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 2, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| April 30, 2008 | OH | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| April 25, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
| April 23, 2008 | National | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| April 16, 2008 | NH | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (219 - 113) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 10) |
| April 8, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| April 2, 2008 | SC | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
| April 2, 2008 | SC | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 25, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| March 20, 2008 | NH | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 11, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 6, 2008 | VA | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| March 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| March 6, 2008 | VA | SB 588 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | MS | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| March 6, 2008 | ID | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | CO | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | CO | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - House (41 - 23) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | VA | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 7) |
| Feb. 10, 2008 | NM | HB 661 | Affordable Housing Tax Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2008 | CO | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| Dec. 14, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| Nov. 29, 2007 | WA | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| Nov. 14, 2007 | National | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | MI | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 50) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | MI | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 27) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| Oct. 25, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - House (265 - 142) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/02 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| 5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 4/30 | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| 4/25 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
| 4/23 | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
| 4/22 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 4/16 | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (219 - 113) |
| 4/15 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 10) |
| 4/08 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 4/02 | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
| 4/02 | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/25 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| 3/20 | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 3/18 | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 3/11 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/06 | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| 3/06 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| 3/06 | SB 588 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 9) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 3/06 | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| 3/06 | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
| 3/04 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| 3/03 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| 2/27 | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
| 2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 2/25 | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| 2/21 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| 2/19 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 2/18 | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - House (41 - 23) |
| 2/11 | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 7) |
| 2/10 | HB 661 | Affordable Housing Tax Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 1/28 | SB 3 | Medicaid Funded Family Planning | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| 12/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| 12/13 | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| 11/29 | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| 11/29 | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 11/14 | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| 11/01 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| 10/31 | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 50) |
| 10/31 | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 27) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| 10/25 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - House (265 - 142) |