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
May 24, 2006 ME LD 1021 Police and Firefighter Insurance Bill Passed - House (72 - 71)
May 15, 2006 CA AB 813 Medi-Cal: Emergency Drug Benefits Bill Passed - House (66 - 5)
May 11, 2006 CA AB 813 Medi-Cal: Emergency Drug Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
May 2, 2006 CO HB 1100 Prescription Drug Discount Program Bill Failed - House (30 - 35)
May 2, 2006 IA SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - House (89 - 6)
May 2, 2006 IA SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4)
April 20, 2006 OR SB 5644 Social Services and Education Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
April 20, 2006 OR SB 5644 Social Services and Education Funding Bill Passed - House (57 - 3)
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
Feb. 8, 2006 KY HB 163 State Request for Federal Drug Importation Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
Feb. 2, 2006 National S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
Jan. 31, 2006 IA HF 2045 Senior Citizen Tax Revision Bill Passed - House (81 - 18)
Nov. 17, 2005 National S Amdt 2601 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2381 Prescription Drug Plan Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2357 Medicare Premiums Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
Nov. 3, 2005 National S Amdt 2371 Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
May 23, 2003 National HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
April 2, 2003 National HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
June 28, 2002 National HR 4954 Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 208)
July 19, 2001 National HR 7 Community Solutions Act of 2001 Bill Passed - House (233 - 198)
July 27, 2000 National H Amdt 1041 Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Amendment Rejected - House (169 - 256)
July 27, 2000 National HR 4865 Social Security Benefits Tax Relief bill Bill Passed - House (265 - 159)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/24 LD 1021 Police and Firefighter Insurance Bill Passed - House (72 - 71)
5/15 AB 813 Medi-Cal: Emergency Drug Benefits Bill Passed - House (66 - 5)
5/11 AB 813 Medi-Cal: Emergency Drug Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
5/02 HB 1100 Prescription Drug Discount Program Bill Failed - House (30 - 35)
5/02 SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - House (89 - 6)
5/02 SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4)
4/20 SB 5644 Social Services and Education Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
4/20 SB 5644 Social Services and Education Funding Bill Passed - House (57 - 3)
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
2/08 HB 163 State Request for Federal Drug Importation Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
2/02 S Amdt 2730 Medicare Part D Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45)
1/31 HF 2045 Senior Citizen Tax Revision Bill Passed - House (81 - 18)
11/17 S Amdt 2601 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47)
11/03 S Amdt 2381 Prescription Drug Plan Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
11/03 S Amdt 2357 Medicare Premiums Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50)
11/03 S Amdt 2371 Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48)
3/17 S Amdt 229 Medicaid Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200)
5/23 HR 2 Jobs and Economic Growth bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50)
4/02 HR 743 Social Security Protection Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (396 - 28)
6/28 HR 4954 Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act Bill Passed - House (221 - 208)
7/19 HR 7 Community Solutions Act of 2001 Bill Passed - House (233 - 198)
7/27 H Amdt 1041 Social Security Benefits Tax Relief Amendment Rejected - House (169 - 256)
7/27 HR 4865 Social Security Benefits Tax Relief bill Bill Passed - House (265 - 159)
6/29 S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)

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