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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 9, 2010 | National | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | National | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
| Jan. 22, 2009 | National | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36) |
| July 31, 2008 | National | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 3) |
| April 23, 2008 | National | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| March 6, 2008 | National | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 13) |
| June 26, 2007 | National | HR 800 | Union Organization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| May 24, 2007 | National | HR 2206 | Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| Aug. 3, 2006 | National | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| June 21, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4376 | Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| June 21, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4322 | Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 44 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49) |
| March 7, 2005 | National | S Amdt 128 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| April 8, 2004 | National | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19) |
| March 21, 2001 | National | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 6, 2001 | National | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2751 | Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48) |
| Nov. 9, 1999 | National | S Amdt 2547 | Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| July 23, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| May 18, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| March 6, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| Nov. 8, 1997 | National | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| Oct. 3, 1996 | National | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| Sept. 10, 1996 | National | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| Aug. 2, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| July 10, 1996 | National | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| July 9, 1996 | National | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| May 1, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| July 12, 1994 | National | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |
| July 12, 1994 | National | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/09 | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
| 2/09 | PN 1351 | Craig Becker, Member of the National Labor Relations Board | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 33) |
| 1/22 | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36) |
| 7/31 | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (89 - 3) |
| 4/23 | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 3/06 | HR 4040 | Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 13) |
| 6/26 | HR 800 | Union Organization Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 5/24 | HR 2206 | Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14) |
| 8/03 | HR 5970 | Death/Estate Tax and Minimum Wage Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 4376 | Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 53) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 4322 | Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 3/07 | S Amdt 44 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 49) |
| 3/07 | S Amdt 128 | Minimum Wage Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 4/08 | HR 3108 | Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (78 - 19) |
| 3/21 | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/06 | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 2/02 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 11/09 | S Amdt 2751 | Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 11/09 | S Amdt 2547 | Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 7/23 | S Amdt 3258 | Temporary Farm Workers Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 2417 | U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 3/06 | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| 11/08 | HR 2264 | Appropriations bill FY98, Labor, HHS, Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 4) |
| 10/03 | HR 3539 | Federal Aviation Authorization Act of 1996 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 9/10 | S 2056 | Employment Nondiscrimination Act of 1996 | Bill Failed - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 8/02 | HR 3103 | Health Insurance Portability bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 0) |
| 8/02 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (76 - 22) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/10 | S Amdt 4438 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 7/10 | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 7/10 | HR 743 | Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 1995 | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 7/09 | S Amdt 4435 | Minimum Wage Increase Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 7/09 | HR 3448 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 24) |
| 5/01 | S Amdt 3752 | Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 7/12 | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 7/12 | S 55 | Striker Replacement | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 47) |