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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Oct. 16, 2007 National HR 3093 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19)
Sept. 6, 2007 National S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
June 21, 2007 NJ S 3000 2007-2008 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
May 24, 2007 National HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
May 17, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
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 23, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
June 15, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
June 15, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
March 16, 2006 National S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
March 16, 2006 National H J Res 47 Debt Limit Increase Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 48)
March 14, 2006 National S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
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. 17, 2005 National S Amdt 2650 Pay As You Go Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48)
Nov. 16, 2005 National HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
Nov. 10, 2005 National HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0)
Nov. 10, 2005 National HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/16 HR 3093 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19)
9/06 S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
6/21 S 3000 2007-2008 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
5/24 HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
5/17 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
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)
3/23 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
6/15 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
6/15 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
3/16 S Amdt 3074 LIHEAP Funding Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 S Amdt 3071 Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51)
3/16 S Amdt 3103 Natural Resources and Environment Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49)
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 S Con Res 83 2007 Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49)
3/16 H J Res 47 Debt Limit Increase Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 48)
3/14 S Amdt 3013 Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
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)
11/17 S Amdt 2650 Pay As You Go Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (50 - 48)
11/16 HR 2862 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5)
11/10 HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0)
11/10 HR 3057 Foreign Operations FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 0)

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