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 18, 2002 | National | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| July 19, 2001 | National | H Amdt 200 | Community Solutions Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (168 - 261) |
| March 6, 2001 | National | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| Sept. 26, 2000 | National | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| July 13, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| June 9, 2000 | National | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| June 8, 2000 | National | H Amdt 760 | OSHA Ergonomic Protection Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 220) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | H Amdt 594 | Minimum Wage Increase-Two Year Raise | Amendment Adopted - House (246 - 179) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| March 9, 2000 | National | HR 3846 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 143) |
| Feb. 16, 2000 | National | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| 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) |
| May 5, 1999 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| Sept. 24, 1998 | National | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| Sept. 24, 1998 | National | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| 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) |
| April 1, 1998 | National | H Amdt 548 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| March 26, 1998 | National | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| March 6, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| Nov. 7, 1997 | National | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| March 19, 1997 | National | HR 1 | Compensatory Time Bill | Bill Passed - House (222 - 210) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | S 2600 | Terrorism Insurance Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 14) |
| 7/19 | H Amdt 200 | Community Solutions Act Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (168 - 261) |
| 3/06 | S J Res 6 | Ergonomics Regulations Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 9/26 | HR 5175 | Small Business Superfund Exemption | Bill Failed - House (253 - 161) |
| 7/13 | S Amdt 3821 | Estate Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 6/09 | H Amdt 763 | Estate Tax Substitute Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (196 - 222) |
| 6/08 | H Amdt 760 | OSHA Ergonomic Protection Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 220) |
| 3/09 | H Amdt 594 | Minimum Wage Increase-Two Year Raise | Amendment Adopted - House (246 - 179) |
| 3/09 | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| 3/09 | HR 3081 | Small Business Tax Fairness Act of 2000 | Bill Passed - House (257 - 169) |
| 3/09 | HR 3846 | Minimum Wage Increase bill | Bill Passed - House (282 - 143) |
| 2/16 | HR 2366 | Small Business Liability Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (221 - 193) |
| 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) |
| 5/05 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| 9/24 | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| 9/24 | HR 3736 | Nonimmigrant Specialty Workers bill | Bill Passed - House (288 - 133) |
| 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) |
| 4/01 | H Amdt 548 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 225) |
| 3/26 | HR 3246 | Small Business and Employee Fairness bill | Bill Passed - House (202 - 200) |
| 3/06 | S Amdt 1708 | Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37) |
| 11/07 | HR 2647 | PLA Monitoring bill | Bill Passed - House (408 - 10) |
| 3/19 | HR 1 | Compensatory Time Bill | Bill Passed - House (222 - 210) |