Ted Budd
U.S. Senator for NC
RepublicanSenate
Positions last updated Oct 12, 2026
- In Congress since
- 2017
- Years served
- 10
- Age
- 54
- Current term ends
- Jan 3, 2029
Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (via the public congress-legislators dataset). Photo: official congressional portrait.
Where their record lies
Between the typical Democratic and typical Republican record
Close to the typical Republican record
Ted Budd's record sits 109% of the way from the typical Democratic record to the typical Republican record.
Built from 6 topics that divide the parties. It describes a record of votes and statements, not a person. How this is calculated.
Their record by topic
Further from the center means more agreement with the quiz statement
Each point averages how Ted Budd votes and what they say on that topic. A topic with no data is left out, not drawn as neutral. The sources are in the sections below.
Where they stand
Each topic is a statement from the quiz. "Agree" means their votes or words line up with it.
Health care
“The federal government should guarantee health coverage for every American.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: No data
Taxes & spending
“Lowering taxes matters more than expanding government services.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Agree
Immigration
“Border security should be the top priority in immigration policy.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Strongly agree
Climate & energy
“The federal government should require cuts to carbon emissions, even if energy costs rise.”
Votes: Disagree|Says: Disagree
Guns
“Federal law should require background checks on all gun sales, including private sales.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: No data
Abortion
“Abortion law should be decided by each state, not the federal government.”
Votes: No data|Says: Strongly disagree
Education
“Public school funding should follow students to the school their family chooses, including private schools.”
Votes: Agree|Says: Strongly agree
Foreign policy
“The U.S. should keep providing military aid to its allies abroad.”
Votes: Disagree|Says: Agree
Votes on key bills
The final vote on each bill Scope tracks (not every vote they have cast). Newest first.
S. 1071: National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026
Voted yesSenate vote, Dec 17, 2025 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 1: 2025 budget law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act): tax cuts, Medicaid and border spending
Voted yesSenate vote, Jul 1, 2025 · Counts toward: Education, Health care, Taxes & spending, Immigration
S. 5: Laken Riley Act (2025)
Voted yesSenate vote, Jan 20, 2025 · Counts toward: Immigration
H.R. 815: National security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan (2024)
Voted noSenate vote, Apr 24, 2024 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 5376: Inflation Reduction Act (2022)
Voted noHouse vote, Aug 12, 2022 · Counts toward: Climate & energy, Health care
Show 6 more votes
S. 2938: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022)
Voted noHouse vote, Jun 24, 2022 · Counts toward: Guns
H.R. 1319: American Rescue Plan Act (2021)
Voted noHouse vote, Mar 10, 2021 · Counts toward: Health care
H.R. 1425: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (2020)
Voted noHouse vote, Jun 29, 2020 · Counts toward: Health care
H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act (2019)
Voted noHouse vote, Feb 27, 2019 · Counts toward: Guns
H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)
Voted yesHouse vote, Dec 20, 2017 · Counts toward: Taxes & spending, Education
H.R. 1628: American Health Care Act (2017)
Voted yesHouse vote, May 4, 2017 · Counts toward: Health care
Source: House Clerk and Senate roll-call records via Congress.gov. For every vote they have cast, see GovTrack.
Words versus votes
Pro preview · free for nowVotes and statements point in opposite directions on 1 topic of the 5 we can compare.
- Foreign policyVotes: Disagree|Says: Agree
A difference is a prompt to look closer, not proof of anything. Votes come from a short list of tracked bills; statements come from speeches, press releases and bills they put their name on. See the evidence for each topic.
What they work on
36 bills written, 259 signed onto. Top topic: International Affairs
In the current Congress they have written 36 bills and signed on to 259 more. A bill someone writes shows what they want to change.
