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
Dec. 14, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
Dec. 14, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
Dec. 13, 2007 National S Amdt 3810 Income Limit for Subsidies to Farmers Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 47)
Dec. 13, 2007 National S Amdt 3695 Limit on Farm Subsidies Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 43)
Dec. 11, 2007 National S Amdt 3711 Government Sponsored Farm Insurance Policies Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 58)
Nov. 19, 2007 MD HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
June 20, 2007 MI Sub for SB 504 Agricultural Pollution Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
June 20, 2007 MI Sub for SB 448 State Registration for CAFOs Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
June 20, 2007 MI Sub for SB 447 Insurance for Water Pollution Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
May 21, 2007 CA SB 180 Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15)
March 22, 2007 ND HB 1420 Animal Feedlot Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
March 6, 2007 OK SCS SB 709 Pollution Ban Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
Dec. 7, 2006 National PN 1396 Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11)
Aug. 3, 2006 National HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
June 15, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
May 3, 2006 IA HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2)
May 3, 2006 IA SF 2377 Confinement Feeding Operations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
May 2, 2006 National S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
May 2, 2006 VT S 18 Genetically Modified Seed Liability Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 8)
March 20, 2006 ID H 544 Irrigation Voting Procedure Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
March 20, 2006 PA HB 213 Ecoterrorism Bill Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 9, 2006 WI ASA 3 Ethanol Bill Motion Agreed - Senate (17 - 15)
Jan. 30, 2006 IN SB 354 Forestry Classifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
12/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
12/13 S Amdt 3810 Income Limit for Subsidies to Farmers Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 47)
12/13 S Amdt 3695 Limit on Farm Subsidies Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 43)
12/11 S Amdt 3711 Government Sponsored Farm Insurance Policies Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 58)
11/19 HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
6/20 Sub for SB 504 Agricultural Pollution Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
6/20 Sub for SB 448 State Registration for CAFOs Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
6/20 Sub for SB 447 Insurance for Water Pollution Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
5/21 SB 180 Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15)
3/22 HB 1420 Animal Feedlot Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
3/06 SCS SB 709 Pollution Ban Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
12/07 PN 1396 Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11)
8/03 HR 5970 Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
6/15 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
5/03 HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2)
5/03 SF 2377 Confinement Feeding Operations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
5/02 S Amdt 3617 Sugarcane Growers Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
5/02 S 18 Genetically Modified Seed Liability Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 8)
3/20 H 544 Irrigation Voting Procedure Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
3/20 HB 213 Ecoterrorism Bill Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/09 ASA 3 Ethanol Bill Motion Agreed - Senate (17 - 15)
1/30 SB 354 Forestry Classifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)

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