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
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 172 Perkins Vocational Education Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 56)
March 17, 2005 National S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
May 13, 2004 National HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
July 9, 2003 National HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
July 9, 2003 National HR 2211 Ready to Teach Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (404 - 17)
April 30, 2003 National HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - House (251 - 171)
Dec. 18, 2001 National HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
Dec. 13, 2001 National HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 41)
May 23, 2001 National HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Bill Passed - House (384 - 45)
June 28, 2000 National S Amdt 3655 Funding for Special Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47)
Oct. 21, 1999 National HR 2 Education Funding for Disadvantaged Students-Passage Bill Passed - House (358 - 67)
Oct. 21, 1999 National HR 2300 Academic Achievement for All Act Bill Passed - House (213 - 208)
July 20, 1999 National HR 1995 Teacher Empowerment Act Bill Passed - House (239 - 185)
May 18, 1999 National S Amdt 351 Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13)
April 21, 1999 National HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 57)
April 21, 1999 National HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
March 11, 1999 National H Amdt 22 High Needs District Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 223)
March 11, 1999 National HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
March 11, 1999 National HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Bill Passed - House (330 - 90)
Aug. 6, 1998 National H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
June 24, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36)
June 18, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197)
April 30, 1998 National S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
April 23, 1998 National HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
April 1, 1998 National S Amdt 2175 School Modernization Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/17 S Amdt 172 Perkins Vocational Education Program Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 56)
3/17 S Amdt 177 Education Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49)
5/13 HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 3)
7/09 HR 438 Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers Bill Passed - House (417 - 7)
7/09 HR 2211 Ready to Teach Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (404 - 17)
4/30 HR 1350 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act Bill Passed - House (251 - 171)
12/18 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (87 - 10)
12/13 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 41)
5/23 HR 1 No Child Left Behind Act Bill Passed - House (384 - 45)
6/28 S Amdt 3655 Funding for Special Education Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47)
10/21 HR 2 Education Funding for Disadvantaged Students-Passage Bill Passed - House (358 - 67)
10/21 HR 2300 Academic Achievement for All Act Bill Passed - House (213 - 208)
7/20 HR 1995 Teacher Empowerment Act Bill Passed - House (239 - 185)
5/18 S Amdt 351 Religious Memorials at Schools Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (85 - 13)
4/21 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 57)
4/21 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1)
3/11 H Amdt 22 High Needs District Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (195 - 223)
3/11 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
3/11 HR 800 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Bill Passed - House (330 - 90)
8/06 H Amdt 874 Low Income Educational Scholarship Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (214 - 208)
6/24 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36)
6/18 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197)
4/30 S 1502 Washington, D.C. School Vouchers bill Bill Passed - House (214 - 206)
4/23 HR 2646 Education Savings Accounts bill Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43)
4/01 S Amdt 2175 School Modernization Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)

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