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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 8, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94)
May 8, 2008 National H Amdt 1045 Undocumented Immigrants' Ineligibility for Certain Financial Assistance Amendment Adopted - House (391 - 33)
May 8, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154)
May 8, 2008 National HR 5818 Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes Bill Passed - House (239 - 188)
May 7, 2008 National S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
May 1, 2008 National HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (388 - 21)
April 30, 2008 National HR 5522 Requiring OSHA to Establish Combustible Dust Safety Standards Bill Passed - House (247 - 165)
April 29, 2008 National S 2739 Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (291 - 117)
April 23, 2008 National HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
April 23, 2008 National HR 5613 Medicaid Extensions and Changes Bill Passed - House (349 - 62)
April 17, 2008 National HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Bill Passed - House (383 - 27)
April 16, 2008 National HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
April 15, 2008 National HR 5036 Federal Funding for Voting System Changes Bill Passed - House (239 - 178)
April 15, 2008 National HR 5719 Amending Tax Code Provisions and IRS Practices Bill Passed - House (238 - 179)
April 10, 2008 National S Amdt 4419 to S Amdt 4387 Energy Tax Credits Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (88 - 8)
April 10, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12)
April 10, 2008 National H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
April 2, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
March 14, 2008 National S Amdt 4299 Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23)
March 14, 2008 National S Amdt 4233 Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
March 14, 2008 National HR 3773 Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197)
March 14, 2008 National S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4309 Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/08 HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94)
5/08 H Amdt 1045 Undocumented Immigrants' Ineligibility for Certain Financial Assistance Amendment Adopted - House (391 - 33)
5/08 HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154)
5/08 HR 5818 Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes Bill Passed - House (239 - 188)
5/07 S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
5/01 HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (388 - 21)
4/30 HR 5522 Requiring OSHA to Establish Combustible Dust Safety Standards Bill Passed - House (247 - 165)
4/29 S 2739 Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (291 - 117)
4/23 HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
4/23 HR 5613 Medicaid Extensions and Changes Bill Passed - House (349 - 62)
4/17 HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Bill Passed - House (383 - 27)
4/16 HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
4/15 HR 5036 Federal Funding for Voting System Changes Bill Passed - House (239 - 178)
4/15 HR 5719 Amending Tax Code Provisions and IRS Practices Bill Passed - House (238 - 179)
4/10 S Amdt 4419 to S Amdt 4387 Energy Tax Credits Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (88 - 8)
4/10 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12)
4/10 H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
4/02 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
3/14 S Amdt 4299 Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23)
3/14 S Amdt 4233 Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
3/14 HR 3773 Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197)
3/14 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
3/13 S Amdt 4309 Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40)
3/13 S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
3/13 S Amdt 4231 Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37)

arrow_upward