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
Jan. 22, 2008 IN Amnd. 72 School Construction Exemption Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44)
Jan. 22, 2008 National HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)
Jan. 22, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
Jan. 22, 2008 SD SB 26 State Regulation of Preschools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Jan. 22, 2008 IN SB 18 Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
Jan. 21, 2008 VA HB 188 HPV Vaccine Deadline Extension Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
Jan. 17, 2008 IL HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47)
Jan. 17, 2008 IL HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19)
Jan. 17, 2008 GA HB 89 Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15)
Jan. 16, 2008 National HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - House (369 - 46)
Jan. 15, 2008 NE LB 253 Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25)
Jan. 10, 2008 IL HB 656 Transportation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51)
Jan. 10, 2008 IL HB 656 Transportation Act Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 4314 Traffic Control Signal Monitoring Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 4314 Traffic Control Signal Monitoring Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 4559 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 4559 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 500 Education Funding Reform Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
Jan. 7, 2008 NJ A 500 Education Funding Reform Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
Dec. 19, 2007 National HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 142)
Dec. 18, 2007 National S Amdt 3875 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 71)
Dec. 18, 2007 National HR 6 Energy Act of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100)
Dec. 18, 2007 National HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 25)
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. 18, 2007 National HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/22 Amnd. 72 School Construction Exemption Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44)
1/22 HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3)
1/22 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
1/22 SB 26 State Regulation of Preschools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
1/22 SB 18 Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
1/21 HB 188 HPV Vaccine Deadline Extension Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
1/17 HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47)
1/17 HB 656 Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19)
1/17 HB 89 Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15)
1/16 HR 4986 Defense Authorizations Bill Bill Passed - House (369 - 46)
1/15 LB 253 Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25)
1/10 HB 656 Transportation Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51)
1/10 HB 656 Transportation Act Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
1/07 A 4314 Traffic Control Signal Monitoring Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
1/07 A 4314 Traffic Control Signal Monitoring Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
1/07 A 4559 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
1/07 A 4559 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
1/07 A 500 Education Funding Reform Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
1/07 A 500 Education Funding Reform Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
12/19 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 142)
12/18 S Amdt 3875 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 71)
12/18 HR 6 Energy Act of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (314 - 100)
12/18 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 25)
12/18 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)
12/18 HR 2764 Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17)

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