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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 20, 2008 National HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - House (293 - 129)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
July 15, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
June 24, 2008 National HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
June 26, 2008 National HR 6377 Energy Futures Trading Bill Passed - House (402 - 19)
July 17, 2008 National HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
July 23, 2008 National HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
Sept. 18, 2008 National HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
Sept. 17, 2008 National HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
Sept. 16, 2008 National HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
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)
Dec. 10, 2008 National HR 7321 Automotive Industry Financing Bill Passed - House (237 - 170)
March 11, 2008 National H Res 1031 Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182)
April 10, 2008 National H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
Feb. 14, 2008 National H Res 982 Contempt Charges Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32)
July 10, 2008 National PN 1641 Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
Feb. 26, 2008 National S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
Feb. 12, 2008 National S 2248 FISA Amendments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29)
April 29, 2008 National S 2739 Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (291 - 117)
Sept. 24, 2008 National S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - House (392 - 39)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/20 HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - House (293 - 129)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
7/09 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
6/24 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Bill Passed - House (355 - 59)
6/24 HR 6346 Price Gouging Prevention Act Bill Failed - House (276 - 146)
6/26 HR 6377 Energy Futures Trading Bill Passed - House (402 - 19)
7/17 HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
7/23 HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
9/18 HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
9/17 HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
9/16 HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
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)
12/10 HR 7321 Automotive Industry Financing Bill Passed - House (237 - 170)
3/11 H Res 1031 Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182)
4/10 H Res 1092 Postponing the Consideration of the Trade Agreement with Colombia Resolution Passed - House (224 - 195)
2/14 H Res 982 Contempt Charges Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32)
7/10 PN 1641 Nomination of General Petraeus as Military Leader of the Middle East Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2)
2/26 S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
2/12 S 2248 FISA Amendments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29)
4/29 S 2739 Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (291 - 117)
9/24 S 3001 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - House (392 - 39)

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