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
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166)
May 1, 2008 National HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (388 - 21)
April 17, 2008 National HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Bill Passed - House (383 - 27)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Bill Passed - House (354 - 58)
Dec. 18, 2007 National HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
Dec. 17, 2007 National HR 2764 Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201)
Sept. 7, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12)
Sept. 7, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - House (292 - 97)
July 20, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
July 19, 2007 National HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - House (276 - 140)
July 11, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - House (273 - 149)
March 30, 2006 National H Amdt 772 Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 220)
March 30, 2006 National HR 609 College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (221 - 199)
Feb. 2, 2006 National HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)
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 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
Oct. 27, 2005 National HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
Oct. 25, 2005 National S Amdt 2213 Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
July 22, 2005 National H Amdt 511 Advanced Research Opportunities Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (192 - 206)
June 23, 2005 National H Amdt 343 Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
June 13, 2000 National H Amdt 788 Higher Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 267)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166)
5/01 HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (388 - 21)
4/17 HR 5715 Student Loan Provision Changes Bill Passed - House (383 - 27)
2/07 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Bill Passed - House (354 - 58)
12/18 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
12/17 HR 2764 Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201)
9/07 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12)
9/07 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - House (292 - 97)
7/20 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
7/19 HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - House (276 - 140)
7/11 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - House (273 - 149)
3/30 H Amdt 772 Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 220)
3/30 HR 609 College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (221 - 199)
2/02 HR 4297 Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31)
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 1932 Budget Reconciliation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47)
10/27 HR 3010 Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3)
10/25 S Amdt 2213 Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51)
7/22 H Amdt 511 Advanced Research Opportunities Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (192 - 206)
6/23 H Amdt 343 Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140)
3/17 S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
6/13 H Amdt 788 Higher Education Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 267)

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