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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 15, 2006 | MI | SB 838 | Medicare Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Oct. 5, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2033 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Sept. 22, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S Amdt 3114 | Unemployment Benefits Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40) |
| May 8, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| Feb. 13, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Oct. 13, 1999 | National | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| May 5, 1998 | National | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| Aug. 1, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| July 23, 1996 | National | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| May 2, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
| April 30, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Feb. 7, 1996 | National | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/15 | SB 838 | Medicare Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 12/21 | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 11/03 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 10/05 | S Amdt 2033 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 9/22 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 2) |
| 5/11 | S Amdt 3114 | Unemployment Benefits Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 5/08 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 2/13 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Bill Passed - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 10/13 | HR 1906 | FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 5/05 | HR 1385 | Training Programs bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 7) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 8/01 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 21) |
| 7/23 | HR 3734 | Welfare Reform Act of 1996 | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 5/02 | S Amdt 3840 | Public Assistance to Legal Immigrants Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 60) |
| 4/30 | S Amdt 3820 | Legal Immigrants Assistance Eligibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 2/07 | S 1541 | Farm Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| 12/22 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 47) |