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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13) |
| Sept. 29, 2008 | National | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| Sept. 29, 2008 | National | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 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. 24, 2008 | National | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 39) |
| Sept. 23, 2008 | National | HR 5244 | Credit Card Regulations | Bill Passed - House (312 - 112) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 29) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 24) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 17, 2008 | National | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 8) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| 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) |
| Sept. 10, 2008 | MO | SB 873 | Voting Student Curator on the University of Missouri Board of Curators | Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 17) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1420 | Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 60 | Expanding Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 10/01 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 10/01 | HR 7081 | United States - India Nuclear Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 13) |
| 9/29 | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 9/29 | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 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) |
| 9/24 | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 39) |
| 9/23 | HR 5244 | Credit Card Regulations | Bill Passed - House (312 - 112) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 29) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 24) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 9/17 | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (88 - 8) |
| 9/16 | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/16 | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| 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) |
| 9/10 | SB 873 | Voting Student Curator on the University of Missouri Board of Curators | Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 8/31 | SB 1420 | Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 8/31 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/31 | SB 60 | Expanding Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/31 | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |