Changes

== Passage of the bill ==

== Passage of the bill ==

The first attempt to pass the bill, [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:H.R.2831: H.R. 2831] and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:S1843: S. 1843], failed when the bill was defeated in the Senate in April 2008 when Republicans voted against it.  In response the bill was reintroduced to the 111th Congress in January 2009 as [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.11: H.R. 11] and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S181: S. 181].  In the House of Representatives the bill passed on the 9th January, 2009 with a vote of 247-171, with 244 Democrats and 3 Republicans voting for and 5 Democrats and 166 Republicans voting against (and a combined party total of 15 members not voting).<ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-9</ref>  On the 22nd January, 2009, the bill was voted on in the Senate and passed with a vote of 61-36.  No Democrat voted against the bill, and all 4 female Republican Senators, as well as Republican Senator Arlen Specter, voted for it.  The only Senator not voting was Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy who was unable to vote because of ill-health.<ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2009-14</ref>

The first attempt to pass the bill, [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:H.R.2831: H.R. 2831] and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:S1843: S. 1843], failed when the bill was defeated in the Senate in April 2008 when Republicans voted against it.  In response the bill was reintroduced to the 111th Congress in January 2009 as [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.11: H.R. 11] and [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S181: S. 181].  In the House of Representatives the bill passed on the 9th January, 2009 with a vote of 247-171, with 244 Democrats and 3 Republicans voting for and 5 Democrats and 166 Republicans voting against (and a combined party total of 15 members not voting).<ref>https://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-9</ref>  On the 22nd January, 2009, the bill was voted on in the Senate and passed with a vote of 61-36.  No Democrat voted against the bill, and all 4 female Republican Senators, as well as Republican Senator Arlen Specter, voted for it.  The only Senator not voting was Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy who was unable to vote because of ill-health.<ref>https://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2009-14</ref>

As the bill passed in the Senate was slightly different to the bill passed in the House, the House then voted on S.181 and passed the bill on the 27th January, 2009, by a vote of 250-177, with 247 Democrats and 3 Republicans voting for, 5 Democrats and 172 Republicans voting against and a combined party total of 6 members not voting.<ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-37</ref>

As the bill passed in the Senate was slightly different to the bill passed in the House, the House then voted on S.181 and passed the bill on the 27th January, 2009, by a vote of 250-177, with 247 Democrats and 3 Republicans voting for, 5 Democrats and 172 Republicans voting against and a combined party total of 6 members not voting.<ref>https://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-37</ref>

The vote in both the Senate and the House regarding the passage of S.181 is interesting in regards to how the two genders voted in regards to the bill.  The combined female vote in the Senate and House supporting S.181 was 74, whilst the total number of votes against was 17.  In comparison, the total male vote in the Senate and House supporting S.181 was 237, whilst the total number of votes against was 196.  In percentage terms this means that the female vote split 81.32% for, 18.68% against, whilst the male vote split 54.73% for, 45.27% against.  Those figures do not take into account those not voting.<ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2009-14</ref><ref>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-37</ref>

The vote in both the Senate and the House regarding the passage of S.181 is interesting in regards to how the two genders voted in regards to the bill.  The combined female vote in the Senate and House supporting S.181 was 74, whilst the total number of votes against was 17.  In comparison, the total male vote in the Senate and House supporting S.181 was 237, whilst the total number of votes against was 196.  In percentage terms this means that the female vote split 81.32% for, 18.68% against, whilst the male vote split 54.73% for, 45.27% against.  Those figures do not take into account those not voting.<ref>https://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2009-14</ref><ref>https://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-37</ref>

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Law]]

[[Category:Law]]