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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| May 11, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3103 | Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2735 | Tax Rate Extension Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2737 | Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| Nov. 18, 2005 | National | S 2020 | Tax Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 33) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2610 | Tax Rate Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2616 | Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (55 - 43) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 210 | Tax Subsidy for Domestic Companies Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Oct. 11, 2004 | National | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| Sept. 23, 2004 | National | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| April 29, 2004 | National | S 150 | Internet Access Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3) |
| May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| May 26, 2001 | National | HR 1836 | Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 33) |
| May 23, 2001 | National | HR 1836 | Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 38) |
| July 21, 2000 | National | HR 4810 | Marriage Tax Relief Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 34) |
| July 14, 2000 | National | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| July 30, 1999 | National | S 1429 | Taxpayer Refund Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 43) |
| Oct. 8, 1998 | National | S 442 | Internet Tax Freedom bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| July 29, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3359 | Married Tax Filing Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Aug. 6, 1993 | National | HR 2264 | Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| June 25, 1993 | National | HR 2264 | Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/03 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 5/11 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 3/16 | S Amdt 3103 | Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| 3/16 | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2735 | Tax Rate Extension Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2737 | Military Funding and Tax Cuts Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 2/02 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| 11/18 | S 2020 | Tax Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 33) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2610 | Tax Rate Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2616 | Earned Income Tax Credit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2626 | Temporary Tax on Crude Oil Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 210 | Tax Subsidy for Domestic Companies Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 10/11 | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| 9/23 | HR 1308 | Child Tax Credit Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 5/11 | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| 4/29 | S 150 | Internet Access Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 3) |
| 5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 5/26 | HR 1836 | Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 33) |
| 5/23 | HR 1836 | Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 38) |
| 7/21 | HR 4810 | Marriage Tax Relief Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 34) |
| 7/14 | HR 8 | Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 7/13 | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 2/02 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 7/30 | S 1429 | Taxpayer Refund Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 43) |
| 10/08 | S 442 | Internet Tax Freedom bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 2) |
| 7/29 | S Amdt 3359 | Married Tax Filing Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 8/06 | HR 2264 | Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 6/25 | HR 2264 | Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 49) |