Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Sept. 21, 2011 National S Amdt 642 Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57)
Sept. 21, 2011 National S Amdt 641 Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
July 21, 2010 National HR 4380 Temporary Tariff Suspensions and Reductions Bill Passed - House (378 - 43)
June 16, 2009 SC S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
Feb. 18, 2009 SC S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
Feb. 4, 2009 National S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
Jan. 27, 2009 WI AB 2 Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies Bill Passed - House (69 - 30)
Jan. 27, 2009 WI AB 1 Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
Aug. 5, 2008 CA SB 974 Shipping Fee Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
July 15, 2008 CA SB 974 Shipping Fee Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
June 19, 2008 National HR 2642 GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (416 - 12)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 21, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 14, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106)
April 10, 2008 National H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
March 14, 2008 National S Amdt 4299 Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23)
Feb. 4, 2008 UT HR 1 North American Union Withdrawal Resolution Passed - House (57 - 15)
Dec. 4, 2007 National HR 3688 United States-Peru Trade Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 18)
Nov. 14, 2007 National HR 3074 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 147)
Nov. 8, 2007 National HR 3688 United States-Peru Trade Agreement Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
Oct. 31, 2007 National HR 3920 Trade and Globalization Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (264 - 157)
Sept. 11, 2007 National S Amdt 2797 Limiting Mexican Trucks to Commercial Zones Near the Border Between the U.S. and Mexico Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 23)
Aug. 2, 2007 National H Amdt 734 Prescription Drug Imports Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 283)
July 27, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - House (231 - 191)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/21 S Amdt 642 Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57)
9/21 S Amdt 641 Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
7/21 HR 4380 Temporary Tariff Suspensions and Reductions Bill Passed - House (378 - 43)
6/16 S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
2/18 S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
2/04 S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
1/27 AB 2 Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies Bill Passed - House (69 - 30)
1/27 AB 1 Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
8/05 SB 974 Shipping Fee Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
7/15 SB 974 Shipping Fee Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
6/19 HR 2642 GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (416 - 12)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/21 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106)
4/10 H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
3/14 S Amdt 4299 Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23)
2/04 HR 1 North American Union Withdrawal Resolution Passed - House (57 - 15)
12/04 HR 3688 United States-Peru Trade Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 18)
11/14 HR 3074 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 147)
11/08 HR 3688 United States-Peru Trade Agreement Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
10/31 HR 3920 Trade and Globalization Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (264 - 157)
9/11 S Amdt 2797 Limiting Mexican Trucks to Commercial Zones Near the Border Between the U.S. and Mexico Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 23)
8/02 H Amdt 734 Prescription Drug Imports Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 283)
7/27 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - House (231 - 191)

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