Rep. Peter DeFazio

Former Representative for Oregon’s 4^th District

pronounced PEE-ter // duh-FAH-zee-oh

DeFazio was the representative for Oregon’s 4^th congressional district and was a Democrat. He served from 1987 to 2022.

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Photo of Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR4, 1987-2022]

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Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Read our 2022 Report Card for DeFazio.

Ideology–Leadership Chart

DeFazio is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot was a member of the House of Representatives in 2022 positioned according to our ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).

The chart is based on the bills DeFazio sponsored and cosponsored from Jan 3, 2017 to Dec 27, 2022. See full analysis methodology.

Enacted Legislation

DeFazio was the primary sponsor of 30 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:

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Does 30 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted — most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we don’t track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.

We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110^th Congress).

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

DeFazio sponsored bills primarily in these issue areas:

Transportation and Public Works (41%) Public Lands and Natural Resources (14%) Armed Forces and National Security (9%) Health (9%) Education (8%) Taxation (8%) Social Welfare (6%) Government Operations and Politics (6%)

Recently Introduced Bills

DeFazio recently introduced the following legislation:

View All » | View Cosponsors »

Most legislation has no activity after being introduced.

Voting Record

Key Votes

DeFazio voted Nay

H.R. 7900: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Passed 329/101 on Jul 14, 2022.

DeFazio voted Yea

H.Res. 260: Providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 1735) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military …

Passed 243/181 on May 14, 2015.

DeFazio voted Nay

H.R. 2048: Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015

Passed 338/88 on May 13, 2015.

The USA Freedom Act (H.R. 2048, Pub.L. 114–23) is a U.S. law enacted on June 2, 2015 that restored in modified form several provisions of …

DeFazio voted Nay

H.R. 5769 (113th): Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014

Passed 413/3 on Dec 3, 2014.

DeFazio voted No

H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Passed 319/108 on Sep 17, 2014.

DeFazio voted Yea

H.Res. 351 (113th): Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 687) to facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in …

Passed 231/193 on Sep 19, 2013.

DeFazio voted No

H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

Passed 304/117 on Jun 23, 2011.

The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack …

DeFazio voted Nay

H.Res. 1715 (111th): Congratulating Joe Paterno on his 400th win as Penn State Nittany Lions football head coach.

Passed 417/3 on Nov 17, 2010.

Missed Votes

From Jan 1987 to Dec 2022, DeFazio missed 862 of 21,891 roll call votes, which is 3.9%. This is worse than the median of 2.0% among the lifetime records of representatives serving in Dec 2022. The chart below reports missed votes over time.

We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.

Show the numbers...

