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
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)
July 31, 2009 National HR 3435 Supplemental Appropriations for the "Cash for Clunkers" Program Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
July 30, 2009 National HR 2749 Food Safety Regulation Amendments Bill Passed - House (283 - 142)
June 26, 2009 National HR 2454 Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade") Bill Passed - House (219 - 212)
June 16, 2009 National HR 2346 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 202)
June 9, 2009 National HR 2751 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act Bill Passed - House (298 - 119)
May 20, 2009 National HR 627 Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147)
April 29, 2009 National S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
April 29, 2009 National HR 1913 Hate Crimes Expansion Bill Passed - House (249 - 175)
April 2, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
March 31, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
March 25, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
March 19, 2009 National HR 1586 TARP Recipient Bonuses Tax Bill Passed - House (328 - 93)
March 18, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
March 11, 2009 National S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Failed - House (282 - 144)
March 5, 2009 National HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
Feb. 26, 2009 National HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
Feb. 13, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 183)
Jan. 28, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - House (244 - 188)
Jan. 27, 2009 National S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - House (250 - 177)
Jan. 22, 2009 National H J Res 3 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155)
Jan. 21, 2009 National HR 384 Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program Bill Passed - House (260 - 166)
Jan. 14, 2009 National HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
Jan. 9, 2009 National HR 12 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (256 - 163)
Jan. 9, 2009 National HR 11 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 171)
Dec. 10, 2008 National HR 7321 Automotive Industry Financing Bill Passed - House (237 - 170)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
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. 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 National HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
Sept. 17, 2008 National HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
Sept. 16, 2008 National HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
July 31, 2008 National HR 1338 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 178)
July 30, 2008 National HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
July 24, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
July 24, 2008 National HR 3999 National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act Bill Passed - House (367 - 55)
July 23, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
July 23, 2008 National HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
July 17, 2008 National HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
July 16, 2008 National H Amdt 1114 Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180)
July 16, 2008 National HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
Date No. Title Outcome
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)
7/31 HR 3435 Supplemental Appropriations for the "Cash for Clunkers" Program Bill Passed - House (316 - 109)
7/30 HR 2749 Food Safety Regulation Amendments Bill Passed - House (283 - 142)
6/26 HR 2454 Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade") Bill Passed - House (219 - 212)
6/16 HR 2346 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (226 - 202)
6/09 HR 2751 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act Bill Passed - House (298 - 119)
5/20 HR 627 Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147)
4/29 S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
4/29 HR 1913 Hate Crimes Expansion Bill Passed - House (249 - 175)
4/02 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
3/31 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
3/25 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
3/19 HR 1586 TARP Recipient Bonuses Tax Bill Passed - House (328 - 93)
3/18 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
3/11 S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Failed - House (282 - 144)
3/05 HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
2/26 HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
2/13 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 183)
1/28 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - House (244 - 188)
1/27 S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - House (250 - 177)
1/22 H J Res 3 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155)
1/21 HR 384 Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program Bill Passed - House (260 - 166)
1/14 HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
1/09 HR 12 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (256 - 163)
1/09 HR 11 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 171)
12/10 HR 7321 Automotive Industry Financing Bill Passed - House (237 - 170)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
10/03 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
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)
9/24 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 HR 6604 Commodity Markets Speculation Bill Bill Passed - House (283 - 133)
9/17 HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
9/16 HR 6899 Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (236 - 189)
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
7/31 HR 1338 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 178)
7/30 HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
7/24 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
7/24 HR 3999 National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act Bill Passed - House (367 - 55)
7/23 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
7/23 HR 6532 Restoring the Highway Trust Fund Balance Bill Passed - House (387 - 37)
7/17 HR 6515 Oil Exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Bill Failed - House (244 - 173)
7/16 H Amdt 1114 Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180)
7/16 HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)

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