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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 19, 2008 MS SB 2264 Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State Bill Passed - House (97 - 21)
March 18, 2008 CO HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
March 12, 2008 MA DeLeo Amdt Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20)
March 12, 2008 KY HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
March 12, 2008 OK HB 2196 Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
March 11, 2008 National H Res 1031 Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182)
Feb. 27, 2008 CO HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
Feb. 26, 2008 WV HB 4076 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
Feb. 21, 2008 SD HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4)
Feb. 14, 2008 National H Res 982 Contempt Charges Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32)
Feb. 14, 2008 MS HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - House (61 - 60)
Feb. 5, 2008 SD HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
Jan. 24, 2008 CO GN Baker Matt Baker to the Public Utilities Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (21 - 13)
Jan. 24, 2008 CO HR 1005 Censuring Representative Douglas Bruce Resolution Passed - House (62 - 1)
Oct. 31, 2007 MI SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 25)
Oct. 31, 2007 MI SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8)
Sept. 18, 2007 National S 1257 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
Aug. 2, 2007 National S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
July 31, 2007 National S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Bill Passed - House (411 - 8)
April 19, 2007 National HR 1905 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (241 - 177)
April 5, 2007 SC S 355 Restructuring the Department of Transportation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
Feb. 6, 2007 SD SJR 7 Extension of Term Limits Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
Sept. 26, 2006 National N/A Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217)
June 7, 2006 National HR 5521 Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 53)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/19 SB 2264 Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State Bill Passed - House (97 - 21)
3/18 HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
3/13 S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
3/12 DeLeo Amdt Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20)
3/12 HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
3/12 HB 2196 Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
3/11 H Res 1031 Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182)
2/27 HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
2/26 HB 4076 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
2/21 HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4)
2/14 H Res 982 Contempt Charges Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32)
2/14 HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - House (61 - 60)
2/05 HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
1/24 GN Baker Matt Baker to the Public Utilities Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (21 - 13)
1/24 HR 1005 Censuring Representative Douglas Bruce Resolution Passed - House (62 - 1)
10/31 SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 25)
10/31 SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8)
9/18 S 1257 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
8/02 S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
7/31 S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Bill Passed - House (411 - 8)
4/19 HR 1905 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (241 - 177)
4/05 S 355 Restructuring the Department of Transportation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
2/06 SJR 7 Extension of Term Limits Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
9/26 N/A Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217)
6/07 HR 5521 Legislative Branch FY 2007 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - House (361 - 53)

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