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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
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) |
Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
June 16, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - House (44 - 34) |
May 7, 2008 | NY | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
May 7, 2008 | NY | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
April 2, 2008 | SC | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
May 27, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
April 2, 2008 | SC | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
March 6, 2008 | ID | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
April 25, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
March 6, 2008 | VA | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
Feb. 11, 2008 | VA | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 7) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | CO | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
June 11, 2008 | LA | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
May 14, 2008 | LA | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - House (60 - 42) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
March 6, 2008 | MS | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
June 27, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
May 29, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
Aug. 16, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
May 14, 2008 | OH | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
April 30, 2008 | OH | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
Feb. 10, 2008 | NM | HB 661 | Affordable Housing Tax Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
March 18, 2008 | KS | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
June 26, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
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) |
May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |
May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
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) |
Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
April 23, 2008 | National | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
June 12, 2008 | National | HR 5749 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - House (274 - 137) |
May 8, 2008 | National | HR 5818 | Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 188) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
Oct. 3, 2008 | National | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Public Benefit Ineligibility for Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
March 18, 2008 | KS | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1557 | FamilyCare Expansion bill | Bill Passed - House (59 - 18) |
July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
June 4, 2008 | NY | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
May 22, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4803 | GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22) |
Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
April 8, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
May 13, 2008 | PA | SB 1278 | Child Support Fee | Bill Passed - House (116 - 84) |
June 2, 2008 | PA | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
5/07 | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
5/07 | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
11/17 | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
11/17 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
11/24 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
6/16 | A 500 | Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - House (44 - 34) |
5/07 | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
5/07 | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
8/29 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
5/27 | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
5/28 | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
4/02 | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
5/27 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
4/02 | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
3/06 | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
4/25 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
2/27 | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
3/06 | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
2/11 | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 7) |
2/25 | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
6/11 | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
5/14 | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - House (60 - 42) |
2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
3/06 | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
6/27 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
5/29 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
8/16 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
8/19 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
5/14 | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
4/30 | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
5/05 | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
2/10 | HB 661 | Affordable Housing Tax Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
3/18 | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
5/15 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
6/26 | HR 2642 | Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
6/19 | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155) |
5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |
5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
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) |
1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
4/23 | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
6/12 | HR 5749 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - House (274 - 137) |
5/08 | HR 5818 | Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 188) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
10/03 | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Public Benefit Ineligibility for Undocumented Immigrants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
3/18 | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
6/23 | S 1557 | FamilyCare Expansion bill | Bill Passed - House (59 - 18) |
7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
6/04 | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
5/22 | S Amdt 4803 | GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22) |
2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
4/08 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
5/13 | SB 1278 | Child Support Fee | Bill Passed - House (116 - 84) |
6/02 | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
5/28 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |