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:
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.
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) |