Topics of the bills they wrote
- International Affairs12
- Armed Forces and National Security7
- Health4
- Immigration4
- Taxation4
Most recent bills they wrote
- S. 5517: Fort Bragg Land Transfer for Veterans Act (Sep 24, 2026)
- S. 5043: Secure Drug Supply Chain Act of 2026 (Sep 17, 2026)
- S. 5370: Combatting the Persecution of Religious Groups in the People’s Republic of China Act (Sep 15, 2026)
- S. 5063: FIRST Act (Jul 22, 2026)
- S. 4873: Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act (Jun 23, 2026)
Source: Sponsorship records from Congress.gov; each bill links to its page there.
Committees
5 committees: Joint Economic Committee; Senate Committee on Armed Services...
Committees study and rewrite bills before the full chamber votes.
Senate Committee on Armed Services
Subcommittees: Airland; Cybersecurity; Emerging Threats and Capabilities; Personnel
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittees: Aviation, Space, and Innovation; Telecommunications and Media; Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness
Source: Committee rosters from the congress-legislators dataset (built from the House and Senate committee pages, as of 2026-10-12). Each committee name links to its official page.
Career in Congress
2017 to present
- 2017 to 2023U.S. House, NC, district 13Republican
- 2023 to presentU.S. Senate, NCRepublican
Contact and learn more
Office phone, website, message form and where to read more
Contact their office
- Official website
- Send a message
- Phone: 202-224-3154
- Washington office: 354 Russell Senate Office Building
- X (Twitter)
Read more about them
- Official biography (Congress) (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress)
- GovTrack (Votes, bills and ideology scores)
- OpenSecrets (Who funds them)
- Ballotpedia (Background and elections)
- Wikipedia (Encyclopedia article)
Source: Contact details from the member's official pages, via the congress-legislators dataset. Outside sites are not run by Scope.
The evidence, topic by topic
Every position links to the votes, quotes and bills it was built from
Health care
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 5 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.Roll call on billRoll call on American Health Care Act of 2017Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
No data
Taxes & spending
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.Roll call on billWhat they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 3 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 587: Death Tax Repeal Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 1865: Tanning Tax Repeal Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 213: Main Street Tax Certainty ActImmigration
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 19 cosponsored bills, 1 sponsored bill, 1 floor speech related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 84: Sarah's Lawcosponsored bill: S 72: Justice for Jocelyn Actcosponsored bill: S 185: Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 50: Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and Elimination Actcosponsored bill: S 53: PRINTS Act“President Trump, however, is taking necessary steps to restore our border, restore order, and dismantle the criminal networks profiting off of human suffering.”
Climate & energy
How they vote
Disagree (-1)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 14.What they say
Disagree (-1)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: SJRES 45: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relacosponsored bill: S 996: Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 4340: Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026cosponsored bill: S 143: Natural Gas Tax Repeal ActGuns
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019Roll call on Bipartisan Safer Communities ActWhat they say
No data
Abortion
How they vote
No data
What they say
Strongly disagree (-2)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 205: Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Actcosponsored bill: S 4880: Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026cosponsored bill: S 4066: Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Actcosponsored bill: S 6: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection ActEducation
How they vote
Agree (+1)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.What they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills, 1 press release related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 311: ACE Actpress release: Budd Files Amicus Brief Defending the Rights of Homeschool Parents to Choose Religious-Based Curriculumcosponsored bill: SRES 587: A resolution designating the week of January 25 through January 31, 2026, as "National School Choice Week".cosponsored bill: S 1244: Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 4328: FLEX Act“neutral government programs”
Foreign policy
How they vote
Disagree (-1)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes.What they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills, 1 sponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: S 313: Stop Funding Global Terrorists Act of 2025sponsored bill: S 4219: Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act of 2026cosponsored bill: S 4065: STAND with Taiwan Act of 2026cosponsored bill: S 554: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025cosponsored bill: S 1521: Stand with Israel ActRevision history
50 recorded changes
- Foreign policy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): -2 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): -1 to -1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): -2 to -2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): created at -1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): created at -2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Guns (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): 2 to 1Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (vote): -2 to -1Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
