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 23, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Jan. 12, 2007 | National | HR 4 | Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 170) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | HR 5384 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (378 - 46) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | National | H Res 653 | Budget Reconciliation Adoption | Resolution Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| Oct. 28, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 63) |
| 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 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Oct. 26, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 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) |
| June 8, 2005 | National | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| May 11, 2004 | National | S Amdt 3114 | Unemployment Benefits Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40) |
| June 11, 2003 | National | HR 2350 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (406 - 6) |
| Feb. 13, 2003 | National | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| May 16, 2002 | National | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| May 8, 2002 | National | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 1/12 | HR 4 | Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 170) |
| 5/23 | HR 5384 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (378 - 46) |
| 3/16 | S Amdt 3074 | LIHEAP Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 3/16 | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| 2/01 | H Res 653 | Budget Reconciliation Adoption | Resolution Passed - House (216 - 214) |
| 12/21 | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 12/19 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (212 - 206) |
| 12/14 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| 11/17 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2365 | Medical Assistance and Prescription Drug Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 11/03 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 18) |
| 10/28 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 63) |
| 10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2253 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 10/26 | S Amdt 2194 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (54 - 43) |
| 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) |
| 6/08 | HR 2744 | Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (408 - 18) |
| 5/11 | S Amdt 3114 | Unemployment Benefits Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (59 - 40) |
| 6/11 | HR 2350 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (406 - 6) |
| 2/13 | HR 4 | Welfare Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 192) |
| 5/16 | HR 4737 | Temporary Aid to Needy Families | Bill Passed - House (229 - 197) |
| 5/08 | HR 2646 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 35) |