Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Sept. 10, 2007 National S Amdt 2792 Bridge Repair Funding Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33)
Sept. 7, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12)
Sept. 7, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - House (292 - 97)
Sept. 7, 2007 National HR 1908 Patent Reform Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (220 - 175)
Sept. 6, 2007 National S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
Aug. 5, 2007 National HR 3222 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 Bill Passed - House (395 - 13)
Aug. 4, 2007 National H Amdt 748 Renewable Energy Standards Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 190)
Aug. 4, 2007 National HR 2776 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (221 - 189)
Aug. 4, 2007 National HR 3221 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (241 - 172)
Aug. 4, 2007 National S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - House (227 - 183)
Aug. 3, 2007 National S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28)
Aug. 2, 2007 National H Amdt 734 Prescription Drug Imports Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 283)
Aug. 2, 2007 National S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
Aug. 2, 2007 National HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
Aug. 2, 2007 National HR 3159 Mandatory Troop Rest Periods Between Deployments to Iraq Bill Passed - House (229 - 194)
Aug. 1, 2007 National HR 3162 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (225 - 204)
July 31, 2007 National S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Bill Passed - House (411 - 8)
July 31, 2007 National HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Bill Passed - House (225 - 199)
July 27, 2007 National HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 40)
July 27, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - House (231 - 191)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
July 26, 2007 National S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)
July 26, 2007 National HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 8)
July 26, 2007 National HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 4)
July 26, 2007 National HR 3093 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (281 - 142)
July 25, 2007 National H Amdt 674 State and Federal Medical Marijuana Law Enforcement and Implementation Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 262)
July 25, 2007 National HR 2929 Ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq Bill Passed - House (399 - 24)
July 24, 2007 National H Amdt 600 Funding Reduction for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Account, Amtrak and Other Services Amendment Rejected - House (94 - 328)
July 20, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
July 19, 2007 National S Amdt 2351 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
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 18, 2007 National S Amdt 2087 Iraq Troop Reduction Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
July 17, 2007 National HR 980 Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Bill Passed - House (314 - 97)
July 17, 2007 National HR 2641 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (312 - 112)
July 12, 2007 National HR 2956 Redeployment from Iraq Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 201)
July 12, 2007 National HR 1851 Section 8 Voucher Adjustments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (333 - 83)
July 11, 2007 National HR 556 Foreign Investment Oversight Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 45)
July 11, 2007 National S 1701 Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education Bill Passed - House (291 - 126)
July 11, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - House (273 - 149)
June 28, 2007 National S 1639 Second Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53)
June 27, 2007 National HR 1830 Andean Trade Preference Act Extension Bill Passed - House (365 - 59)
June 26, 2007 National HR 800 Union Organization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48)
June 21, 2007 National S Amdt 1704 Alternative Energy Subsidies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 36)
June 21, 2007 National H Amdt 378 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 214)
June 21, 2007 National HR 6 Energy Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 27)
June 19, 2007 National S Amdt 1519 Preventing Petroleum Export Organizations (NOPEC Act of 2007) Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 23)
June 15, 2007 National HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
June 14, 2007 National S Amdt 1538 Clean Energy Achievement Criteria Amendment Tabled - Senate (56 - 39)
June 14, 2007 National S Amdt 1566 Offshore Drilling in Virginia Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 44)
June 11, 2007 National S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
June 7, 2007 National S 1348 Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61)
June 7, 2007 National S 5 Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (247 - 176)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1316 Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1384 English as the Common Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1151 Declaring English the National Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1202 Point Based Immigration Expiration Date Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
June 6, 2007 National S Amdt 1184 Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51)
June 6, 2007 National HR 2560 Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 Bill Failed - House (204 - 213)
May 24, 2007 National H Amdt 2 Replacing Titles I and II of House Amdt 1 to HR 2206 Amendment Adopted - House (280 - 142)
May 24, 2007 National H Amdt 1 Departmental Appropriations for Defense, Security, and Hurricane Recovery Amendment Adopted - House (348 - 73)
May 24, 2007 National HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
May 23, 2007 National S Amdt 1169 Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24)
May 22, 2007 National HR 2264 Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups Bill Passed - House (345 - 72)
May 22, 2007 National S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
May 17, 2007 National H Amdt 197 Guantanamo Transfer Plan Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 208)
May 17, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 209)
May 17, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
May 10, 2007 National HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Bill Passed - House (221 - 205)
May 8, 2007 National S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Bill Passed - House (212 - 207)
May 7, 2007 National S Amdt 1010 FDA Drug Import Certification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 40)
May 3, 2007 National HR 1592 Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (237 - 180)
