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
Aug. 20, 2008 CA AB 2747 Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
May 29, 2008 IL SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
May 1, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
March 19, 2008 ID S 1447 Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 12, 2008 KY HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
Feb. 27, 2008 MS SB 2998 Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
Jan. 17, 2008 IL HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19)
Jan. 10, 2008 IL HB 656 Transportation Act Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/20 AB 2747 Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
7/09 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
5/29 SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
5/29 SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
5/01 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
3/19 S 1447 Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/12 HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
2/27 SB 2998 Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
1/17 HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19)
1/10 HB 656 Transportation Act Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)

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