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. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Dec. 16, 2009 | OH | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | MI | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| Nov. 19, 2009 | National | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| Nov. 19, 2009 | National | PN 187 | David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| Nov. 18, 2009 | MA | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Nov. 3, 2009 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Oct. 27, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13) |
| Oct. 22, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Oct. 22, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Oct. 21, 2009 | National | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
| Oct. 21, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/22 | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 12/22 | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 12/16 | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| 12/10 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 12/03 | S Amdt 2791 | Preventive Services Coverage Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 12/03 | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
| 12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| 11/19 | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| 11/19 | PN 187 | David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 11/18 | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 11/05 | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| 11/05 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 11/03 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 10/27 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits | Cloture Invoked - Senate (87 - 13) |
| 10/22 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 10/22 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 10/21 | S 1776 | Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 10/21 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |