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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 30, 1996 | National | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
May 9, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
March 11, 2008 | National | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Veto Override Failed - House (225 - 188) |
Nov. 6, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
Sept. 18, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36) |
Sept. 13, 2000 | National | HR 4810 | Marriage Tax Relief Bill | Veto Override Failed - House (270 - 158) |
Sept. 7, 2000 | National | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157) |
Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
Sept. 26, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40) |
Sept. 19, 1996 | National | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
Feb. 5, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
Jan. 3, 1996 | National | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
July 23, 1998 | National | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
May 2, 2007 | National | HR 1591 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline | Veto Override Failed - House (222 - 203) |
Sept. 30, 1992 | National | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74) |
Oct. 1, 1992 | National | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Failed - Senate (59 - 40) |
July 19, 2006 | National | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Veto Override Failed - House (235 - 193) |
Jan. 4, 1996 | National | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
Oct. 18, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
April 28, 2009 | National | PN 188 | Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31) |
April 19, 1994 | National | PN 1210 | Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43) |
April 30, 1997 | National | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
Feb. 3, 2005 | National | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
Oct. 5, 1999 | National | PN 49 | Ronnie L. White, United States District Judge in Missouri | Nomination Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
Feb. 3, 2000 | National | PN 729 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4) |
Jan. 30, 2001 | National | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
June 9, 2005 | National | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
Feb. 1, 2001 | National | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
June 8, 2005 | National | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
June 14, 2005 | National | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
May 25, 2005 | National | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
Jan. 31, 2006 | National | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
Aug. 3, 1993 | National | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |
Jan. 26, 2009 | National | PN 64-6 | Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34) |
Dec. 6, 2006 | National | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
Jan. 26, 2005 | National | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
June 20, 1996 | National | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
June 20, 1996 | National | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
Sept. 7, 1993 | National | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
Sept. 29, 2005 | National | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
Aug. 6, 2009 | National | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
Aug. 5, 1999 | National | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | National | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
May 26, 2006 | National | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
July 29, 1994 | National | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
Oct. 28, 2003 | National | PN 884 | Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | (88 - 8) |
Nov. 8, 2007 | National | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
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 30, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2127 | Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor Termination Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 46) |
July 18, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2087 | Iraq Troop Reduction | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
Sept. 22, 1993 | National | S Amdt 910 | Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
June 28, 2007 | National | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30) |
Oct. 21, 2009 | National | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
Sept. 18, 2007 | National | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
Oct. 24, 2007 | National | S 2205 | DREAM Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44) |
June 4, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2438 | Underage Tobacco Usage amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66) |
Dec. 23, 2009 | National | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
April 6, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
Sept. 14, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4596 | Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52) |
July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3252 | Military Abortions Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 49) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
4/30 | HR 1561 | Authorization bill, FY96-97, Foreign Relations | Veto Override Failed - House (234 - 188) |
5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
5/09 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Veto Override Failed - House (258 - 163) |
5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
3/11 | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Veto Override Failed - House (225 - 188) |
11/06 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - House (361 - 54) |
7/15 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - House (383 - 41) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
7/15 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (70 - 26) |
6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
9/18 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (64 - 36) |
9/13 | HR 4810 | Marriage Tax Relief Bill | Veto Override Failed - House (270 - 158) |
9/07 | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157) |
11/08 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
9/26 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Failed - Senate (58 - 40) |
9/19 | HR 1833 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban | Veto Override Passed - House (285 - 137) |
2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
2/05 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - House (347 - 69) |
12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
1/03 | HR 1530 | Authorization bill FY96, Defense Department | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 156) |
7/23 | HR 1122 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion bill | Veto Override Passed - House (296 - 132) |
5/02 | HR 1591 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline | Veto Override Failed - House (222 - 203) |
9/30 | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Passed - House (345 - 74) |
10/01 | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Failed - Senate (59 - 40) |
7/19 | HR 810 | Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005 | Veto Override Failed - House (235 - 193) |
1/04 | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
11/15 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
10/18 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
4/28 | PN 188 | Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31) |
4/19 | PN 1210 | Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Retiring | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (54 - 43) |
4/30 | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
2/03 | PN 12 | Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 36) |
12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
10/05 | PN 49 | Ronnie L. White, United States District Judge in Missouri | Nomination Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
2/03 | PN 729 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (89 - 4) |
1/30 | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
6/09 | PN 200 | William H. Pryor, Jr., Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 45) |
2/01 | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
6/08 | PN 201 | Janice R Brown, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (56 - 43) |
6/14 | PN 202 | Thomas B. Griffith, Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (73 - 24) |
5/25 | PN 194 | Priscilla R. Owen, Fifth Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (55 - 43) |
1/31 | PN 1059 | Samuel Alito, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
8/03 | PN 422 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (96 - 3) |
1/26 | PN 64-6 | Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34) |
12/06 | PN 2191 | Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (95 - 2) |
1/26 | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
6/20 | PN 951 | Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (91 - 7) |
6/20 | PN 953 | Alice M. Rivlin, Federal Reserve Vice-Chair | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (57 - 41) |
9/07 | PN 452 | M. Joycelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 34) |
9/29 | PN 801 | Judge John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court | (78 - 22) |
8/06 | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
8/05 | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
1/28 | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
5/26 | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
7/29 | PN 1399 | Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (87 - 9) |
2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
10/28 | PN 884 | Michael Leavitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | (88 - 8) |
11/08 | PN 958 | Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40) |
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) |
6/30 | S Amdt 2127 | Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor Termination Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 46) |
7/18 | S Amdt 2087 | Iraq Troop Reduction | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
9/22 | S Amdt 910 | Advanced Solid Rocket Motor Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
6/28 | S 1639 | Second Immigration Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53) |
7/09 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Cloture Invoked - Senate (69 - 30) |
10/21 | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
9/18 | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
10/24 | S 2205 | DREAM Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44) |
6/04 | S Amdt 2438 | Underage Tobacco Usage amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (29 - 66) |
12/23 | HR 3590 | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 39) |
4/06 | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
9/14 | S Amdt 4596 | Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52) |
7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
6/20 | S Amdt 3252 | Military Abortions Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 49) |