The mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando, Florida, seems likely to be classified a hate crime by the FBI, and such horrific crimes are illegal under federal law.
Here are the members of Congress who voted against protecting gay people from hate crimes
But the creation of stricter punishments for violent acts based on a victim’s sexual orientation is a fairly recent development. It wasn’t until 2009, when Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that this was the case. The law added perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities as protected classes under existing federal hate crimes law.
Previously, the law only protected victims of violence based on race, nationality, ethnicity, and religion.
The law, which was included as an amendment to a broader defense spending bill, was not passed easily. In the House and Senate, a majority of Republicans voted against the measure at different points.
Here’s a list of the Congress members who are still part of Congress and voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act — through the cloture vote for the amendment to the defense spending bill (in the Senate) and when the act was voted on by itself (in the House).
- Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
- Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
- Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
- Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Sen. James Risch (R-ID)
- Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
- Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
- Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
- Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
- Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
- Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
- Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)
- Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA)
- Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
- Rep. Shelley Capito (R-WV), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
- Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
- Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)
- Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX)
- Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
- Rep. John Culberson (R-TX)
- Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN)
- Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. John Fleming (R-LA)
- Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA)
- Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
- Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)
- Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
- Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
- Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
- Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS)
- Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
- Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)
- Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)
- Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX)
- Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)
- Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
- Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
- Rep. Pete King (R-NY)
- Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
- Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
- Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH)
- Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
- Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX)
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
- Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)
- Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)
- Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Rep. John Mica (R-FL)
- Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
- Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)
- Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who’s now a US senator
- Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)
- Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
- Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)
- Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX)
- Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN)
- Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN)
- Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)
- Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)
- Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)
- Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)
- Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN)
- Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
- Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
- Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL)
- Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL)
- Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
- Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
- Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
- Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI)
- Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
- Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)
- Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
- Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID)
- Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
- Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)
- Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)
- Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
- Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)
- Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)
- Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
- Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
- Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)
- Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY)
- Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
- Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA)
- Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
