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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4309 Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40)
July 15, 2008 National S Amdt 5078 Limiting Countries for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (70 - 24)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4818 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 26)
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)
March 26, 2008 KS Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
Feb. 13, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 13, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
June 26, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
June 26, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
Aug. 5, 2008 CA SB 974 Shipping Fee Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
April 10, 2008 AZ SB 1096 English Language Education Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
July 26, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13)
May 2, 2008 CO HB 1325 Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
July 16, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
Jan. 22, 2008 National HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
3/13 S Amdt 4309 Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40)
7/15 S Amdt 5078 Limiting Countries for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (70 - 24)
3/13 S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
5/22 S Amdt 4818 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 26)
3/14 S Amdt 4299 Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23)
3/26 Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
3/13 S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
3/13 S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
2/13 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
2/13 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
3/04 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
6/26 HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
6/26 HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
8/05 SB 974 Shipping Fee Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
8/31 SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
4/10 SB 1096 English Language Education Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
7/26 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13)
5/02 HB 1325 Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
7/16 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
10/01 HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
1/22 HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)

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