May 2, 2007 National HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Veto Override Failed - House (222 - 203)
April 26, 2007 National HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/10 S Amdt 2792 Bridge Repair Funding Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33)
9/07 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 12)
9/07 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Conference Report Adopted - House (292 - 97)
9/07 HR 1908 Patent Reform Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (220 - 175)
9/06 S Amdt 2707 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
8/05 HR 3222 Department of Defense Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2008 Bill Passed - House (395 - 13)
8/04 H Amdt 748 Renewable Energy Standards Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 190)
8/04 HR 2776 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (221 - 189)
8/04 HR 3221 Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (241 - 172)
8/04 S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - House (227 - 183)
8/03 S 1927 Foreign Intelligence Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 28)
8/02 H Amdt 734 Prescription Drug Imports Amendment Rejected - House (146 - 283)
8/02 S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
8/02 HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
8/02 HR 3159 Mandatory Troop Rest Periods Between Deployments to Iraq Bill Passed - House (229 - 194)
8/01 HR 3162 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (225 - 204)
7/31 S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Bill Passed - House (411 - 8)
7/31 HR 2831 Equal Pay Bill Bill Passed - House (225 - 199)
7/27 HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act Conference Report Adopted - House (371 - 40)
7/27 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - House (231 - 191)
7/26 S Amdt 2405 REAL ID Funding Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 44)
7/26 S Amdt 2480 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 1)
7/26 HR 1 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 8)
7/26 HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 4)
7/26 HR 3093 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (281 - 142)
7/25 H Amdt 674 State and Federal Medical Marijuana Law Enforcement and Implementation Amendment Rejected - House (165 - 262)
7/25 HR 2929 Ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq Bill Passed - House (399 - 24)
7/24 H Amdt 600 Funding Reduction for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Account, Amtrak and Other Services Amendment Rejected - House (94 - 328)
7/20 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
7/19 S Amdt 2351 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees Amendment Adopted - Senate (94 - 3)
7/19 HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Passed - House (276 - 140)
7/18 S Amdt 2087 Iraq Troop Reduction Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
7/17 HR 980 Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Bill Passed - House (314 - 97)
7/17 HR 2641 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act Bill Passed - House (312 - 112)
7/12 HR 2956 Redeployment from Iraq Act Bill Passed - House (223 - 201)
7/12 HR 1851 Section 8 Voucher Adjustments Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (333 - 83)
7/11 HR 556 Foreign Investment Oversight Concurrence Vote Passed - House (370 - 45)
7/11 S 1701 Extension of Funding for Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education Bill Passed - House (291 - 126)
7/11 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - House (273 - 149)
6/28 S 1639 Second Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53)
6/27 HR 1830 Andean Trade Preference Act Extension Bill Passed - House (365 - 59)
6/26 HR 800 Union Organization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48)
6/21 S Amdt 1704 Alternative Energy Subsidies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 36)
6/21 H Amdt 378 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 214)
6/21 HR 6 Energy Act of 2007 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 27)
6/19 S Amdt 1519 Preventing Petroleum Export Organizations (NOPEC Act of 2007) Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 23)
6/15 HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
6/14 S Amdt 1538 Clean Energy Achievement Criteria Amendment Tabled - Senate (56 - 39)
6/14 S Amdt 1566 Offshore Drilling in Virginia Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 44)
6/11 S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
6/07 S 1348 Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (34 - 61)
6/07 S 5 Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (247 - 176)
6/06 S Amdt 1316 Five Year Expiration for Guest Worker Program Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 48)
6/06 S Amdt 1384 English as the Common Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39)
6/06 S Amdt 1151 Declaring English the National Language Amendment Adopted - Senate (64 - 33)
6/06 S Amdt 1202 Point Based Immigration Expiration Date Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 55)
6/06 S Amdt 1333 Barring Immigrants with Certain Criminal Histories Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 32)
6/06 S Amdt 1250 Law Enforcement Review of Z Visa Applications Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 39)
6/06 S Amdt 1184 Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 51)
6/06 HR 2560 Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007 Bill Failed - House (204 - 213)
5/24 H Amdt 2 Replacing Titles I and II of House Amdt 1 to HR 2206 Amendment Adopted - House (280 - 142)
5/24 H Amdt 1 Departmental Appropriations for Defense, Security, and Hurricane Recovery Amendment Adopted - House (348 - 73)
5/24 HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (80 - 14)
5/23 S Amdt 1169 Guest Worker Number Reduction Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (74 - 24)
5/22 HR 2264 Preventing the Organization of Petroleum Export Groups Bill Passed - House (345 - 72)
5/22 S 214 United States Attorneys Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (306 - 114)
5/17 H Amdt 197 Guantanamo Transfer Plan Amendment Adopted - House (220 - 208)
5/17 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (214 - 209)
5/17 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 40)
5/10 HR 2206 Emergency Departmental Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 Bill Passed - House (221 - 205)
5/08 S Con Res 21 2008 Budget Resolution Bill Passed - House (212 - 207)
5/07 S Amdt 1010 FDA Drug Import Certification Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (49 - 40)
5/03 HR 1592 Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (237 - 180)
5/02 HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Veto Override Failed - House (222 - 203)
4/26 HR 1591 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill of 2007 with Iraq Withdrawal Timeline Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 46)

arrow_upward