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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 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) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| June 29, 2001 | National | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| June 29, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3694 | Health Care Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| June 22, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| July 15, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| July 15, 1999 | National | S 1344 | Patient Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47) |
| July 14, 1999 | National | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| July 22, 1997 | National | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| June 25, 1997 | National | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/01 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30) |
| 9/27 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (67 - 29) |
| 8/02 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 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) |
| 11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 6/29 | S 1052 | Patients' Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 6/29 | S Amdt 3694 | Health Care Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 6/22 | S Amdt 3598 | Outpatient Prescription Drugs Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
| 7/15 | S Amdt 1250 | Patient Lawsuit Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 7/15 | S 1344 | Patient Bill of Rights bill | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 7/14 | S Amdt 1241 | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (55 - 45) |
| 4/01 | S Amdt 2169 | Medicare Choices Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 936 | Abortion Funding Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 6/25 | S 947 | Budget Reconciliation bill | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 27) |
| 8/02 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |