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
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1184 Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1202 Point Based Immigration Expiration Date Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1316 Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1384 English as the Common Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
Sept. 19, 2007 National S Amdt 2022 Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
July 19, 2007 National S Amdt 2351 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)
Sept. 6, 2007 National S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
Oct. 3, 2007 National S Amdt 3117 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1)
April 30, 2007 MN S Amendment Domestic Partner Visitation Rights Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 34)
Feb. 7, 2007 NM SB 10 Prohibiting Cockfighting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
May 9, 2007 IL SB 1007 Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26)
June 4, 2007 CA SB 1019 Access to Police Misconduct Investigations Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
May 2, 2007 AZ SB 1132 Volunteer Homeland Security Force Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
March 8, 2007 AZ SB 1132 Volunteer Homeland Security Force Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
March 8, 2007 AZ SB 1152 REAL ID Implementation Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
Feb. 5, 2007 VA SB 1161 Virginia Smoke-Free Air Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
March 5, 2007 NM SB 1174 HPV Vaccine Requirement for Sixth Graders Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
Jan. 23, 2007 VA SB 1204 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
Feb. 20, 2007 AZ SB 1251 Secure Storage of Guns at Public Establishments Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/06 S Amdt 1184 Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51)
6/06 S Amdt 1202 Point Based Immigration Expiration Date Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55)
6/06 S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
6/06 S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
6/06 S Amdt 1316 Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
6/06 S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
6/06 S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
6/06 S Amdt 1384 English as the Common Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
9/19 S Amdt 2022 Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
7/19 S Amdt 2351 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
7/26 S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
7/26 S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)
9/06 S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
10/03 S Amdt 3117 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1)
4/30 S Amendment Domestic Partner Visitation Rights Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 34)
2/07 SB 10 Prohibiting Cockfighting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
5/09 SB 1007 Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26)
6/04 SB 1019 Access to Police Misconduct Investigations Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
5/02 SB 1132 Volunteer Homeland Security Force Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
3/08 SB 1132 Volunteer Homeland Security Force Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
3/08 SB 1152 REAL ID Implementation Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
2/05 SB 1161 Virginia Smoke-Free Air Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
3/05 SB 1174 HPV Vaccine Requirement for Sixth Graders Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
1/23 SB 1204 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
2/20 SB 1251 Secure Storage of Guns at Public Establishments Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)

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