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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
Oct. 21, 2009 | National | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30) |
April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
June 29, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3689 | Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43) |
June 25, 1997 | National | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
March 3, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3353 | Payment to Social Security Recipients | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2381 | Prescription Drug Plan Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
June 22, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
Sept. 8, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
May 17, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
Oct. 23, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
Nov. 7, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37) |
Aug. 3, 1993 | National | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
March 23, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
March 16, 2006 | National | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
March 31, 2014 | National | HR 4302 | Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 35) |
Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
7/15 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
10/21 | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
7/09 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30) |
4/01 | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
11/03 | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
11/03 | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
11/17 | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
6/29 | S Amdt 3689 | Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43) |
6/25 | S Amdt 468 | Private Contracts Amendment | Motion Agreed - Senate (64 - 35) |
3/03 | S Amdt 3353 | Payment to Social Security Recipients | Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 50) |
2/02 | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
3/17 | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
11/03 | S Amdt 2381 | Prescription Drug Plan Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
6/22 | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
4/01 | S Amdt 2209 | Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
9/08 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 40) |
10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
5/17 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
12/06 | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
10/23 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
11/07 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37) |
8/03 | HR 2010 | National Service Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 41) |
3/23 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
3/16 | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
3/31 | HR 4302 | Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 35) |
12/08 | S 3985 | Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |