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012Jan 1, 2013 · Bill Passed
- YeaOn the Nomination — Nomination voteDec 30, 2012 · Nomination Confirmed
- YeaOn the Nomination — Nomination voteDec 30, 2012 · Nomination Confirmed
- YeaOn Passage of the Bill — Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013Dec 28, 2012 · Bill Passed
- NayOn the Amendment — Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013Dec 28, 2012 · Amendment Rejected
5 most recent bills
- S. 3712 Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin ActDec 28, 2012 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- S. 3541 A bill to amend section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 to revise the census data and population requirements for areas to be considered as rural areas for…Sep 13, 2012 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- S.Res. 550 A resolution designating September 13, 2012, as "National Celiac Disease Awareness Day".Sep 11, 2012 · Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6238-6239; text as passed…
- S.Res. 548 A resolution designating the week beginning September 9, 2012, as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week".Sep 11, 2012 · Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6238-6239; text as passed…
- S. 3374 A bill to amend the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 to establish criteria for the rate of fees charged for grazing private livestock on public…Jul 11, 2012 · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Top bills sponsored
- S. 3009 (110th) A bill to designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation building under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the "J. James Exon Federal Bureau of Investigation…Became law
- S.Res. 355 (109th) A resolution honoring the service of the National Guard and requesting consultation by the Department of Defense with Congress and the chief executive…Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 132 (112th) A resolution recognizing and honoring the zoos and aquariums of the United States.Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 112 (111th) A resolution designating February 8, 2010, as "Boy Scouts of America Day", in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the largest youth scouting organization…Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 416 (110th) A resolution recognizing the 60th anniversary of the United States Air Force as an independent military service.Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 558 (111th) A resolution designating the week beginning September 12, 2010, as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week".Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 613 (110th) A resolution designating the week beginning September 8, 2008, as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week".Passed a chamber
- S.Res. 228 (111th) A resolution designating the week beginning September 14, 2009, as "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week".Passed a chamber
Laws first, then bills that passed a chamber, were reported from committee, or drew the most cosponsors.
Elections Sen. Nelson has won
Sen. Nelson has won 2 U.S. Senate elections (2000, 2006). Of the contested races, margins ran from 2.2 to 27.8 points.
Full election history for this seat →
Source: MIT Election Data and Science Lab, U.S. House V15 / U.S. Senate V8 (CC0), retrieved 2026-10-18; winners matched to member records by seat and term. Results run through the 2024 elections; nothing from 2026 is shown until it is certified. A margin is a fact about one election, never a score of how well a member represents anyone, and PORKER does not rank members by it.
How has Nebraska done while Sen. Nelson served?
2005 to 2012 in Nebraska: typical household income was about the same after inflation, the share of people below the poverty line was up 2.1 points, and the share of workers looking for a job was about the same.
Each mini chart has its own scale, fitted to its lines (it does not start at zero), so compare the numbers, not the heights. Oxblood = state, grey = U.S.
While they served, not because of them. This shows what happened in Nebraska during Nelson’s time representing it (2001 to 2013). It does not say what the member did or caused. It is not a score, and PORKER never ranks members on it.
Survey years start at 2005. The yearly estimates for Nebraska begin in 2005, so 2001 to 2004 are not shown. No 2020 yearly estimate exists.
Official records on bills this member sponsored
112th Congress. What Congress.gov lists for the 27 bills sponsored.
| Record | Bills | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bills sponsored | 27 | Source: Congress.gov member record, PORKER copy of October 26, 2026 ↗ See them → |
| With a CBO cost estimate listed | 0 | None listed |
| With a committee report listed | 0 | None listed |
Evidence
- How counted
- Bills where this member is the lead (first-listed) sponsor in the 112th Congress, read from the stored Congress.gov bill records
- Fields
- cboCostEstimates, committeeReports, constitutionalAuthorityStatementText, notes
- PORKER copy refreshed
- October 26, 2026 (nightly)
Read this first. These are counts of records Congress.gov lists. Many bills never get a CBO estimate or a report, so a zero is not a mark against a member. We never show this as a score.
Data as of Oct 26, 2026 · latest recorded Senate vote Sep 30, 2026 · Sources: Congress.gov, Senate.gov, House Clerk, Appropriations Committee earmark tables. PORKER is non-partisan.