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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 19, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
Dec. 10, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
Oct. 3, 2008 | National | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
Aug. 18, 2008 | NM | SB 22 | Subsidizing Children's Health Care | Bill Passed - House (47 - 19) |
Aug. 18, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
Aug. 16, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
July 26, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
July 23, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
July 1, 2008 | DE | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
July 1, 2008 | DE | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (33 - 7) |
June 27, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
June 26, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1557 | FamilyCare Expansion bill | Bill Passed - House (59 - 18) |
June 19, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/19 | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
12/10 | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
11/24 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
11/17 | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
11/17 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
10/03 | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
8/31 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
8/29 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
8/29 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
8/19 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
8/19 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
8/18 | SB 22 | Subsidizing Children's Health Care | Bill Passed - House (47 - 19) |
8/18 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
8/16 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
7/26 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
7/23 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
7/01 | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
7/01 | SB 300 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - House (33 - 7) |
6/27 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
6/26 | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
6/23 | S 1557 | FamilyCare Expansion bill | Bill Passed - House (59 - 18) |
6/19 | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |