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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 24, 2008 | National | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Bill Passed - House (355 - 59) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (274 - 141) |
| Nov. 7, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| July 11, 2007 | National | S 1701 | Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education | Bill Passed - House (291 - 126) |
| May 17, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| May 17, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 209) |
| March 23, 2007 | National | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Jan. 12, 2007 | National | HR 4 | Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 170) |
| March 16, 2006 | National | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2381 | Prescription Drug Plan Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
| May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200) |
| May 23, 2003 | National | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| April 2, 2003 | National | HR 743 | Social Security Protection Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (396 - 28) |
| June 28, 2002 | National | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | HR 7 | Community Solutions Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 198) |
| July 27, 2000 | National | H Amdt 1041 | Social Security Benefits Tax Relief | Amendment Rejected - House (169 - 256) |
| July 27, 2000 | National | HR 4865 | Social Security Benefits Tax Relief bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| June 29, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3689 | Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24 | HR 6331 | Medicare Bill | Bill Passed - House (355 - 59) |
| 11/15 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Veto Override Failed - House (277 - 141) |
| 11/08 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (274 - 141) |
| 11/07 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 37) |
| 10/23 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (75 - 19) |
| 7/11 | S 1701 | Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education | Bill Passed - House (291 - 126) |
| 5/17 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| 5/17 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 209) |
| 3/23 | S Con Res 21 | 2008 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 1/12 | HR 4 | Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 170) |
| 3/16 | S Con Res 83 | 2007 Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2381 | Prescription Drug Plan Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 56) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2371 | Medicare Prescription Drug Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 229 | Medicaid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 51) |
| 5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (231 - 200) |
| 5/23 | HR 2 | Jobs and Economic Growth bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 50) |
| 4/02 | HR 743 | Social Security Protection Act of 2003 | Bill Passed - House (396 - 28) |
| 6/28 | HR 4954 | Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act | Bill Passed - House (221 - 208) |
| 7/19 | HR 7 | Community Solutions Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 198) |
| 7/27 | H Amdt 1041 | Social Security Benefits Tax Relief | Amendment Rejected - House (169 - 256) |
| 7/27 | HR 4865 | Social Security Benefits Tax Relief bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 159) |
| 6/29 | S Amdt 3689 | Social Security and Medicare Surplus Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 43) |