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
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
June 11, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
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 - Senate (53 - 43)
April 28, 2009 National PN 188 Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31)
March 31, 2009 National S Amdt 739 Public Debt Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
March 26, 2009 National HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
March 19, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
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. 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. 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)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
6/11 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 17)
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 - Senate (53 - 43)
4/28 PN 188 Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services Nomination Confirmed - Senate (65 - 31)
3/31 S Amdt 739 Public Debt Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
3/26 HR 1388 National Volunteer Program Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 19)
3/19 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
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)
1/26 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)
1/15 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)

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