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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Sept. 6, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Aug. 1, 2007 | National | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| July 19, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| July 19, 2007 | National | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| July 11, 2007 | National | S 1701 | Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education | Bill Passed - House (291 - 126) |
| June 6, 2007 | National | HR 2560 | Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 | Bill Failed - House (204 - 213) |
| Dec. 6, 2006 | National | HR 6099 | Abortion Pain Bill | Bill Failed - House (250 - 162) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | S 403 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (264 - 153) |
| July 25, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 25, 2006 | National | S 403 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| June 9, 2006 | National | HR 5522 | Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act | Bill Passed - House (373 - 34) |
| July 20, 2005 | National | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| July 19, 2005 | National | H Amdt 464 | Obstetric Fistula Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 205) |
| May 25, 2005 | National | H Amdt 209 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| April 27, 2005 | National | HR 748 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 157) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| March 25, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Feb. 26, 2004 | National | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| Oct. 21, 2003 | National | S 3 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Oct. 2, 2003 | National | S 3 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 142) |
| June 4, 2003 | National | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| June 4, 2003 | National | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| May 1, 2003 | National | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| June 21, 2002 | National | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/06 | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 9/06 | S Amdt 2707 | Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 8/01 | HR 3162 | State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization | Bill Passed - House (225 - 204) |
| 7/19 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| 7/19 | HR 3043 | Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Bill Passed - House (276 - 140) |
| 7/11 | S 1701 | Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education | Bill Passed - House (291 - 126) |
| 6/06 | HR 2560 | Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 | Bill Failed - House (204 - 213) |
| 12/06 | HR 6099 | Abortion Pain Bill | Bill Failed - House (250 - 162) |
| 9/26 | S 403 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (264 - 153) |
| 7/25 | S Amdt 4689 | Teen Pregnancy Education Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/25 | S 403 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 6/09 | HR 5522 | Foreign Operations and Export Finance Appropriation Act | Bill Passed - House (373 - 34) |
| 7/20 | HR 2601 | State Department FY 2006/2007 Authorization Bill | Bill Passed - House (351 - 78) |
| 7/19 | H Amdt 464 | Obstetric Fistula Amendment | Amendment Adopted - House (223 - 205) |
| 5/25 | H Amdt 209 | Overseas Military Facilities Abortion Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 4/27 | HR 748 | Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act | Bill Passed - House (270 - 157) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 244 | Unintended Pregnancy Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
| 3/25 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 2/26 | HR 1997 | Unborn Victims of Violence Act 2004 | Bill Passed - House (254 - 163) |
| 10/21 | S 3 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (64 - 34) |
| 10/02 | S 3 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 142) |
| 6/04 | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| 6/04 | HR 760 | Prohibit Partial-Birth/Late Term Abortion Bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 139) |
| 5/01 | HR 1298 | AIDS Assistance bill | Bill Passed - House (375 - 41) |
| 6/21 | S Amdt 3927 | Military Abortion Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 40) |