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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2007 | ME | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - House (101 - 38) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| Dec. 8, 2005 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| July 29, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| July 28, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| June 29, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0) |
| May 19, 2005 | National | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (329 - 89) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 211 | Native American Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| June 17, 2004 | National | HR 4568 | Interior Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (334 - 86) |
| Sept. 23, 2003 | National | HR 1409 | Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act '02 | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| July 17, 2002 | National | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| Oct. 17, 2001 | National | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 28) |
| Oct. 17, 2001 | National | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| Oct. 5, 1998 | National | HR 1154 | Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures | Bill Failed - House (190 - 208) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| June 20, 1996 | National | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| Jan. 4, 1996 | National | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
| Dec. 14, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| Dec. 13, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| July 18, 1995 | National | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| Sept. 28, 1994 | National | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| Nov. 9, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
| July 15, 1993 | National | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/15 | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - House (101 - 38) |
| 9/13 | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 12/08 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 197) |
| 7/29 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 7/28 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (410 - 10) |
| 6/29 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 0) |
| 5/19 | HR 2361 | Interior Department FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (329 - 89) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 211 | Native American Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 55) |
| 6/17 | HR 4568 | Interior Department FY2005 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (334 - 86) |
| 9/23 | HR 1409 | Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act '02 | Bill Passed - House (288 - 127) |
| 7/17 | HR 5093 | Department of the Interior Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2003 | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| 10/17 | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 28) |
| 10/17 | HR 2217 | Interior Department Appropriations for FY 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (95 - 3) |
| 10/05 | HR 1154 | Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures | Bill Failed - House (190 - 208) |
| 7/23 | HR 4193 | Interior Department FY99 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (245 - 181) |
| 6/20 | H Amdt 1190 | Tribal Land Trust Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 1/04 | HR 1977 | 1996 Interior Appropriations | Veto Override Failed - House (239 - 177) |
| 12/14 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 12/13 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (244 - 181) |
| 7/18 | HR 1977 | Interior Department FY96 Appropriations bill | Bill Passed - House (244 - 181) |
| 9/28 | HR 4602 | Interior Department FY95 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 7) |
| 11/09 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 7/15 | HR 2520 | Interior Department Fiscal Year 1994 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (278 - 138) |