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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2007 | National | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| March 20, 2007 | GA | SB 174 | Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | KS | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 287 | The Appointment of the Commissioner of Agriculture | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 285 | The Appointment of the Comptroller General | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 288 | Appointment of the Secretary of State | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 284 | The Appointment of the Adjutant General | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 286 | Appointment of the Superintendent of Education | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 101 | Reorganization of the State Government | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 23) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| June 23, 2006 | RI | H 6885 | International Trade Agreements | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| March 7, 2006 | AZ | HB 2701 | National Guard Mobilization; Border; Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| Jan. 26, 2005 | National | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| Nov. 19, 2002 | National | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| Feb. 1, 2001 | National | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
| Jan. 30, 2001 | National | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
| Sept. 14, 1999 | National | S J Res 33 | Puerto Rican Nationals resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| Aug. 5, 1999 | National | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
| Feb. 12, 1999 | National | H Res 611 | Impeachment Resolution: Article One | Resolution Failed - Senate (45 - 55) |
| Feb. 12, 1999 | National | H Res 611 | Impeachment Resolution: Article One | Resolution Failed - Senate (50 - 50) |
| June 25, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2912 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31) |
| Feb. 25, 1998 | National | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| Feb. 10, 1998 | National | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| April 30, 1997 | National | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| March 27, 1996 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 21, 1996 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| Nov. 15, 1995 | National | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
| June 22, 1995 | National | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| May 10, 1995 | National | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 23, 1995 | National | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| June 29, 1994 | National | S Amdt 2117 | Military Operations in Haiti Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 65) |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/20 | S 214 | United States Attorneys Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2) |
| 3/20 | SB 174 | Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| 2/22 | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 1/24 | S 287 | The Appointment of the Commissioner of Agriculture | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 1/24 | S 285 | The Appointment of the Comptroller General | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 11) |
| 1/24 | S 288 | Appointment of the Secretary of State | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| 1/24 | S 284 | The Appointment of the Adjutant General | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 1/24 | S 286 | Appointment of the Superintendent of Education | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 1/24 | S 101 | Reorganization of the State Government | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 23) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 6/23 | H 6885 | International Trade Agreements | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 3/07 | HB 2701 | National Guard Mobilization; Border; Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 1/26 | PN 8 | Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| 11/19 | HR 5005 | Establishing the Department of Homeland Security | Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9) |
| 2/01 | PN 107 | John Ashcroft, Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (58 - 42) |
| 1/30 | PN 96 | Gale Ann Norton, Secretary of the Interior | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (75 - 24) |
| 9/14 | S J Res 33 | Puerto Rican Nationals resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (95 - 2) |
| 8/05 | PN 100 | Richard Holbrooke, Representative to the United Nations | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (81 - 16) |
| 2/12 | H Res 611 | Impeachment Resolution: Article One | Resolution Failed - Senate (45 - 55) |
| 2/12 | H Res 611 | Impeachment Resolution: Article One | Resolution Failed - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 6/24 | S Amdt 2912 | Bosnia and Herzegovina Withdrawal Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 31) |
| 2/25 | HR 2631 | Line Item Veto Cancellation bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (78 - 20) |
| 2/10 | PN 623 | David Satcher, Surgeon General of the Public Health Service | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 35) |
| 4/30 | PN 82 | Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (85 - 13) |
| 3/27 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/21 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 11/15 | HR 2020 | Appropriations bill FY96, Treasury, Postal Service | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (63 - 35) |
| 6/22 | PN 245 | Henry W. Foster Jr., Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 43) |
| 5/10 | HR 956 | Product Liability bill | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/23 | S 4 | Line-Item Veto bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 29) |
| 6/29 | S Amdt 2117 | Military Operations in Haiti Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 65) |
| 10/01 | HR 5318 | Conditional Extension of Most-Favored-Nation Trade Status to China | Veto Override Failed - Senate (59 - 40) |