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, 2011 | IA | HF 617 | Alcoholic Beverage Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 16, 2011 | GA | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | UT | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 2751 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 144) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S 510 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| Oct. 7, 2009 | National | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162) |
| July 30, 2009 | National | HR 2749 | Food Safety Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (283 - 142) |
| June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
| June 18, 2008 | National | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| Dec. 14, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| July 27, 2007 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - House (231 - 191) |
| Dec. 7, 2006 | National | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | National | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| July 29, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 180) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | HR 5384 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (378 - 46) |
| March 8, 2006 | National | HR 4167 | National Uniformity for Food Act | Bill Passed - House (283 - 139) |
| 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. 19, 2005 | National | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | HF 617 | Alcoholic Beverage Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 3/16 | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| 2/28 | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 12/21 | HR 2751 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 144) |
| 11/30 | S 510 | FDA Food Safety Modernization Act | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 25) |
| 10/08 | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 10/07 | HR 2997 | Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 | Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162) |
| 7/30 | HR 2749 | Food Safety Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (283 - 142) |
| 6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109) |
| 6/18 | HR 6124 | Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| 5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| 5/21 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| 5/15 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| 5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| 12/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| 7/27 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Bill Passed - House (231 - 191) |
| 12/07 | PN 1396 | Andrew von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (80 - 11) |
| 9/07 | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| 8/03 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 7/29 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 180) |
| 5/23 | HR 5384 | Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA Appropriations Act | Bill Passed - House (378 - 46) |
| 3/08 | HR 4167 | National Uniformity for Food Act | Bill Passed - House (283 - 139) |
| 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) |
| 10/19 | HR 554 | Food Industry Obesity Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (306 - 120) |