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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
May 8, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
Oct. 28, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 63) |
May 2, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (280 - 141) |
May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
Nov. 3, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
Dec. 14, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
Feb. 13, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
Sept. 22, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
July 29, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 180) |
May 23, 2006 | National | HR 5384 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (378 - 46) |
June 10, 2015 | National | HR 2393 | Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (300 - 131) |
March 10, 2004 | National | HR 339 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits (Cheeseburger Bill) | Bill Passed - House (276 - 139) |
June 8, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
Oct. 5, 2001 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - House (291 - 120) |
Oct. 19, 2005 | National | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |
July 27, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - House (231 - 191) |
Sept. 7, 2006 | National | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
July 30, 2009 | National | HR 2749 | Food Safety Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (283 - 142) |
March 8, 2006 | National | HR 4167 | National Uniformity for Food Act | Bill Passed - House (283 - 139) |
Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
Oct. 7, 2009 | National | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162) |
July 7, 2016 | National | S 764 | Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30) |
Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 2751 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 144) |
Feb. 14, 2022 | National | PN 1593 | Nomination of Robert Califf as Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services | Cloture Invoked - Senate (49 - 45) |
Oct. 7, 2013 | National | H J Res 77 | Food and Drug Administration Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 162) |
June 10, 2013 | National | S 954 | Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 27) |
July 23, 2015 | National | HR 1599 | Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (275 - 150) |
Feb. 12, 2016 | National | HR 2017 | Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (266 - 144) |
Feb. 6, 2018 | National | HR 772 | Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (266 - 157) |
Feb. 28, 2020 | National | HR 2339 | Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act | Bill Passed - House (213 - 195) |
June 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S 510 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25) |
Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
Sept. 28, 2023 | National | HR 4368 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 | Bill Failed - House (191 - 237) |
June 20, 2013 | National | HR 1947 | Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 | Bill Failed - House (195 - 234) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2156 | Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66) |
June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
June 21, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2310 | Requires Labels on Foods with Genetically Modified Ingredients | Amendment Rejected - Senate (26 - 73) |