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 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| May 27, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| 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 (227 - 196) |
| 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 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| May 14, 2008 | LA | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - House (60 - 42) |
| May 13, 2008 | PA | SB 1278 | Child Support Fee | Bill Passed - House (116 - 84) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 5818 | Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 188) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
| May 3, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 16) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| 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 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 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 25, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| March 18, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| March 6, 2008 | VA | SB 588 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| 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 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 | CO | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 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) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| 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. 14, 2007 | National | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| Oct. 31, 2007 | MI | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 50) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/28 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| 5/27 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| 5/27 | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| 5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |
| 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) |
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| 5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| 5/14 | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - House (60 - 42) |
| 5/13 | SB 1278 | Child Support Fee | Bill Passed - House (116 - 84) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| 5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
| 5/08 | HR 5818 | Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 188) |
| 5/07 | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
| 5/07 | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
| 5/07 | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
| 5/07 | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| 5/05 | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
| 5/03 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 16) |
| 5/02 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| 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) |
| 4/16 | 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) |
| 4/02 | 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) |
| 3/25 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| 3/18 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| 3/06 | SB 588 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (91 - 9) |
| 3/06 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| 3/06 | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| 3/06 | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
| 3/03 | 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 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| 2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 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) |
| 1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| 12/13 | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| 11/29 | Sub SB 6178 | Property Tax Deferral | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| 11/14 | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| 10/31 | SB 232 | 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 50) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 27) |