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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Sept. 29, 2008 | National | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| Sept. 23, 2008 | National | HR 5244 | Credit Card Regulations | Bill Passed - House (312 - 112) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| June 25, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4983 | Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | National | HR 3915 | Mortgage Reform and Anti-Subprime Lending Act | Bill Passed - House (291 - 127) |
| July 12, 2006 | National | HR 2990 | Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 166) |
| March 14, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3013 | Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| April 14, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (302 - 126) |
| March 10, 2005 | National | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| March 18, 2004 | National | HR 1375 | Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (392 - 25) |
| Jan. 28, 2004 | National | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| July 15, 2002 | National | S 2673 | Accounting Industry Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| July 1, 1999 | National | HR 10 | Financial Modernization bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 86) |
| May 5, 1999 | National | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| Oct. 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| May 13, 1998 | National | H Amdt 621 | Enhance Banking Flexibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (140 - 281) |
| May 13, 1998 | National | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| May 13, 1998 | National | HR 10 | Financial Services Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (214 - 213) |
| Dec. 22, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Dec. 20, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| Dec. 6, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| Dec. 5, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| June 28, 1995 | National | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 9/29 | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 9/23 | HR 5244 | Credit Card Regulations | Bill Passed - House (312 - 112) |
| 6/26 | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 4983 | Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 11/15 | HR 3915 | Mortgage Reform and Anti-Subprime Lending Act | Bill Passed - House (291 - 127) |
| 7/12 | HR 2990 | Credit Rating Agency Duopoly Relief Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 166) |
| 3/14 | S Amdt 3013 | Reinstate Pay-As-You-Go through 2011 Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 4/14 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - House (302 - 126) |
| 3/10 | S 256 | Bankruptcy Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 3/18 | HR 1375 | Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004 | Bill Passed - House (392 - 25) |
| 1/28 | S 1920 | Farmer Bankruptcy Bill | Bill Passed - House (265 - 99) |
| 7/15 | S 2673 | Accounting Industry Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (97 - 0) |
| 2/02 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 7/01 | HR 10 | Financial Modernization bill | Bill Passed - House (343 - 86) |
| 5/05 | HR 833 | Bankruptcy Reform bill | Bill Passed - House (313 - 108) |
| 10/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Conference Report Adopted - House (319 - 82) |
| 5/13 | H Amdt 621 | Enhance Banking Flexibility Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (140 - 281) |
| 5/13 | S 1260 | Securities Litigation | Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 21) |
| 5/13 | HR 10 | Financial Services Act of 1998 | Bill Passed - House (214 - 213) |
| 12/22 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 12/20 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Veto Override Passed - House (319 - 100) |
| 12/06 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (320 - 102) |
| 12/05 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (65 - 30) |
| 6/28 | HR 1058 | Legal Reform bill | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |