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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2007 | National | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| Jan. 18, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (264 - 163) |
| Aug. 1, 2006 | National | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| June 29, 2006 | National | HR 4761 | Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 187) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | H Amdt 842 | Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
| May 11, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| May 10, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2612 | Price-Gouging During Emergencies Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (57 - 42) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | National | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| June 16, 2005 | National | S Amdt 784 | Reduction in Dependence on Foreign Oil | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| June 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 781 | Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38) |
| April 21, 2005 | National | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| April 20, 2005 | National | H Amdt 72 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 231) |
| Nov. 18, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| June 10, 2003 | National | S Amdt 871 | Reduction of Foreign Oil Dependence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| April 11, 2003 | National | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| Aug. 1, 2001 | National | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| July 26, 2001 | National | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| May 10, 2000 | National | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| April 6, 2000 | National | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| May 21, 1996 | National | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| Aug. 3, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2446 | Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/22 | HR 2264 | Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups | Bill Passed - House (345 - 72) |
| 1/18 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (264 - 163) |
| 8/01 | S 3711 | Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (71 - 25) |
| 6/29 | HR 4761 | Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (232 - 187) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 842 | Outer Continental Shelf for Gas and Oil Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (141 - 279) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 856 | Outer Continental Shelf Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (217 - 203) |
| 5/11 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 5/10 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| 2/02 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2612 | Price-Gouging During Emergencies Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 10/07 | HR 3893 | Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (212 - 210) |
| 6/16 | S Amdt 784 | Reduction in Dependence on Foreign Oil | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 6/14 | S Amdt 781 | Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 38) |
| 4/21 | H Amdt 370 | Liability Shield Language Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (213 - 219) |
| 4/20 | H Amdt 72 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 231) |
| 11/18 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 180) |
| 7/31 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 6/10 | S Amdt 871 | Reduction of Foreign Oil Dependence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 4/11 | HR 6 | Energy Omnibus bill | Bill Passed - House (247 - 175) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 288 | Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (160 - 269) |
| 8/01 | H Amdt 298 | Prohibiting Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Amendment Rejected - House (206 - 223) |
| 7/26 | HR 1954 | Iran and Libya Sanctions | Bill Passed - House (409 - 6) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 687 | Social Security and Medicare Solvency Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (216 - 208) |
| 5/10 | H Amdt 685 | Land Conservation-Land Acquisition Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (109 - 315) |
| 4/06 | S Amdt 2955 | Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 5/21 | HR 3415 | Repeal Gas Tax bill | Bill Passed - House (301 - 108) |
| 8/03 | S Amdt 2446 | Ethanol Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 50) |