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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 11, 2008 | National | H Res 1031 | Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics | Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3896 | Prohibiting the Funds in S 1200 from Being Used for Abortions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 42) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | National | S 1200 | Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4070 | Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | National | H Res 982 | Contempt Charges | Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | National | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Jan. 16, 2008 | National | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/11 | H Res 1031 | Establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics | Resolution Passed - House (229 - 182) |
| 2/26 | S Amdt 3896 | Prohibiting the Funds in S 1200 from Being Used for Abortions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 42) |
| 2/26 | S 1200 | Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10) |
| 2/25 | S Amdt 4070 | Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11) |
| 2/14 | H Res 982 | Contempt Charges | Resolution Passed - House (223 - 32) |
| 1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| 1/23 | HR 3963 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) | Veto Override Failed - House (260 - 152) |
| 1/22 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| 1/22 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 3) |
| 1/16 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |
| 1/16 | HR 4986 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (369 - 46) |