Today, Mr. Clinton endorsed bills, opposed by insurance companies, to extend that protection to people who buy their own insurance.

The latter permitted bearers of promissory notes and endorsed bills of exchange to pursue ex parte proceedings for summary judgment through the filing of an affidavit.

In 2011, Keating had a 100% voting record with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), backing all 29 endorsed bills.

Small plants and many state officials have endorsed bills in Congress that would permit state-inspected products to be sold into interstate and foreign commerce, but large meat and poultry companies (which must comply with federal inspection regulations) generally oppose such a change.