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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2007 | National | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - House (273 - 149) |
| March 30, 2006 | National | H Amdt 772 | Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 220) |
| March 30, 2006 | National | HR 609 | College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 199) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| Dec. 14, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | National | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| Oct. 25, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2213 | Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| July 22, 2005 | National | H Amdt 511 | Advanced Research Opportunities Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (192 - 206) |
| June 23, 2005 | National | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| March 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| June 13, 2000 | National | H Amdt 788 | Higher Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 267) |
| March 2, 2000 | National | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| April 21, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
| April 21, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 57) |
| March 11, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| March 11, 1999 | National | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 90) |
| Sept. 29, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| July 9, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| June 24, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| June 18, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| May 6, 1998 | National | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| April 23, 1998 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Oct. 23, 1997 | National | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| June 26, 1997 | National | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| April 25, 1996 | National | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| Oct. 18, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| Oct. 7, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| Sept. 29, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| July 22, 1993 | National | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| June 30, 1993 | National | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/11 | HR 2669 | Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants | Bill Passed - House (273 - 149) |
| 3/30 | H Amdt 772 | Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (200 - 220) |
| 3/30 | HR 609 | College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - House (221 - 199) |
| 2/02 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 31) |
| 12/14 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (215 - 213) |
| 11/17 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Rejected - House (209 - 224) |
| 11/03 | S 1932 | Budget Reconciliation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 10/27 | HR 3010 | Labor, HHS and Education FY 2006 Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 3) |
| 10/25 | S Amdt 2213 | Federal Pell Grant Increase Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 7/22 | H Amdt 511 | Advanced Research Opportunities Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (192 - 206) |
| 6/23 | H Amdt 343 | Restoring Funds for Public Broadcasting | Amendment Adopted - House (284 - 140) |
| 3/17 | S Amdt 177 | Education Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 6/13 | H Amdt 788 | Higher Education Funding Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (156 - 267) |
| 3/02 | S 1134 | Education Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 4/21 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 4/21 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Conference Report Adopted - House (368 - 57) |
| 3/11 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 3/11 | HR 800 | Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 | Bill Passed - House (330 - 90) |
| 9/29 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 0) |
| 7/09 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - Senate (96 - 1) |
| 6/24 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (59 - 36) |
| 6/18 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (225 - 197) |
| 5/06 | HR 6 | Higher Education Programs Authorization Extension bill | Bill Passed - House (414 - 4) |
| 4/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 10/23 | HR 2646 | Education Savings Accounts bill | Bill Passed - House (230 - 198) |
| 6/26 | S Amdt 527 | Family Tax Relief Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (38 - 61) |
| 4/25 | S Amdt 3670 | Foreign Student Program Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
| 10/18 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (80 - 15) |
| 10/07 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (311 - 115) |
| 9/29 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (82 - 17) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 608 | National Service Educational Awards Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (55 - 44) |
| 6/30 | HR 2518 | Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill | Bill Passed - House (305 - 124) |