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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 5, 2006 | NJ | S 1412 | Development Subsidies Application and Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Jan. 5, 2006 | NJ | S 1412 | Development Subsidies Application and Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | H Amdt 514 | Small Employer Health Benefits Plan Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (197 - 230) |
| March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 128 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 44 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49) |
| Sept. 9, 2004 | National | HR 5006 | Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Bill- FY 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 13) |
| May 12, 2004 | National | HR 4279 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (273 - 152) |
| April 8, 2004 | National | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19) |
| April 2, 2004 | National | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 69) |
| Feb. 25, 2004 | National | HR 2751 | GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 43) |
| June 19, 2003 | National | HR 660 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (262 - 162) |
| Jan. 8, 2003 | National | S 23 | Unemployment Benefits bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 4) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | H Amdt 200 | Community Solutions Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (168 - 261) |
| March 21, 2001 | National | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 7, 2001 | National | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (223 - 206) |
| March 6, 2001 | National | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| June 8, 2000 | National | H Amdt 760 | OSHA Ergonomic Protection Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 220) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | H Amdt 594 | Minimum Wage Increase-Two Year Raise | Amendment Adopted - House (246 - 179) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3846 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 143) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2751 | Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48) |
| Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2547 | Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| May 5, 1999 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| Sept. 24, 1998 | National | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/05 | S 1412 | Development Subsidies Application and Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 1/05 | S 1412 | Development Subsidies Application and Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 7/26 | H Amdt 514 | Small Employer Health Benefits Plan Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (197 - 230) |
| 3/07 | S Amdt 128 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 3/07 | S Amdt 44 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49) |
| 9/09 | HR 5006 | Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Bill- FY 2005 | Bill Passed - House (388 - 13) |
| 5/12 | HR 4279 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (273 - 152) |
| 4/08 | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19) |
| 4/02 | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - House (336 - 69) |
| 2/25 | HR 2751 | GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (382 - 43) |
| 6/19 | HR 660 | Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (262 - 162) |
| 1/08 | S 23 | Unemployment Benefits bill | Bill Passed - House (416 - 4) |
| 7/19 | H Amdt 200 | Community Solutions Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (168 - 261) |
| 3/21 | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/07 | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (223 - 206) |
| 3/06 | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 6/08 | H Amdt 760 | OSHA Ergonomic Protection Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 220) |
| 3/09 | H Amdt 594 | Minimum Wage Increase-Two Year Raise | Amendment Adopted - House (246 - 179) |
| 3/09 | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| 3/09 | HR 3846 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 143) |
| 2/02 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 11/09 | S Amdt 2751 | Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 11/09 | S Amdt 2547 | Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 5/05 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| 9/24 | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |