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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 19, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41) |
July 23, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
Nov. 6, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
Sept. 30, 1992 | National | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74) |
Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
Jan. 3, 1996 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
Jan. 26, 2009 | National | PN 64-6 | Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34) |
Aug. 6, 2009 | National | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
Feb. 1, 2001 | National | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
July 29, 1994 | National | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
April 30, 1997 | National | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | National | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
June 14, 2005 | National | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
June 8, 2005 | National | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
Sept. 29, 2005 | National | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
April 19, 1994 | National | PN 1210 | Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43) |
Jan. 31, 2006 | National | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
May 25, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
June 9, 2005 | National | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
Jan. 30, 2001 | National | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
Feb. 3, 2005 | National | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
May 26, 2006 | National | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
June 20, 1996 | National | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
Oct. 28, 2003 | National | PN 884 | Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | (88 - 8) |
Dec. 6, 2006 | National | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
Jan. 26, 2005 | National | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
Feb. 3, 2000 | National | PN 729 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4) |
Aug. 3, 1993 | National | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |
Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
Sept. 7, 1993 | National | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
Aug. 5, 1999 | National | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
Nov. 8, 2007 | National | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
June 20, 1996 | National | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
April 28, 2009 | National | PN 188 | Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31) |
Feb. 22, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Cloture Invoked - Senate (62 - 30) |
Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2786 | Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
May 22, 1997 | National | S Amdt 301 | Budget Deficit Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
July 15, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5078 | Limiting Countries for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (70 - 24) |
Sept. 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
9/19 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
7/15 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41) |
7/23 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
11/06 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
11/08 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
9/30 | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74) |
2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
7/15 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
1/03 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
2/05 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
1/26 | PN 64-6 | Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34) |
8/06 | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
2/01 | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
7/29 | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
4/30 | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
1/28 | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
6/14 | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
6/08 | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
9/29 | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
4/19 | PN 1210 | Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43) |
1/31 | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
5/25 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
6/09 | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
1/30 | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
2/03 | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
5/26 | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
6/20 | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
10/28 | PN 884 | Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | (88 - 8) |
12/06 | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
1/26 | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
2/03 | PN 729 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4) |
8/03 | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |
12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
9/07 | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
8/05 | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
11/08 | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
6/20 | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
4/28 | PN 188 | Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31) |
2/22 | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Cloture Invoked - Senate (62 - 30) |
12/22 | S Amdt 2786 | Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
5/22 | S Amdt 301 | Budget Deficit Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
7/15 | S Amdt 5078 | Limiting Countries for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (70 - 24) |
9/13 | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |