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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
| Oct. 27, 2008 | NJ | A 2550 | Renewable Energy Facilities Within Industrial Districts | Bill Passed - House (60 - 15) |
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13) |
| Sept. 27, 2008 | National | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12) |
| Sept. 27, 2008 | National | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - House (298 - 117) |
| Sept. 26, 2008 | National | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| Sept. 26, 2008 | National | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| Sept. 24, 2008 | National | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 24) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 29) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | National | HR 6604 | Commodity Markets Speculation Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 133) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | National | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | National | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| Aug. 6, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| Aug. 4, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| Aug. 1, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
| July 22, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| July 17, 2008 | National | HR 6515 | Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska | Bill Failed - House (244 - 173) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18 | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 11/17 | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
| 10/27 | A 2550 | Renewable Energy Facilities Within Industrial Districts | Bill Passed - House (60 - 15) |
| 10/01 | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13) |
| 9/27 | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (78 - 12) |
| 9/27 | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - House (298 - 117) |
| 9/26 | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| 9/26 | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| 9/24 | HR 2638 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 58) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 24) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 29) |
| 9/18 | HR 6604 | Commodity Markets Speculation Bill | Bill Passed - House (283 - 133) |
| 9/16 | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| 9/16 | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| 8/06 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| 8/04 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| 8/01 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
| 7/22 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| 7/17 | HR 6515 | Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska | Bill Failed - House (244 - 173) |
| 6/26 | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |