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. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| May 28, 2010 | National | HR 5136 | 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations | Bill Passed - House (229 - 186) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | H Amdt 672 | Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| Sept. 24, 2008 | National | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 39) |
| July 23, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| June 19, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Dec. 12, 2007 | National | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| Oct. 18, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
| Oct. 2, 2007 | National | HR 3087 | Requiring Reports from the Defense Department to Congress Regarding Withdrawal from Iraq | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| Sept. 25, 2007 | National | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| Aug. 4, 2007 | National | HR 3221 | Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 172) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | HR 3159 | Mandatory Troop Rest Periods Between Deployments to Iraq | Bill Passed - House (229 - 194) |
| Feb. 16, 2007 | National | H Con Res 63 | Iraq War Policy Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (246 - 182) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| June 20, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Defense Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (407 - 19) |
| June 16, 2006 | National | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| Dec. 19, 2005 | National | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 41) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/15 | HR 2965 | Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 175) |
| 5/28 | HR 5136 | 2010-2011 Defense Appropriation Authorizations | Bill Passed - House (229 - 186) |
| 5/27 | H Amdt 672 | Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" After Military Review and Certification | Amendment Adopted - House (234 - 194) |
| 10/08 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| 9/24 | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 39) |
| 7/23 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| 6/19 | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155) |
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| 5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (266 - 154) |
| 5/08 | HR 3221 | Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (322 - 94) |
| 1/16 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| 12/12 | HR 1585 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 | Conference Report Adopted - House (370 - 49) |
| 10/18 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Veto Override Failed - House (273 - 156) |
| 10/02 | HR 3087 | Requiring Reports from the Defense Department to Congress Regarding Withdrawal from Iraq | Bill Passed - House (377 - 46) |
| 9/25 | HR 976 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| 8/04 | HR 3221 | Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (241 - 172) |
| 8/02 | HR 3159 | Mandatory Troop Rest Periods Between Deployments to Iraq | Bill Passed - House (229 - 194) |
| 2/16 | H Con Res 63 | Iraq War Policy Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (246 - 182) |
| 9/26 | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| 6/20 | HR 5631 | Defense Department FY2007 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (407 - 19) |
| 6/16 | H Res 861 | Global War on Terror | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 153) |
| 12/19 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (308 - 106) |
| 12/19 | HR 1815 | Defense Department FY2006 Authorization Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (374 - 41) |