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 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| April 17, 2008 | MO | HJR 71 | Sales Tax for Veterans' Services | Joint Resolution Passed - House (106 - 39) |
| March 31, 2008 | ME | LD 2289 | 2008-2009 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| March 31, 2008 | ME | LD 2289 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 5, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 8) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 5194 | Income Tax Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| Sept. 30, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 5194 | Income Tax Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 52) |
| Aug. 4, 2007 | National | HR 3221 | Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 172) |
| April 19, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (95 - 37) |
| March 22, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | VT | HR 11 | Troop Withdrawal From Iraq | Resolution Passed - House (95 - 52) |
| May 11, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| May 10, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | KY | HCS HB 290 | Concealed Weapons Permit Classification | Bill Passed - House (89 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
| 5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| 5/05 | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| 4/17 | HJR 71 | Sales Tax for Veterans' Services | Joint Resolution Passed - House (106 - 39) |
| 3/31 | LD 2289 | 2008-2009 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| 3/31 | LD 2289 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 3/20 | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| 3/20 | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/05 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| 1/22 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| 1/16 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| 12/12 | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 8) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 235 | 2007-2008 Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3) |
| 10/01 | S Sub for Sub HB 5194 | Income Tax Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 10/01 | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 3) |
| 9/30 | S Sub for Sub HB 5194 | Income Tax Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 52) |
| 8/04 | HR 3221 | Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 172) |
| 4/19 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (95 - 37) |
| 3/22 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| 2/13 | HR 11 | Troop Withdrawal From Iraq | Resolution Passed - House (95 - 52) |
| 5/11 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 5/10 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 185) |
| 2/15 | HCS HB 290 | Concealed Weapons Permit Classification | Bill Passed - House (89 - 7) |