Key Votes

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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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 10, 2008 National PN 1641 Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
March 11, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Veto Override Failed - House (225 - 188)
Jan. 23, 2008 National HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)
June 6, 2008 National S Amdt 4825 Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade Plan Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 36)
April 23, 2008 National HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 26, 2008 National S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
June 10, 2008 National S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
June 17, 2008 National HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S Amdt 3910 FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41)
May 7, 2008 National S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4207 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
March 14, 2008 National S Amdt 4233 Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
March 13, 2008 National H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
July 9, 2008 National S Amdt 5064 Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)
July 16, 2008 National S Amdt 5077 Funding Amendment to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 64)
Sept. 29, 2008 National HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
June 26, 2008 National HR 6251 Oil Production Leases Bill Failed - House (223 - 195)
July 17, 2008 National HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
June 25, 2008 National HR 2176 Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill Bill Failed - House (121 - 298)
July 15, 2008 National HR 5803 Backup Paper Ballots Bill Failed - House (248 - 170)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4817 Iraq Provisions Including a Troop Withdrawal Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 63)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/10 PN 1641 Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
10/03 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
3/11 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Veto Override Failed - House (225 - 188)
1/23 HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)
6/06 S Amdt 4825 Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade Plan Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 36)
4/23 HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/26 S 3186 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35)
6/10 S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
6/17 HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
2/12 S Amdt 3910 FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41)
5/07 S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
3/13 S Amdt 4207 Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
3/14 S Amdt 4233 Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
3/13 H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
3/13 S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
7/09 S Amdt 5064 Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66)
2/12 S Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)
7/16 S Amdt 5077 Funding Amendment to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 64)
9/29 HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
6/26 HR 6251 Oil Production Leases Bill Failed - House (223 - 195)
7/17 HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
6/24 HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
6/25 HR 2176 Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill Bill Failed - House (121 - 298)
7/15 HR 5803 Backup Paper Ballots Bill Failed - House (248 - 170)
5/22 S Amdt 4817 Iraq Provisions Including a Troop Withdrawal Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 63)

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