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. 30, 2006 | IN | SB 354 | Forestry Classifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| Oct. 20, 2005 | National | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Nov. 8, 2001 | National | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| 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) |
| Oct. 15, 1999 | National | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| Oct. 13, 1999 | National | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| Oct. 8, 1998 | National | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 1) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| Sept. 17, 1996 | National | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| Sept. 27, 1994 | National | HR 4624 | Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 9) |
| Aug. 4, 1994 | National | HR 4624 | Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 9) |
| April 13, 1994 | National | S 21 | California Desert Protection Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| Sept. 22, 1993 | National | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/30 | SB 354 | Forestry Classifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 10/20 | HR 3058 | Transportation, Treasury, HUD and Judiciary Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (93 - 1) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 11/08 | HR 2620 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 7) |
| 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) |
| 10/15 | HR 2684 | Veterans Affairs and HUD Appropriations bill, FY 2000 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 5) |
| 10/13 | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 10/08 | HR 4194 | FY 1999 VA-HUD Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 9/17 | S Amdt 5353 | Federal Land Grazing Fee Amendment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 3/21 | S 1459 | Public Rangelands Management Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 47) |
| 12/06 | HR 660 | Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 9/27 | HR 4624 | Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (90 - 9) |
| 8/04 | HR 4624 | Fiscal Year 1995 Appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 9) |
| 4/13 | S 21 | California Desert Protection Act of 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| 9/22 | HR 2491 | Veterans Administration and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill Fiscal Year 1994 | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |