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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| Oct. 16, 2007 | National | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | IL | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MI | Sub HB 4920 | Expanding Drunk Driving Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 16) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MI | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MI | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| Oct. 10, 2007 | OH | Amendment | Foster Parent Confidentiality | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| Oct. 10, 2007 | OH | Amendment | Foster Parent Confidentiality | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | IL | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3117 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Sept. 25, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| Sept. 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Sept. 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 27, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| Aug. 5, 2007 | National | HR 3222 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - House (395 - 13) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| Aug. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| Aug. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2480 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - House (281 - 142) |
| July 25, 2007 | MI | HB 4870 | Regulation of Unarmed Combat | Bill Passed - House (93 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/16 | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| 10/16 | HR 2102 | Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines | Bill Passed - House (398 - 21) |
| 10/11 | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 10/11 | Sub HB 4920 | Expanding Drunk Driving Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 16) |
| 10/11 | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| 10/11 | Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - House (69 - 39) |
| 10/10 | Amendment | Foster Parent Confidentiality | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| 10/10 | Amendment | Foster Parent Confidentiality | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 44) |
| 10/03 | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| 10/03 | S Amdt 3117 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (95 - 1) |
| 9/27 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| 9/25 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| 9/19 | S Amdt 2022 | Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 9/06 | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 8/30 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/27 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| 8/05 | HR 3222 | Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - House (395 - 13) |
| 8/02 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 8/01 | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| 8/01 | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 2405 | REAL ID Funding | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 2480 | Border Fence and Customs Appropriations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1) |
| 7/26 | HR 3093 | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 | Bill Passed - House (281 - 142) |
| 7/25 | HB 4870 | Regulation of Unarmed Combat | Bill Passed - House (93 - 13) |