In a historic achievement, Vice President Kamala Harris has shattered records by casting the most tie-breaking votes in the history of the vice presidency. With 32 tie-breaking votes in just two and a half years, Harris has surpassed the previous record-holders, John Calhoun and John Adams, who each served approximately eight years.
Acting as a crucial tie-breaker in the closely divided Senate, Harris’s role has become pivotal due to the polarization of U.S. politics and the 50-50 Senate split. Notably, President Joe Biden did not cast a single tie-breaking vote during his eight years as vice president. The relaxation of Senate rules in 2013 and 2017, reducing the threshold for nominations, allowed Harris to break ties on contentious issues. This empowered her to advance crucial nominations and support major Biden administration priorities, including environmental and healthcare legislation and a substantial economic stimulus package.
While some anticipated a diminished tie-breaking role in 2023, the recent party affiliation change of Senator Kyrsten Sinema added uncertainty to the Democrats’ numbers, underscoring the ongoing significance of Harris’s pivotal position. This latest record-breaking vote, advancing the nomination of Loren AliKhan, cements Harris’s historic legacy as a key figure in the functioning of the Senate.