Time Period	Votes Eligible	Missed Votes	Percent	Percentile
1987 Jan-Mar	39	3	7.7%	71^st
1987 Apr-Jun	187	3	1.6%	33^rd
1987 Jul-Sep	95	3	3.2%	56^th
1987 Oct-Dec	167	12	7.2%	67^th
1988 Feb-Mar	49	5	10.2%	94^th
1988 Apr-Jun	161	8	5.0%	72^nd
1988 Jul-Sep	152	9	5.9%	89^th
1988 Oct-Oct	89	2	2.2%	61^st
1989 Jan-Mar	14	0	0.0%	0^th
1989 Apr-Jun	105	6	5.7%	80^th
1989 Jul-Sep	128	6	4.7%	70^th
1989 Oct-Nov	121	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Jan-Mar	60	0	0.0%	0^th
1990 Apr-Jun	150	4	2.7%	45^th
1990 Jul-Sep	183	14	7.7%	80^th
1990 Oct-Oct	143	10	7.0%	85^th
1991 Jan-Mar	62	0	0.0%	0^th
1991 Apr-Jun	139	8	5.8%	71^st
1991 Jul-Sep	81	4	4.9%	58^th
1991 Oct-Nov	162	3	1.9%	42^nd
1992 Jan-Mar	66	6	9.1%	79^th
1992 Apr-Jun	185	5	2.7%	50^th
1992 Jul-Sep	196	25	12.8%	96^th
1992 Oct-Oct	41	1	2.4%	46^th
1993 Jan-Mar	127	8	6.3%	82^nd
1993 Apr-Jun	190	22	11.6%	83^rd
1993 Jul-Sep	164	12	7.3%	90^th
1993 Oct-Nov	134	5	3.7%	74^th
1994 Jan-Mar	95	3	3.2%	55^th
1994 Apr-Jun	219	13	5.9%	81^st
1994 Jul-Sep	142	28	19.7%	95^th
1994 Oct-Nov	51	2	3.9%	72^nd
1995 Jan-Mar	279	3	1.1%	41^st
1995 Apr-Jun	189	3	1.6%	46^th
1995 Jul-Sep	232	6	2.6%	57^th
1995 Oct-Dec	185	17	9.2%	89^th
1996 Jan-Mar	110	9	8.2%	80^th
1996 Apr-Jun	182	6	3.3%	58^th
1996 Jul-Sep	163	3	1.8%	42^nd
1997 Jan-Mar	71	1	1.4%	34^th
1997 Apr-Jun	174	8	4.6%	81^st
1997 Jul-Sep	232	2	0.9%	27^th
1997 Oct-Nov	163	1	0.6%	20^th
1998 Jan-Mar	89	1	1.1%	22^nd
1998 Apr-Jun	185	9	4.9%	72^nd
1998 Jul-Sep	199	4	2.0%	44^th
1998 Oct-Dec	74	6	8.1%	92^nd
1999 Jan-Mar	77	6	7.8%	85^th
1999 Apr-Jun	184	7	3.8%	67^th
1999 Jul-Sep	204	3	1.5%	44^th
1999 Oct-Nov	146	2	1.4%	41^st
2000 Jan-Mar	95	23	24.2%	92^nd
2000 Apr-Jun	277	0	0.0%	0^th
2000 Jul-Sep	130	2	1.5%	44^th
2000 Oct-Dec	101	9	8.9%	61^st
2001 Jan-Mar	75	4	5.3%	85^th
2001 Apr-Jun	135	0	0.0%	0^th
2001 Jul-Sep	149	5	3.4%	72^nd
2001 Oct-Dec	153	27	17.6%	96^th
2002 Jan-Mar	79	3	3.8%	64^th
2002 Apr-Jun	203	2	1.0%	25^th
2002 Jul-Sep	141	7	5.0%	69^th
2002 Oct-Nov	61	0	0.0%	0^th
2003 Jan-Mar	94	3	3.2%	66^th
2003 Apr-Jun	239	5	2.1%	54^th
2003 Jul-Sep	193	2	1.0%	31^st
2003 Oct-Dec	151	5	3.3%	47^th
2004 Jan-Mar	104	6	5.8%	62^nd
2004 Apr-Jun	221	4	1.8%	42^nd
2004 Jul-Sep	161	1	0.6%	14^th
2004 Oct-Dec	58	1	1.7%	42^nd
2005 Jan-Mar	90	8	8.9%	85^th
2005 Apr-Jun	272	1	0.4%	13^th
2005 Jul-Sep	146	5	3.4%	69^th
2005 Oct-Dec	163	5	3.1%	55^th
2006 Jan-Mar	81	1	1.2%	38^th
2006 Apr-Jun	276	0	0.0%	0^th
2006 Jul-Sep	159	2	1.3%	38^th
2006 Nov-Dec	27	1	3.7%	55^th
2007 Jan-Mar	213	12	5.6%	86^th
2007 Apr-Jun	393	5	1.3%	42^nd
2007 Jul-Sep	317	7	2.2%	64^th
2007 Oct-Dec	263	4	1.5%	30^th
