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
Nov. 19, 2009 National PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
Nov. 7, 2009 National H Amdt 509 Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 194)
Nov. 7, 2009 National H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
Nov. 7, 2009 National HR 3962 Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (220 - 215)
Nov. 5, 2009 National HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12)
Oct. 29, 2009 National HR 2996 Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (72 - 28)
Oct. 29, 2009 National HR 2996 Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (247 - 178)
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. 21, 2009 National S 1776 Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
Oct. 20, 2009 National HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
Oct. 15, 2009 National HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114)
Oct. 8, 2009 National HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146)
Oct. 8, 2009 National HR 2997 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
Oct. 7, 2009 National H Res 805 Removing Rep. Charles Rangel as Chairman of House Committee on Ways and Means Motion Agreed - House (246 - 153)
Oct. 7, 2009 National HR 2997 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162)
Oct. 6, 2009 National S Amdt 2588 Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30)
Oct. 1, 2009 National S Amdt 2575 U.S. Military Commanders to Testify Before Congress Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
Sept. 30, 2009 National HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
Sept. 25, 2009 National HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190)
Sept. 22, 2009 National HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (331 - 83)
Sept. 17, 2009 National HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Motion Agreed - House (345 - 75)
Sept. 17, 2009 National HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
Sept. 15, 2009 National H Res 744 Resolution of Disapproval of Representative Joe Wilson's Conduct Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179)
Sept. 14, 2009 National S Amdt 2355 Prohibiting Funding for ACORN Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/19 PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
11/07 H Amdt 509 Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services Amendment Adopted - House (240 - 194)
11/07 H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
11/07 HR 3962 Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (220 - 215)
11/05 HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12)
10/29 HR 2996 Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (72 - 28)
10/29 HR 2996 Continuing Appropriations Extension and 2009-2010 Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Related Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (247 - 178)
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)
10/21 S 1776 Eliminating Adjustments to Medicare Rates of Payment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (47 - 53)
10/20 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
10/15 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114)
10/08 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146)
10/08 HR 2997 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22)
10/07 H Res 805 Removing Rep. Charles Rangel as Chairman of House Committee on Ways and Means Motion Agreed - House (246 - 153)
10/07 HR 2997 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Conference Report Adopted - House (263 - 162)
10/06 S Amdt 2588 Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30)
10/01 S Amdt 2575 U.S. Military Commanders to Testify Before Congress Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
9/30 HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
9/25 HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190)
9/22 HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (331 - 83)
9/17 HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Motion Agreed - House (345 - 75)
9/17 HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
9/15 H Res 744 Resolution of Disapproval of Representative Joe Wilson's Conduct Resolution Passed - House (240 - 179)
9/14 S Amdt 2355 Prohibiting Funding for ACORN Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7)

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