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
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
Feb. 13, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 2095 Amtrak Reauthorization Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
Sept. 27, 2008 National HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12)
June 26, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
April 23, 2008 National HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 26, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13)
April 10, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4040 Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 3)
March 6, 2008 National HR 4040 Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 13)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)
Jan. 22, 2008 National HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
July 16, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
June 17, 2008 National HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
June 18, 2008 National HR 6124 Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
July 9, 2008 National HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
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)
Oct. 1, 2008 National HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/01 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
2/13 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
10/01 HR 2095 Amtrak Reauthorization Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 24)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
9/27 HR 2638 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12)
6/26 HR 2642 Iraq and Afghanistan War Funding, Unemployment Benefits Extension, and GI Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (92 - 6)
4/23 HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/26 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13)
4/10 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12)
7/31 HR 4040 Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 3)
3/06 HR 4040 Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 13)
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)
1/22 HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)
2/07 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
7/16 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
6/17 HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
6/18 HR 6124 Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
7/09 HR 6304 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28)
7/15 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26)
7/09 HR 6331 Medicare Bill Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30)
10/01 HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13)
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)

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