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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 16, 2008 National HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
April 2, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
March 14, 2008 National S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
March 14, 2008 National S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
March 13, 2008 National H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
March 13, 2008 National H Con Res 312 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207)
Feb. 26, 2008 National S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (380 - 34)
Feb. 7, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
Jan. 29, 2008 National HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - House (385 - 35)
Jan. 23, 2008 National HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/16 HR 2634 Expanding the List of Countries Eligible for Debt Forgiveness Bill Passed - House (285 - 132)
4/02 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - House (308 - 116)
3/14 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
3/14 S Con Res 70 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 44)
3/13 H Amdt 972 Substitute Amendment for the House Budget Resolution Amendment Rejected - House (157 - 263)
3/13 S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
3/13 H Con Res 312 Concurrent Budget Resolution Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207)
2/26 S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
2/07 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (380 - 34)
2/07 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 16)
1/29 HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan Bill Passed - House (385 - 35)
1/23 HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152)

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