HR 4453. Prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion or nat ional orgin. On question of consideration.

On Feb 22, 1950, the House voted 287–121 (HR 4453). Result: passed. By party: Democrats 145–108, Republicans 145–18, Others 2–0. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted yes. 126 members voted against their own party.

During the 81st Congress (1949–1950), Harry S. Truman was president, and Democrats held majorities in both the House and Senate.

Yes: 287
No: 121
Did not vote: 14
Date: Feb 22, 1950

By party

Democrats145 yes · 108 no · 8 didn’t vote
Republicans145 yes · 18 no · 6 didn’t vote
Others2 yes · 0 no

Who broke with their party

Frank William Boykin D-AL voted no
George McInvale Grant D-AL voted no
George William Andrews D-AL voted no
Samuel Francis Hobbs D-AL voted no
Albert McKinley Rains D-AL voted no
Edward Degraffenried D-AL voted no
Carl Atwood Elliott D-AL voted no
Robert Emmett Jones Jr. D-AL voted no
Laurie Calvin Battle D-AL voted no
Ezekiel Candler Gathings D-AR voted no
Wilbur Daigh Mills D-AR voted no
James William Trimble D-AR voted no
Boyd Anderson Tackett D-AR voted no
Lawrence Brooks Hays D-AR voted no
William Frank Norrell D-AR voted no
Oren Harris D-AR voted no
James Hardin Peterson D-FL voted no
Charles Edward Bennett D-FL voted no
Robert Lee Fulton Sikes D-FL voted no
George Armistead Smathers D-FL voted no
Albert Sydney Herlong Jr. D-FL voted no
Dwight Laing Rogers D-FL voted no
Prince Hulon Preston Jr. D-GA voted no
Edward Eugene Cox D-GA voted no
Stephen Pace D-GA voted no
Albert Sidney Camp D-GA voted no
James Curran Davis D-GA voted no
Carl Vinson D-GA voted no
Henderson Lovelace Lanham D-GA voted no
William McDonald (Don) Wheeler D-GA voted no
John Stephens Wood D-GA voted no
Paul Brown D-GA voted no
Noah Morgan Mason R-IL voted no
Leo Elwood Allen R-IL voted no
Leslie Cornelius Arends R-IL voted no
Sidney Elmer Simpson R-IL voted no
Charles Wesley Vursell R-IL voted no
Herbert Alton Meyer R-KS voted no
Wint Smith R-KS voted no
Frank Leslie Chelf D-KY voted no
Thomas Rust Underwood D-KY voted no
Joseph Bengal Bates D-KY voted no
Felix Edward Hébert D-LA voted no
Edwin Edward Willis D-LA voted no
Overton Brooks D-LA voted no
Otto Ernest Passman D-LA voted no
James Hobson Morrison D-LA voted no
Henry Dominique Larcade Jr. D-LA voted no
Asa Leonard Allen D-LA voted no
Donald William Nicholson R-MA voted no
William P. Bolton D-MD voted no
Paul Werntz Shafer R-MI voted no
Clare Eugene Hoffman R-MI voted no
Clare Magee D-MO voted no
Dewey Jackson Short R-MO voted no
Paul Caruthers Jones D-MO voted no
John Elliott Rankin D-MS voted no
Jamie Lloyd Whitten D-MS voted no
William Madison Whittington D-MS voted no
Thomas Gerstle Abernethy D-MS voted no
William Arthur Winstead D-MS voted no
William Meyers Colmer D-MS voted no
John Bell Williams D-MS voted no
Herbert Covington Bonner D-NC voted no
John Hosea Kerr D-NC voted no
Graham Arthur Barden D-NC voted no
Harold Dunbar Cooley D-NC voted no
Carl Thomas Durham D-NC voted no
Frank Ertel Carlyle D-NC voted no
Charles Bennett Deane D-NC voted no
Robert Lee Doughton D-NC voted no
Hamilton Chamberlain Jones D-NC voted no
Monroe Minor Redden D-NC voted no
Antonio M. Fernández D-NM voted no
John Esten Miles D-NM voted no
William Kingsland Macy R-NY voted no
Clarence Evans Kilburn R-NY voted no
John Taber R-NY voted no
Frances Payne Bolton R-OH voted no
William Franklin (Dixie) Gilmer D-OK voted no

And 46 more.

How each representative voted: Yes

How each representative voted: No

Voted present

Did not vote

Other votes

From Voteview roll call records.

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Capitol Receipts, “HR 4453. Prohibit discrimination in…: House Vote, Feb 22, 1950,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/81-H-143/hr-4453-prohibit-discrimination-in-employment-because-of-race (accessed 2026-10-17).