Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 26, 2008 National S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
Dec. 14, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
Nov. 7, 2007 National HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37)
Nov. 1, 2007 National HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30)
Oct. 23, 2007 National HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19)
May 17, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
March 23, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
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)
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 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)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
June 29, 2000 National S Amdt 3690 Off-budget Lockbox Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 37)
June 22, 2000 National S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
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)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2209 Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/26 S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
12/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
11/07 HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37)
11/01 HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30)
10/23 HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19)
5/17 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
3/23 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
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)
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 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)
6/29 S Amdt 3689 Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43)
6/29 S Amdt 3690 Off-budget Lockbox Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 37)
6/22 S Amdt 3598 Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
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)
4/01 S Amdt 2209 Personal Retirement Accounts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
4/01 S Amdt 2169 Medicare Choices Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47)
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)

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