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
June 10, 2008 National HR 6028 Assistance for Mexico and Central America for Anti-Drug Programs (Merida Program) Bill Passed - House (311 - 106)
June 11, 2008 National HR 6003 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (311 - 104)
June 12, 2008 National HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
June 20, 2008 National HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - House (293 - 129)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
June 25, 2008 National HR 6275 Alternative Minimum Tax Bill Bill Passed - House (233 - 189)
June 26, 2008 National HR 6052 Public Transportation and Alternative Fuel Grants Bill Passed - House (322 - 98)
June 26, 2008 National HR 6377 Energy Futures Trading Bill Passed - House (402 - 19)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
July 9, 2008 National HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
July 16, 2008 National HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
July 23, 2008 National HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
July 24, 2008 National HR 3999 National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act Bill Passed - House (367 - 55)
July 30, 2008 National HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
July 31, 2008 National HR 1338 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 178)
Sept. 16, 2008 National HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
Sept. 17, 2008 National HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
Sept. 17, 2008 National S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 8)
Sept. 18, 2008 National HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
Sept. 23, 2008 National HR 5244 Credit Card Regulations Bill Passed - House (312 - 112)
Sept. 26, 2008 National HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
Sept. 27, 2008 National HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - House (298 - 117)
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
Jan. 16, 2008 National HR 2768 S-MINER Act Bill Passed - House (214 - 199)
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
6/10 HR 6028 Assistance for Mexico and Central America for Anti-Drug Programs (Merida Program) Bill Passed - House (311 - 106)
6/11 HR 6003 Amtrak Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (311 - 104)
6/12 HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
6/20 HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - House (293 - 129)
6/24 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
6/25 HR 6275 Alternative Minimum Tax Bill Bill Passed - House (233 - 189)
6/26 HR 6052 Public Transportation and Alternative Fuel Grants Bill Passed - House (322 - 98)
6/26 HR 6377 Energy Futures Trading Bill Passed - House (402 - 19)
7/09 HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
7/09 HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
7/16 HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
7/23 HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
7/24 HR 3999 National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act Bill Passed - House (367 - 55)
7/30 HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
7/31 HR 1338 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 178)
9/16 HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
9/17 HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
9/17 S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 8)
9/18 HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
9/23 HR 5244 Credit Card Regulations Bill Passed - House (312 - 112)
9/26 HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
9/27 HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - House (298 - 117)
10/01 HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
1/16 HR 2768 S-MINER Act Bill Passed - House (214 - 199)
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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