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. 27, 2008 National HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12)
Sept. 26, 2008 National HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
Sept. 24, 2008 National HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58)
Sept. 18, 2008 National HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
Sept. 16, 2008 National HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
July 17, 2008 National HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
June 26, 2008 National HR 6251 Oil Production Leases Bill Failed - House (223 - 195)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
June 10, 2008 National S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
May 20, 2008 National HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
May 13, 2008 National HR 6022 Suspending Acquisition of Petroleum for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bill Passed - House (385 - 25)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4329 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil and Natural Gas in Coastal Areas Not Covered by a Moratorium Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4207 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Feb. 27, 2008 National HR 5351 Energy Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (236 - 182)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/27 HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12)
9/26 HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
9/24 HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58)
9/18 HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
9/16 HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
7/17 HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
6/26 HR 6251 Oil Production Leases Bill Failed - House (223 - 195)
6/24 HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
6/10 S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
5/20 HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
5/13 HR 6022 Suspending Acquisition of Petroleum for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bill Passed - House (385 - 25)
3/13 S Amdt 4329 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil and Natural Gas in Coastal Areas Not Covered by a Moratorium Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43)
3/13 S Amdt 4207 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
2/27 HR 5351 Energy Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (236 - 182)

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