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