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
April 7, 2008 IA HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
April 2, 2008 SC AM 1 Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73)
April 2, 2008 SC H 4550 Marriage Tax Cut Bill Passed - House (100 - 14)
March 26, 2008 KS Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Public Benefit Ineligibility for Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
March 25, 2008 KS SB 81 Health Care Reform Bill Passed - House (103 - 20)
March 20, 2008 NH SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
March 18, 2008 KS Kelly Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
March 18, 2008 KS Hensley Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
March 18, 2008 MS SB 2497 Increasing Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (71 - 48)
March 12, 2008 MI SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
March 11, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
March 6, 2008 VA SB 588 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - House (91 - 9)
March 6, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (57 - 37)
March 6, 2008 VA HB 12 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
March 6, 2008 FL SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
March 6, 2008 MS HB 1601 Medicaid Appropriations Bill Passed - House (74 - 41)
March 6, 2008 ID H 588 Food Tax Credit Expansion Bill Passed - House (62 - 8)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
March 3, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
Feb. 27, 2008 CO HB 1180 Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses Bill Passed - House (60 - 5)
Feb. 25, 2008 CO HB 1310 Payday Loan Restrictions Bill Passed - House (33 - 30)
Feb. 25, 2008 WY HB 145 Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (40 - 18)
Feb. 21, 2008 MD SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
Feb. 21, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Feb. 19, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/07 HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
4/02 AM 1 Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73)
4/02 H 4550 Marriage Tax Cut Bill Passed - House (100 - 14)
3/26 Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Public Benefit Ineligibility for Undocumented Immigrants Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
3/25 SB 81 Health Care Reform Bill Passed - House (103 - 20)
3/20 SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
3/18 Kelly Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
3/18 Hensley Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
3/18 SB 2497 Increasing Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (71 - 48)
3/12 SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
3/11 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
3/06 SB 588 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - House (91 - 9)
3/06 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (57 - 37)
3/06 HB 12 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
3/06 SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
3/06 HB 1601 Medicaid Appropriations Bill Passed - House (74 - 41)
3/06 H 588 Food Tax Credit Expansion Bill Passed - House (62 - 8)
3/04 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
3/03 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
2/27 HB 1180 Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses Bill Passed - House (60 - 5)
2/25 HB 1310 Payday Loan Restrictions Bill Passed - House (33 - 30)
2/25 HB 145 Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (40 - 18)
2/21 SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
2/21 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
2/19 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16)

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