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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2007 | CT | HB 7400 | Tax Code Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| May 30, 2007 | CT | SB 1483 | Tax Code Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| May 23, 2007 | OH | Sub SB 125 | "Instant Racing Systems" Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| May 7, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1010 | FDA Drug Import Certification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 40) |
| Sept. 19, 2006 | National | HR 5684 | U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 32) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4999 | Security of Cargo Containers Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| June 29, 2006 | National | S 3569 | U.S. -Oman Free Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 34) |
| March 24, 2006 | CO | HB 1010 | Requiring Legislative Approval Before Entering International Trade Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 3045 | CAFTA Implementation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 45) |
| July 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1351 | Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| June 30, 2005 | National | S 1307 | CAFTA Implementation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Oct. 11, 2004 | National | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
| July 31, 2003 | National | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| Aug. 1, 2002 | National | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| July 31, 2002 | National | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| Sept. 19, 2000 | National | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| Sept. 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| May 11, 2000 | National | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| Nov. 3, 1999 | National | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 19) |
| July 17, 1997 | National | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| March 5, 1996 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
| Oct. 19, 1995 | National | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| Dec. 1, 1994 | National | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| July 1, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1851 | Bosnia Arms Embargo Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1695 | Bosnia Arms Embargo Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Jan. 27, 1994 | National | S Amdt 1263 | Vietnam Trade Embargo | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 38) |
| Nov. 20, 1993 | National | HR 3450 | North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| June 30, 1993 | National | HR 1876 | GATT Uruguay Round Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 16) |
| Oct. 1, 1992 | National | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Failed - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/31 | HB 7400 | Tax Code Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| 5/30 | SB 1483 | Tax Code Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| 5/23 | Sub SB 125 | "Instant Racing Systems" Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt 1010 | FDA Drug Import Certification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 40) |
| 9/19 | HR 5684 | U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 32) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4999 | Security of Cargo Containers Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| 6/29 | S 3569 | U.S. -Oman Free Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 34) |
| 3/24 | HB 1010 | Requiring Legislative Approval Before Entering International Trade Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 7/28 | HR 3045 | CAFTA Implementation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 45) |
| 7/26 | S Amdt 1351 | Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 6/30 | S 1307 | CAFTA Implementation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 10/11 | HR 4520 | JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Strength) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 17) |
| 5/11 | S 1637 | Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 5) |
| 7/31 | HR 2739 | U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32) |
| 7/31 | HR 2738 | U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 8/01 | HR 3009 | Andean Trade Preference Act Extension | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 7/31 | S 812 | Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act | Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 9/19 | HR 4444 | U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 15) |
| 9/13 | S Amdt 4132 | China Nonproliferation Act | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 5/11 | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 11/03 | HR 434 | Africa Free Trade bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 19) |
| 7/17 | S Amdt 890 | Most Favored Nation Repeal Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 77) |
| 3/05 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 22) |
| 10/19 | HR 927 | Cuba Sanctions Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 12/01 | HR 5110 | Uruguay Round Agreements Act | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 24) |
| 7/01 | S Amdt 1851 | Bosnia Arms Embargo Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 5/12 | S Amdt 1695 | Bosnia Arms Embargo Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 1/27 | S Amdt 1263 | Vietnam Trade Embargo | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 38) |
| 11/20 | HR 3450 | North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 6/30 | HR 1876 | GATT Uruguay Round Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (76 - 16) |
| 10/01 | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Failed - Senate (59 - 40) |