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
June 23, 2008 NJ A 2800 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (45 - 34)
June 23, 2008 NJ A 2800 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
March 13, 2008 National H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
March 13, 2008 National H Con Res 312 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207)
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
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 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 14, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106)
April 16, 2008 National HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
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)
Jan. 23, 2008 National HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)
Sept. 29, 2008 National HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (380 - 34)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
Jan. 29, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - House (385 - 35)
July 24, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
July 16, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
April 2, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
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)
June 10, 2008 National HR 6028 Assistance for Mexico and Central America for Anti-Drug Programs (Merida Program) Bill Passed - House (311 - 106)
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)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
Feb. 26, 2008 National S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
July 26, 2008 National S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
July 16, 2008 National S Amdt 5077 Funding Amendment to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 64)
March 14, 2008 National S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
March 14, 2008 National S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/23 A 2800 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (45 - 34)
6/23 A 2800 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
3/13 H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
3/13 H Con Res 312 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207)
10/01 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
10/03 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
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)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106)
4/16 HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
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)
1/23 HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)
9/29 HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
2/07 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (380 - 34)
2/07 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
1/29 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - House (385 - 35)
7/24 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
7/16 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
4/02 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
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)
6/10 HR 6028 Assistance for Mexico and Central America for Anti-Drug Programs (Merida Program) Bill Passed - House (311 - 106)
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)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
7/09 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
6/24 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
2/26 S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
7/26 S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
3/13 S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
7/16 S Amdt 5077 Funding Amendment to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 64)
3/14 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
3/14 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)

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