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Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007

Public Law 110-34 · S. 214 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jun 14, 2007 · Law

Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Cosponsors (16): Sen. Patrick Leahy,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 306 yea, 114 nay306–114
  • SenateRecorded vote: 94 yea, 2 nay94–2
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007 - Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) allow a person appointed as U.S. attorney to serve until the qualification of a U.S. attorney for such district appointed by the President, or the expiration of 120 days after appointment by the Attorney General, whichever is earlier; and (2) provide that, if an appointment so expires, the district court for such district may appoint a U.S. attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled.

Applies this Act to any person serving as a U.S. attorney on the day before the enactment of this Act who was appointed by the Attorney General under current law.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 110th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 94 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

94 yea2 nay4 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(48)

  • Sen. Russell FeingoldD-WI
  • Sen. Bernie SandersD-VT
  • Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA
  • Sen. Sherrod BrownD-OH
  • Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
  • Sen. Bob MenendezD-NJ
  • Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
  • Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
  • Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT
  • Sen. Hillary ClintonD-NY
  • Sen. Richard DurbinD-IL
  • Sen. Debbie StabenowD-MI
  • Sen. Sheldon WhitehouseD-RI
  • Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
  • Sen. Chuck SchumerD-NY
  • Sen. Jack ReedD-RI
  • Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
  • Sen. John KerryD-MA
  • Sen. Barack ObamaD-IL
  • Sen. Daniel AkakaD-HI
  • Sen. Patty MurrayD-WA
  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Benjamin CardinD-MD
  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Ron WydenD-OR
  • Sen. Harry ReidD-NV
  • Sen. Maria CantwellD-WA
  • Sen. Byron DorganD-ND
  • Sen. Amy KlobucharD-MN
  • Sen. Bob CaseyD-PA
  • Sen. Herb KohlD-WI
  • Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV
  • Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
  • Sen. Jon TesterD-MT
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA
  • Sen. Bill NelsonD-FL
  • Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
  • Sen. Jim WebbD-VA
  • Sen. Claire McCaskillD-MO
  • Sen. Ken SalazarD-CO
  • Sen. Blanche LincolnD-AR
  • Sen. Mark PryorD-AR
  • Sen. Thomas CarperD-DE
  • Sen. Mary LandrieuD-LA
  • Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT
  • Sen. Ben NelsonD-NE
  • Sen. Evan BayhD-IN

Republicans who voted yea(46)

  • Sen. Olympia SnoweR-ME
  • Sen. Susan CollinsR-ME
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. Gordon SmithR-OR
  • Sen. Norm ColemanR-MN
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Lisa MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. George VoinovichR-OH
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Pat RobertsR-KS
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN
  • Sen. Mel MartinezR-FL
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Elizabeth DoleR-NC
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Bob CorkerR-TN
  • Sen. John SununuR-NH
  • Sen. Sam BrownbackR-KS
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyR-AL
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. John ThuneR-SD
  • Sen. Johnny IsaksonR-GA
  • Sen. Trent LottR-MS
  • Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
  • Sen. Saxby ChamblissR-GA
  • Sen. Mike CrapoR-ID
  • Sen. Lindsey GrahamR-SC
  • Sen. John CornynR-TX
  • Sen. Jeff SessionsR-AL
  • Sen. Richard BurrR-NC
  • Sen. Craig ThomasR-WY
  • Sen. Jim BunningR-KY
  • Sen. John EnsignR-NV
  • Sen. Wayne AllardR-CO
  • Sen. David VitterR-LA
  • Sen. Michael EnziR-WY
  • Sen. Jon KylR-AZ
  • Sen. Jim InhofeR-OK
  • Sen. Thomas CoburnR-OK
  • Sen. Jim DeMintR-SC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 81 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 580Related bill

    To amend chapter 35 of title 28, United States Code, to provide for a 120-day limit to the term of a United States attorney appointed on an interim basis by the Attorney General, and for other purposes.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 29 actions.

  1. Jun 14, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-34.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jun 4, 2007FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 22, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 306 - 114 (Roll no. 397).House roll call 397
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 214.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  12. Mar 20, 2007FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  15. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 94 - 2. Record Vote Number: 81.Senate roll call 81
  16. FloorFloor · Considered by Senate.
  17. Mar 19, 2007FloorFloor · The Committee reported amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  18. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  19. Mar 15, 2007FloorFloor · Cloture motion withdrawn by unanimous consent in Senate.
  20. Mar 12, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate.
  21. FloorFloor · Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate.
  22. FloorFloor · Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
  23. Feb 12, 2007CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 24.
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment. Without written report.
  25. Feb 8, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  26. Feb 6, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
  28. Jan 9, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  29. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 460SenateSen. Jeff SessionsR-AL· offered Mar 15, 2007Rejected

    To require appropriate qualifications for interim United States attorneys.

    Mar 20, 2007: Amendment SA 460 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 47 - 50. Record Vote Number: 80. (consideration: CR S3302-3304)

    Rejected

  • S.Amdt. 459SenateSen. Jon KylR-AZ· offered Mar 15, 2007Rejected

    To ensure that United States attorneys are promptly nominated by the President, and are appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

    Mar 20, 2007: Amendment SA 459 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 40 - 56. Record Vote Number: 79. (consideration: CR S3302)

    Rejected
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.