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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SB 345 | Penalties for Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (66 - 33) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 581 | Gun Possession During Emergencies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | A Amnd. 1 | Divestment Due to Genocide Amendment | Amendment Tabled - House (50 - 47) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | GA | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MI | HB 4505 | Changes to Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (99 - 5) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | National | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | National | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | UT | HB 241 | Restricting In-State Tuition Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (40 - 35) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | OR | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | UT | HB 239 | Driver's License Requirements | Bill Passed - House (39 - 35) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 340 | Prohibiting Sanctuary Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MI | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | ID | H 366 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (47 - 21) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | UT | HR 1 | North American Union Withdrawal | Resolution Passed - House (57 - 15) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | UT | HR 1 | North American Union Withdrawal | Resolution Passed - House (57 - 15) |
| Feb. 1, 2008 | MS | SB 2037 | Requirements for Public Works Laborers | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| Feb. 1, 2008 | UT | HB 237 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 335 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Dec. 19, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 142) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3875 | Iraq Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 71) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3875 | Iraq Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 71) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 25) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (253 - 154) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | National | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (222 - 199) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | National | HR 2082 | Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (222 - 199) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 4299 | Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension and Modification | Bill Passed - House (303 - 116) |
| Dec. 11, 2007 | WI | AB 581 | Gun Possession During Emergencies | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| Dec. 4, 2007 | National | HR 3688 | United States-Peru Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 18) |
| Nov. 16, 2007 | National | S 2340 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (45 - 53) |
| Nov. 16, 2007 | National | HR 4156 | Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Bill Passed - House (227 - 189) |
| Nov. 14, 2007 | National | HR 3074 | Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development | Conference Report Adopted - House (270 - 147) |
| Nov. 14, 2007 | National | HR 4156 | Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq | Bill Passed - House (218 - 203) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 3222 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (400 - 15) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 3688 | United States-Peru Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - House (285 - 132) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | National | HR 3920 | Trade and Globalization Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (264 - 157) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 8) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3) |
| Oct. 24, 2007 | National | S 2205 | DREAM Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44) |
| Oct. 22, 2007 | NY | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| Oct. 18, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | H Res 734 | Sense of the House on Classification of Information on Corruption in Iraq | Resolution Passed - House (395 - 21) |
| Oct. 4, 2007 | National | HR 2740 | Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (389 - 30) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3117 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1) |
| Oct. 2, 2007 | National | HR 3087 | Requiring Reports from the Defense Department to Congress Regarding Withdrawal from Iraq | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| Oct. 2, 2007 | National | HR 3087 | Requiring Reports from the Defense Department to Congress Regarding Withdrawal from Iraq | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | Koutoujian Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestment to Any State with a History of Genocide | Amendment Rejected - House (53 - 101) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | Jones Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestments to Any State Sponsor of Terrorism | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 124) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | S 2255 | State Pension Fund Divestment from Sudan | Bill Passed - House (154 - 2) |
| Sept. 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2997 | Expressing the Sense of Congress Regarding Federalism in Iraq | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 23) |
| Sept. 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3017 | Expressing the Sense of Congress Regarding Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | Amendment Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |