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
Jan. 30, 2006 IN SB 354 Forestry Classifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
Jan. 26, 2006 CA AB 802 Local Governments Assessment of Flood Risks Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2194 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43)
Oct. 26, 2005 National S Amdt 2253 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
Oct. 20, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
June 30, 2005 National H Amdt 427 Eminent Domain Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189)
June 30, 2005 National HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
April 14, 2005 National S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (302 - 126)
April 13, 2005 National HR 8 Death/Estate Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (272 - 162)
March 10, 2005 National S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
July 25, 2003 National HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
Nov. 8, 2001 National HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18)
Nov. 8, 2001 National HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
Sept. 7, 2000 National HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157)
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)
June 9, 2000 National H Amdt 763 Estate Tax Substitute Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222)
June 9, 2000 National HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - House (279 - 136)
Oct. 15, 1999 National HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
Oct. 14, 1999 National HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (406 - 18)
Oct. 13, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
Oct. 1, 1999 National HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175)
Sept. 9, 1999 National HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Bill Passed - House (235 - 187)
Sept. 8, 1999 National H Amdt 423 International Space Station Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 298)
June 17, 1999 National H Amdt 200 Ten Commandments Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 180)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/30 SB 354 Forestry Classifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
1/26 AB 802 Local Governments Assessment of Flood Risks Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
10/26 S Amdt 2194 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43)
10/26 S Amdt 2253 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
10/20 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1)
6/30 H Amdt 427 Eminent Domain Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 189)
6/30 HR 3058 Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation Bill Passed - House (405 - 18)
4/14 S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - House (302 - 126)
4/13 HR 8 Death/Estate Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (272 - 162)
3/10 S 256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25)
7/25 HR 2861 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act, 2004 Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
11/08 HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (401 - 18)
11/08 HR 2620 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7)
9/07 HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Veto Override Failed - House (274 - 157)
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)
6/09 H Amdt 763 Estate Tax Substitute Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222)
6/09 HR 8 Estate Tax Elimination Act of 2000 Bill Passed - House (279 - 136)
10/15 HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5)
10/14 HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Conference Report Adopted - House (406 - 18)
10/13 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26)
10/01 HR 1906 FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - House (240 - 175)
9/09 HR 2684 Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 Bill Passed - House (235 - 187)
9/08 H Amdt 423 International Space Station Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (121 - 298)
6/17 H Amdt 200 Ten Commandments Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (248 - 180)

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