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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
Oct. 18, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
April 23, 2008 | National | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
July 12, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1280 | Family Planning Services Clinics Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (232 - 193) |
July 16, 1998 | National | H Amdt 728 | Federal Health Plan Contraceptive Coverage Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 198) |
July 14, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
March 14, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4233 | Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
April 2, 1992 | National | S Amdt 1757 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Human Sexual Behavior Surveys | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
Oct. 8, 1998 | National | H Amdt 923 | Contraceptive Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 200) |
Sept. 30, 1999 | National | H Amdt 509 | Substitute Amendment to Unborn Victims of Violence Act | Amendment Rejected - House (201 - 224) |
Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
Sept. 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
July 19, 2005 | National | H Amdt 464 | Obstetric Fistula Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 205) |
July 29, 1999 | National | H Amdt 360 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (221 - 208) |
April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
June 19, 1997 | National | H Amdt 187 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 224) |
Feb. 8, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1390 | Contraceptives Distribution Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 59) |
Sept. 4, 1997 | National | H Amdt 318 | International Family Planning amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 191) |
Nov. 18, 1993 | National | HR 796 | Abortion Clinic Access Bill | Motion Rejected - House (182 - 246) |
July 11, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1265 | School Improvement Programs Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (294 - 129) |
Sept. 9, 1997 | National | H Amdt 335 | Family Planning Parental Notification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 201) |
March 22, 1994 | National | H Amdt 488 | Optional Abstinence Emphasis Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (262 - 166) |
March 25, 1993 | National | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Motion Rejected - House (179 - 243) |
July 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 997 | Family Planning Assistance Funding amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 221) |
July 24, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115) |
Sept. 27, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
Sept. 25, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (265 - 159) |
Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
Jan. 29, 2009 | National | HR 2 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
Aug. 2, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
July 16, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16) |
Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
Sept. 30, 1999 | National | HR 2436 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 172) |
June 4, 2003 | National | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
March 11, 1993 | National | HR 4 | Fetal Tissue Research Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 131) |
March 25, 1993 | National | HR 670 | Abortion Counseling Bill | Bill Passed - House (273 - 149) |
Jan. 9, 2009 | National | HR 12 | Employment Discrimination Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (256 - 163) |
Jan. 9, 2009 | National | HR 11 | Employment Discrimination Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (247 - 171) |
Jan. 27, 2009 | National | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 177) |
Jan. 22, 2009 | National | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36) |
March 25, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
Feb. 26, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
July 31, 2008 | National | HR 1338 | Employment Discrimination Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (247 - 178) |
July 31, 2007 | National | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Bill Passed - House (225 - 199) |
Oct. 25, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - House (265 - 142) |
April 2, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Bill Passed - House (308 - 116) |
May 25, 2005 | National | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (390 - 39) |
July 19, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
Aug. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
June 9, 2006 | National | HR 5522 | Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act | Bill Passed - House (373 - 34) |
Oct. 25, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - House (265 - 142) |
Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
Jan. 14, 2009 | National | HR 2 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion | Bill Passed - House (289 - 139) |
July 11, 2007 | National | S 1701 | Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education | Bill Passed - House (291 - 126) |
July 20, 2005 | National | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
Aug. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
June 6, 2007 | National | HR 2560 | Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 | Bill Failed - House (204 - 213) |
Feb. 2, 2016 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Veto Override Failed - House (241 - 186) |
Jan. 6, 2016 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (240 - 181) |
June 8, 2021 | National | HR 7 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 50) |
Feb. 28, 2022 | National | HR 3755 | Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 48) |
Dec. 3, 2015 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
Feb. 28, 2013 | National | S 47 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (286 - 138) |
June 14, 2013 | National | HR 1960 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 | Bill Passed - House (315 - 108) |
March 30, 2017 | National | H J Res 43 | Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services Relating to Compliance with Title X Requirements by Project Recipients in Selecting Subrecipients | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
Nov. 16, 2022 | National | S 4524 | Speak Out Act | Bill Passed - House (315 - 109) |
July 16, 2014 | National | S 2578 | Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
July 16, 2014 | National | S 2578 | Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
Sept. 24, 2015 | National | S Amdt 2669 | Rescinds Funds from Planned Parenthood | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 52) |
April 9, 2014 | National | S 2199 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
March 6, 2014 | National | S 1752 | Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 45) |
Aug. 23, 2018 | National | S Amdt 3967 | Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48) |
Feb. 28, 2013 | National | H Amdt 23 | Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act | Amendment Rejected - House (166 - 257) |
Dec. 1, 2022 | National | HR 6878 | Pregnant Women in Custody Act | Bill Passed - House (324 - 90) |
Feb. 12, 2013 | National | S 47 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22) |
Sept. 18, 2015 | National | HR 3134 | Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 187) |
Jan. 24, 2017 | National | HR 7 | No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (238 - 183) |
Oct. 23, 2015 | National | HR 3762 | Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (240 - 189) |
July 21, 2022 | National | HR 8373 | Right to Contraception Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 195) |
March 5, 2024 | National | HR 3838 | Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 12) |
Dec. 1, 2022 | National | HR 2521 | Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022 (DOULA for VA Act of 2022) | Bill Passed - House (376 - 44) |
Dec. 1, 2022 | National | HR 6878 | Pregnant Women in Custody Act | Bill Passed - House (324 - 90) |
Jan. 18, 2024 | National | HR 6914 | Pregnant Students' Rights Act | Bill Passed - House (212 - 207) |
Jan. 18, 2024 | National | HR 6918 | Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act | Bill Passed - House (214 - 208) |
Feb. 16, 2017 | National | H J Res 43 | Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services Relating to Compliance with Title X Requirements by Project Recipients in Selecting Subrecipients | Joint Resolution Passed - House (230 - 188) |
March 5, 2024 | National | HR 3838 | Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 12) |
Jan. 19, 2018 | National | HR 4712 | Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (241 - 183) |
July 25, 2018 | National | HR 6199 | Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act of 2018 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 142) |
March 27, 2019 | National | HR 7 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Bill Passed - House (242 - 187) |
April 4, 2019 | National | HR 1585 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (263 - 158) |
May 17, 2019 | National | HR 5 | Equality Act | Bill Passed - House (236 - 173) |
Nov. 12, 2019 | National | HR 3224 | Deborah Sampson Act | Bill Passed - House (399 - 11) |