Key Votes

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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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 11, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
June 9, 2009 National HR 2751 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act Bill Passed - House (298 - 119)
May 20, 2009 National HR 627 Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147)
May 12, 2009 National S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
April 29, 2009 National S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
April 29, 2009 National S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43)
April 29, 2009 National HR 1913 Hate Crimes Expansion Bill Passed - House (249 - 175)
April 28, 2009 National PN 188 Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31)
April 2, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
March 31, 2009 National S Amdt 739 Public Debt Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
March 31, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
March 26, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
March 25, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
March 19, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
March 19, 2009 National HR 1586 TARP Recipient Bonuses Tax Bill Passed - House (328 - 93)
March 18, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
March 11, 2009 National S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Failed - House (282 - 144)
March 5, 2009 National HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 26, 2009 National HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
Feb. 13, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 183)
Feb. 13, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 38)
Feb. 10, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 6, 2009 National S Amdt 538 Tax Credit Substitute Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (35 - 61)
Feb. 4, 2009 National S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
Feb. 3, 2009 National S Amdt 109 Hollywood Productions Tax Credit Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 45)
Jan. 29, 2009 National HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
Jan. 28, 2009 National HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - House (244 - 188)
Jan. 27, 2009 National S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - House (250 - 177)
Jan. 26, 2009 National PN 64-6 Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34)
Jan. 22, 2009 National S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36)
Jan. 22, 2009 National H J Res 3 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155)
Jan. 21, 2009 National HR 384 Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program Bill Passed - House (260 - 166)
Jan. 15, 2009 National S J Res 5 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (42 - 52)
Jan. 15, 2009 National S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21)
Jan. 14, 2009 National HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
Jan. 9, 2009 National HR 11 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 171)
Jan. 9, 2009 National HR 12 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (256 - 163)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/11 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
6/09 HR 2751 Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act Bill Passed - House (298 - 119)
5/20 HR 627 Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 147)
5/12 S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
4/29 S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193)
4/29 S Con Res 13 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43)
4/29 HR 1913 Hate Crimes Expansion Bill Passed - House (249 - 175)
4/28 PN 188 Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31)
4/02 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
3/31 S Amdt 739 Public Debt Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
3/31 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - House (275 - 149)
3/26 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
3/25 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
3/19 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
3/19 HR 1586 TARP Recipient Bonuses Tax Bill Passed - House (328 - 93)
3/18 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - House (321 - 105)
3/11 S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Failed - House (282 - 144)
3/05 HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/26 HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
2/13 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - House (246 - 183)
2/13 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 38)
2/10 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/06 S Amdt 538 Tax Credit Substitute Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (35 - 61)
2/04 S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
2/03 S Amdt 109 Hollywood Productions Tax Credit Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 45)
1/29 HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 32)
1/28 HR 1 Appropriations, Tax Law Amendments, and Unemployment Benefit Amendments ("Stimulus Bill") Bill Passed - House (244 - 188)
1/27 S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - House (250 - 177)
1/26 PN 64-6 Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 34)
1/22 S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36)
1/22 H J Res 3 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155)
1/21 HR 384 Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program Bill Passed - House (260 - 166)
1/15 S J Res 5 Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (42 - 52)
1/15 S 22 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21)
1/14 HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion Bill Passed - House (289 - 139)
1/09 HR 11 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (247 - 171)
1/09 HR 12 Employment Discrimination Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (256 - 163)

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