National Executive Branch Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


Page 1 of 4
results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Sept. 30, 1992 National HR 5318 Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74)
Feb. 5, 1998 National HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69)
Feb. 25, 1998 National HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
Jan. 26, 2005 National PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
Feb. 10, 1998 National PN 623 David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35)
Jan. 30, 2001 National PN 96 Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24)
Aug. 5, 1999 National PN 100 Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16)
Feb. 1, 2001 National PN 107 John Ashcroft, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
Aug. 6, 2009 National PN 506 Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31)
April 30, 1997 National PN 82 Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
June 24, 1998 National S Amdt 2912 Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31)
Feb. 10, 1994 National H Amdt 436 Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188)
June 25, 1998 National S Amdt 2981 Military Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
June 9, 1994 National H Amdt 611 Lifting Arms Embargo on Bosnia Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (244 - 178)
Nov. 15, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52)
March 29, 1996 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158)
Nov. 15, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35)
March 21, 1996 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
March 27, 1996 National S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
May 10, 1995 National HR 956 Product Liability bill Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
March 20, 2007 National S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
Nov. 19, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
June 3, 2011 National H Res 292 Ground Forces in Libya Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145)
Nov. 8, 1997 National HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Bill Passed - House (352 - 64)
July 9, 2008 National HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
Dec. 19, 1998 National H Res 611 Impeachment Resolution: Article One Resolution Passed - House (221 - 212)
March 23, 1995 National S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29)
June 22, 2006 National HR 4890 Line Item Veto Bill Bill Passed - House (247 - 172)
July 21, 1992 National HR 5318 Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China Bill Passed - House (339 - 62)
July 19, 1995 National HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (216 - 211)
May 22, 2007 National S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
Feb. 6, 1995 National HR 2 Line Item Veto Act Bill Passed - House (294 - 134)
July 26, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
Dec. 19, 1998 National H Res 611 Impeachment Resolution: Article One Resolution Passed - House (228 - 206)
Sept. 14, 1999 National S J Res 33 Puerto Rican Nationals resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2)
Sept. 15, 2009 National H Res 744 Resolution of Disapproval of Representative Joe Wilson's Conduct Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179)
Sept. 9, 1999 National H Con Res 180 Puerto Rican Nationals resolution Resolution Passed - House (311 - 41)
Feb. 26, 2013 National PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
March 14, 2019 National H J Res 46 Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 41)
Feb. 14, 2019 National PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice (54 - 45)
Feb. 8, 2017 National PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
Feb. 1, 2017 National PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
Feb. 7, 2017 National PN 37 Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 50)
Feb. 13, 2017 National PN 26 Nomination of Steven T. Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 47)
Feb. 10, 2017 National PN 33 Nomination of Thomas Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
Feb. 17, 2017 National PN 44 Nomination of Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 46)
April 27, 2017 National PN 88 Nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 38)
May 2, 2017 National PN 47 Nomination of Jay Clayton to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (61 - 37)
May 11, 2017 National PN 42 Nomination of Robert Lighthizer to be a United States Trade Representative (82 - 14)
July 11, 2018 National PN 1402 Nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski to be Assistant Attorney General (51 - 48)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/30 HR 5318 Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74)
2/05 HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69)
2/25 HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
1/26 PN 8 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
2/10 PN 623 David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35)
1/30 PN 96 Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24)
8/05 PN 100 Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16)
2/01 PN 107 John Ashcroft, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42)
8/06 PN 506 Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31)
4/30 PN 82 Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13)
6/24 S Amdt 2912 Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31)
2/10 H Amdt 436 Bryant Amendment to Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1993 Amendment Adopted - House (230 - 188)
6/25 S Amdt 2981 Military Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
6/09 H Amdt 611 Lifting Arms Embargo on Bosnia Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (244 - 178)
11/15 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 52)
3/29 HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - House (259 - 158)
11/15 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35)
3/21 HR 956 Product Liability bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40)
3/27 S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
5/10 HR 956 Product Liability bill Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
3/20 S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
11/19 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
6/03 H Res 292 Ground Forces in Libya Resolution Passed - House (268 - 145)
11/08 HR 2631 Line Item Veto Cancellation bill Bill Passed - House (352 - 64)
7/09 HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
12/19 H Res 611 Impeachment Resolution: Article One Resolution Passed - House (221 - 212)
3/23 S 4 Line-Item Veto bill Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29)
6/22 HR 4890 Line Item Veto Bill Bill Passed - House (247 - 172)
7/21 HR 5318 Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China Bill Passed - House (339 - 62)
7/19 HR 2020 Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service Bill Passed - House (216 - 211)
5/22 S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
2/06 HR 2 Line Item Veto Act Bill Passed - House (294 - 134)
7/26 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
12/19 H Res 611 Impeachment Resolution: Article One Resolution Passed - House (228 - 206)
9/14 S J Res 33 Puerto Rican Nationals resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2)
9/15 H Res 744 Resolution of Disapproval of Representative Joe Wilson's Conduct Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179)
9/09 H Con Res 180 Puerto Rican Nationals resolution Resolution Passed - House (311 - 41)
2/26 PN 34 Nomination of Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 41)
3/14 H J Res 46 Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 41)
2/14 PN 17 Nomination of William Pelham Barr to be Attorney General of the Department of Justice (54 - 45)
2/08 PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
2/01 PN 25 Nomination of Rex W. Tillerson to be Secretary of State Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43)
2/07 PN 37 Nomination of Elisabeth Prince DeVos to be Secretary of Education Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 50)
2/13 PN 26 Nomination of Steven T. Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 47)
2/10 PN 33 Nomination of Thomas Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
2/17 PN 44 Nomination of Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 46)
4/27 PN 88 Nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 38)
5/02 PN 47 Nomination of Jay Clayton to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (61 - 37)
5/11 PN 42 Nomination of Robert Lighthizer to be a United States Trade Representative (82 - 14)
7/11 PN 1402 Nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski to be Assistant Attorney General (51 - 48)

Page 1 of 4
arrow_upward