2008 Jan-Mar	149	7	4.7%	61^st
2008 Apr-Jun	321	9	2.8%	49^th
2008 Jul-Sep	205	7	3.4%	63^rd
2008 Oct-Dec	15	0	0.0%	0^th
2009 Jan-Mar	174	3	1.7%	44^th
2009 Apr-Jun	303	15	5.0%	77^th
2009 Jul-Sep	268	3	1.1%	33^rd
2009 Oct-Dec	246	7	2.8%	52^nd
2010 Jan-Mar	195	9	4.6%	62^nd
2010 Apr-Jun	219	5	2.3%	38^th
2010 Jul-Sep	151	5	3.3%	69^th
2010 Nov-Dec	99	28	28.3%	94^th
2011 Jan-Mar	206	3	1.5%	63^rd
2011 Apr-Jun	281	3	1.1%	41^st
2011 Jul-Sep	247	12	4.9%	83^rd
2011 Oct-Dec	208	1	0.5%	15^th
2012 Jan-Mar	151	7	4.6%	79^th
2012 Apr-Jun	299	2	0.7%	31^st
2012 Jul-Sep	152	2	1.3%	45^th
2012 Nov-Dec	51	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Jan 112th Congress	5	0	0.0%	0^th
2013 Jan-Mar	89	4	4.5%	71^st
2013 Apr-Jun	215	2	0.9%	36^th
2013 Jul-Sep	200	7	3.5%	74^th
2013 Oct-Dec	137	1	0.7%	29^th
2014 Jan-Mar	148	8	5.4%	80^th
2014 Apr-Jun	219	4	1.8%	54^th
2014 Jul-Sep	147	6	4.1%	78^th
2014 Nov-Dec	49	0	0.0%	0^th
2015 Jan-Mar	144	11	7.6%	88^th
2015 Apr-Jun	244	22	9.0%	91^st
2015 Jul-Sep	139	3	2.2%	63^rd
2015 Oct-Dec	177	49	27.7%	98^th
2016 Jan-Mar	137	0	0.0%	0^th
2016 Apr-Jun	204	5	2.5%	56^th
2016 Jul-Sep	232	10	4.3%	84^th
2016 Nov-Dec	48	7	14.6%	95^th
2017 Jan-Mar	208	3	1.4%	51^st
2017 Apr-Jun	136	8	5.9%	86^th
2017 Jul-Sep	199	1	0.5%	36^th
2017 Oct-Dec	167	4	2.4%	55^th
2018 Jan-Mar	129	16	12.4%	94^th
2018 Apr-Jun	184	8	4.3%	69^th
2018 Jul-Sep	102	0	0.0%	0^th
2018 Nov-Dec	85	7	8.2%	83^rd
2019 Jan-Mar	136	16	11.8%	96^th
2019 Apr-Jun	294	3	1.0%	46^th
2019 Jul-Sep	125	2	1.6%	70^th
2019 Oct-Dec	146	1	0.7%	28^th
2020 Jan-Mar	102	3	2.9%	60^th
2020 Apr-Jun	31	0	0.0%	0^th
2020 Jul-Sep	80	13	16.2%	95^th
2020 Oct-Dec	40	6	15.0%	84^th
2021 Jan-Mar	97	2	2.1%	64^th
2021 Apr-Jun	107	7	6.5%	90^th
2021 Jul-Sep	108	1	0.9%	36^th
2021 Oct-Dec	137	0	0.0%	0^th
2022 Jan-Mar	102	2	2.0%	76^th
2022 Apr-Jun	197	1	0.5%	38^th
2022 Jul-Sep	178	3	1.7%	73^rd
2022 Nov-Dec	72	1	1.4%	45^th

Primary Sources

The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:

unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990 by Howard L. Rosenthal and Keith T. Poole.
Martis’s “The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress”, via Keith Poole’s roll call votes data set, for political party affiliation for Members of Congress from 1789 through about year 2000
GPO Member Guide for the photo
GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills

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Analysis

Legislative Metrics

Ideology–Leadership Chart

Enacted Legislation

Bills Sponsored

Issue Areas

Recently Introduced Bills

Voting Record

Key Votes

Missed Votes

Primary Sources