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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 3, 2000 | National | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
April 18, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
April 17, 1996 | National | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
May 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4097 | Confidentiality Requirement Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49) |
May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
May 17, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
May 24, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4095 | H-2C Visa Program Ammendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
May 25, 2006 | National | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
Sept. 14, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
Sept. 25, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
May 2, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
March 21, 1996 | National | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
Aug. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4775 | Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
June 7, 2007 | National | S 1348 | Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61) |
June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1151 | Declaring English the National Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33) |
May 23, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1169 | Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
June 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
10/03 | S 2045 | American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
4/18 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 133) |
4/17 | S 735 | Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8) |
5/25 | S Amdt 4097 | Confidentiality Requirement Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 49) |
5/23 | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
5/17 | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
5/24 | S Amdt 4095 | H-2C Visa Program Ammendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
5/25 | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
5/23 | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
9/29 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
9/14 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
5/18 | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
7/23 | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
8/01 | HR 123 | English as the National Language | Bill Passed - House (259 - 169) |
9/25 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (305 - 123) |
5/02 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 3) |
3/21 | HR 2202 | Immigration Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (333 - 87) |
8/02 | S Amdt 4775 | Triple-Layered Fencing Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3) |
6/07 | S 1348 | Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61) |
6/06 | S Amdt 1151 | Declaring English the National Language | Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33) |
5/23 | S Amdt 1169 | Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24) |
6/06 | S Amdt 1184 | Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51) |