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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2156 | Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66) |
Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Aug. 5, 2010 | National | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39) |
March 25, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
Oct. 27, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2287 | After School Funding Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2275 | Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51) |
Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2292 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 172 | Perkins Vocational Education Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 56) |
May 13, 2004 | National | HR 1350 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
Dec. 18, 2001 | National | HR 1 | No Child Left Behind Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10) |
June 28, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3655 | Funding for Special Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47) |
May 18, 1999 | National | S Amdt 351 | Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13) |
April 21, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
March 11, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2175 | School Modernization Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
March 31, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2165 | Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
May 23, 1997 | National | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
July 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2417 | Demonstration Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
July 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
March 26, 1994 | National | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 22) |
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) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
6/19 | S Amdt 2156 | Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66) |
11/17 | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
8/05 | HR 1586 | Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (61 - 39) |
3/25 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
7/25 | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
10/27 | S Amdt 2287 | After School Funding Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (41 - 56) |
10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
10/26 | S Amdt 2275 | Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 51) |
10/26 | S Amdt 2292 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
3/17 | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
3/17 | S Amdt 172 | Perkins Vocational Education Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 56) |
5/13 | HR 1350 | Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act | Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3) |
12/18 | HR 1 | No Child Left Behind Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10) |
6/28 | S Amdt 3655 | Funding for Special Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47) |
5/18 | S Amdt 351 | Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13) |
4/21 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
3/11 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
4/01 | S Amdt 2175 | School Modernization Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
3/31 | S Amdt 2165 | Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
5/23 | S Amdt 357 | Violent Crime Victims Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
4/25 | S Amdt 3669 | Foreign Student Public Education Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 46) |
4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
7/27 | S Amdt 2417 | Demonstration Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
7/27 | S Amdt 2416 | Voluntary Prayer Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
3/26 | HR 1804 | Goals 2000: Educate America Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 22) |
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) |